Qualitative evaluation of the project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong : findings based on the program implementers

Qualitative evaluation was carried out to understand the perceptions of the program implementers participating in the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. project, a positive youth development program in Hong Kong. Five focus groups based on 38 implementers recruited from five schools were conducted to generate qualitative data to evaluate the program. The program implementers generally perceived that the program benefited the students in different psychosocial domains. With specific focus on how the informants described the program, analyses based on the descriptors and metaphors showed that the descriptors used were mainly positive in nature, although some neutral and negative views were also observed. The narratives collected also revealed that the program implementers perceived the program to be beneficial to them. The present qualitative findings suggest that the projectProject P.A.T.H.S. is beneficial to the program participants as well as program implementers.