Components of School-Based Interventions Stimulating Students’ Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Domains: A Meta-analysis

Abstract

Many universal school-based interventions aim to stimulate students’ intrapersonal (e.g., self-esteem) and interpersonal (e.g., school climate) domains. To improve our understanding of why some of these interventions yield stronger effects than others, we identified intervention components that are related to stronger or weaker intervention effects. We systematically searched four databases (i.e., PsycINFO, PubMed, ERIC, CENTRAL) for controlled evaluations of universal school-based interventions. In total, 104 included studies (529 included effect sizes) reported on 99 unique interventions. Interventions showed small positive effects on the intrapersonal (d = 0.19) and interpersonal (d = 0.15) domains. Focusing on self-awareness and problem solving, using more active learning approaches, and using more extensive interventions predicted stronger intervention effects on aspects of both domains. In contrast, efforts to improve emotion regulation, assertiveness, cognitive coping, and using group discussions predicted weaker intervention effects. Furthermore, commonly implemented components were not necessarily related to stronger intervention effects and components that were related to stronger effects were not necessarily often implemented. Our findings highlight the need to carefully select components for inclusion in interventions. PROSPERO Registration Number: CRD42019137981.

Parallel Changes in Positive Youth Development and Self-awareness: the Role of Emotional Self-regulation, Self-esteem, and Self-reflection

“…Although these improvements may represent adolescents' typical development, this finding can also indicate that R&W and usual care at schools are equally effective which, in turn, suggests that care as usual in Dutch schools is of good quality. Notwithstanding this positive finding, it is important to examine how universal school-based interventions in general, and R&W specifically, can be optimized as intervention effects of this type of intervention are generally small (e.g., Mertens et al, 2020;Tanner-Smith et al, 2018). One way to optimize R&W may be by adjusting the dosage of some components.…”

Evaluation of an Assertiveness Training Based on the Social Learning Theory for Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Practitioners

“…In that sense, assertiveness training has an extensive background and history, particularly since the groundbreaking work of Wolpe [18]. Evidence suggests that assertiveness training, which is the core of any training in social skills, is still present nowadays due to its effectiveness in several settings, from therapy and the treatment of severe mental illness such as schizophrenia [19] to education and the improvement of social relations and the prevention of bullying [20,21].…”

Components Related to Long-Term Effects in the Intra- and Interpersonal Domains: A Meta-Analysis of Universal School-Based Interventions

“…Besides examining the effectiveness of universal secondary school-based interventions at follow-up, the present meta-analysis aimed to extend previous research by examining which intervention components were related to stronger or weaker intervention effects at follow-up. Previous meta-analyses examining school-based interventions examined few, if any, components and analyzed how these relate to intervention effects immediately after the intervention (e.g., Mertens et al, 2020 ; Sheridan et al, 2019 ). To increase our understanding of long-term intervention effects, we must unravel which intervention components are related to long-term effects.…”

“…Regarding content components related to short-term intervention effects, Gaffney et al ( 2021 ) found in their meta-analysis of anti-bullying interventions that the component of ‘teaching social-emotional skills’ was related to weaker effects on bullying and victimization. The meta-analysis of universal school-based interventions of Mertens et al ( 2020 ) looked at more specific components of teaching social-emotional skills and found that focusing on emotion regulation, assertiveness, and/or cognitive coping were related to weaker effects. On the other hand, focusing on insight building and problem solving related to stronger effects.…”

“…Concerning instructional components and short-term effects, using the component of ‘an active learning approach’ (i.e., methods in which students interact with others and perform tasks) is consistently related to stronger intervention effects. For instance, practicing the new skills learned during the intervention as well as modeling of desired behaviors have been associated with stronger effects in, respectively, universal school-based interventions (Mertens et al, 2020 ) and family-school interventions (Sheridan et al, 2019 ). Regarding structural components and short-term effects, longer and more extensive school-based interventions seem, in general, to be associated with stronger intervention effects.…”