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Addressing the Challenges Faced by Early Adolescents: A Mixed-Method Evaluation of the Benefits of Peer Support

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
American Journal of Community Psychology

Abstract

In this article, we describe a mixed-methods study used to examine the effectiveness of a widely-used peer support program designed to facilitate the transition to adolescence and high school by enhancing self-concept and other desirable outcomes. For the quantitative component, a longitudinal design was employed (930 Grade 7 students, 3 schools, 2 years), with control group and baseline (i.e., pre-program) data against which to compare the effects. Using a multilevel approach, the results provide evidence to suggest that the program was largely successful in achieving its aims of enhancing students’ school self-concept, school citizenship, sense of self and possibility, connectedness, and resourcefulness. A sub-sample of students from the experimental group participated in the qualitative component, which included open-ended survey results (n = 408 Grade 7 students, n = 75 peer support leaders) and focus groups (n = 119 Grade 7 students, n = 44 peer support leaders) to identify students’ personal perspectives of the program. The qualitative results confirmed the quantitative findings that the program has important benefits for Grade 7 students and provided rich and valuable insights into students’ views of the intervention. The findings of this research have important implications and suggest that the provision of peer support has the potential to a make significant contribution to schools’ efforts to orchestrate positive outcomes for adolescents.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by an Australian Research Council linkage grant.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, c/o Brain and Mind Research Institute, 88-100 Mallett Street, Camperdown, NSW, 2050, Australia

    Louise A. Ellis

  2. Department of Education, Oxford University, Oxford, UK

    Herbert W. Marsh

  3. Centre for Educational Research, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Rhonda G. Craven

Authors
  1. Louise A. Ellis
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  2. Herbert W. Marsh
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  3. Rhonda G. Craven
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Louise A. Ellis.

Appendices

Appendix 1

See Table 7.

Table 7 Scales considered in the present investigation: description and reliability
Full size table

Appendix 2

Student Evaluation of the Peer Support Program

Three open-ended questions were included at the end of the quantitative questionnaire so that students could convey their perceptions of the peer support program in their own words. The qualitative student evaluation for Grade 7 students comprised the following questions:

  1. 1.

    How has the peer support program been helpful to you?

  2. 2.

    Any other comments you would like to make about the peer support program?

  3. 3.

    Any other comments you would like to make about your peer support leaders?

These questions gave all Grade 7 students the opportunity to express their views about the benefits of the program and their perceptions of the program in general, and express their perceptions about the peer support leaders. Participating leaders were also invited to identify the ways in which the program was of benefit to the Grade 7 students as well as to themselves. The qualitative student evaluation for the peer support leaders comprised the following questions:

  1. 1.

    How has the peer support program been helpful to Grade 7 students?

  2. 2.

    What skills did you develop by being involved in the peer support program?

  3. 3.

    Any other comments you would like to make about the peer support program?

Appendix 3

Semi-Structured Interview Guide

The following questions were used as a guide to interview participants. The interview process was semi-structured to allow the interviewer to pursue relevant topics in more detail and probe as necessary to enrich descriptions of particular events and experiences shared by participants. Texts in parentheses are alternative phrases to encourage discussion.

  • Q1: What was good about the peer support program? (What did you like about the program?)

  • Q2: What was not good about the peer support program? (What didn’t you like about the program?) (How could the program be improved in the future?)

  • Q3: What value did you get out of it personally? (How was the program helpful to you?) (In what ways was the program of benefit to you?)

Examples of probing questions:

  • “What did you mean when you said ….”

  • “You said … Tell me more about that.”

Appendix 4

See Table 8.

Table 8 Variance components models
Full size table

Appendix 5

See Table 9.

Table 9 Multilevel path models for additional variables
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Ellis, L.A., Marsh, H.W. & Craven, R.G. Addressing the Challenges Faced by Early Adolescents: A Mixed-Method Evaluation of the Benefits of Peer Support. Am J Community Psychol 44, 54–75 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-009-9251-y

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