Qualitative evaluation of the Project P.A.T.H.S.: findings based on focus groups with student participants.

Ten focus groups comprising 88 students recruited from ten schools were conducted to understand the perceptions of students participating in the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. Qualitative data analyses utilizing intra-rater and inter-rater reliability techniques were carried out. Results showed that a majority of the participants described the program positively and positive metaphors were used to represent the program. The program participants also perceived beneficial effects of the program in several aspects of adolescent lives. In conjunction with the previous research findings, the present study provides further support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in promoting holistic development in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.