SAFER than SAFE: China Club as a model of a positive after-school initiative

Abstract

This article reports on a study that investigated the effectiveness of one out-of-school activity: 'China Club'. China Club, an initiative of Scotland's National Centre for Languages and the Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools was established with the central aim of teaching Mandarin language and Chinese culture to young people from a secondary school in the West of Scotland. The article explores the success of China Club against criteria established by Durlak and Weissberg ( 2007) to ascertain programme success; how well the programme is: sequenced; active; focused; explicit (SAFE). We took an ethnographic case study approach, complemented by interviews with pupils, teachers and those leading the programme to investigate the effectiveness of China Club. We argue that the China Club has all the elements of a SAFE programme. Further, we suggest that more than these four factors are necessary if an out-of-school initiative is to move successfully beyond academic skills development to the personal and social growth of the individuals involved. We conclude that initiatives must also foster and include the opportunity for the development of effective relationships (R).

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“…Inextricable from the above, in line with Cassidy and Santoro (2020), our findings confirm the importance of the ‘R’ (‘SAFE R ’) for relationships between adults/coordinators and youth, which fostered relationships between peers. Specifically, coordinators' strengths‐based support and gentle structure/authority, balanced by their egalitarian/friendly/playful approach promoting a safe/inviting space to express vulnerability, fostered connections/relationships in all directions.…”

“…Cassidy and Santoro (2020) report that such (SAFE) elements are necessary yet insufficient to ‘move successfully beyond academic skills development to the personal and social growth’ of youth: based on their ethnographic study of an after‐school programme, they add relationships (‘R’) as an important factor (‘SAFE R ’). Their study brings to light the potential of qualitative methods to provide in‐depth understanding of stakeholders' experiences and insights and to reveal ‘underlying reasons and motifs that contribute to particular behaviours and outcomes’ of VP programmes (Cahill et al., 2019, p. 146; Williams & Mattson, 2006).…”

“…Meta-analyses further suggest that after-school and in-school SEL/PYD programmes tend to be more effective when 'SAFE', that is when they: (S) coordinate a sequence of activities and learning steps showing youth how each connects to the other, (A) involve active learning for youth to practice their newfound skills and knowledge, (F) allow sufficient time to focus on the development of skills and (E) provide explicit specific learning objectives and expectations (Durlak et al, 2010;Durlak et al, 2011). Cassidy and Santoro (2020) report that such (SAFE) elements are necessary yet insufficient to 'move successfully beyond academic skills development to the personal and social growth' of youth: based on their ethnographic study of an after-school programme, they add relationships ('R') as an important factor ('SAFER'). Their study brings to light the potential of qualitative methods to provide in-depth understanding of stakeholders' experiences and insights and to reveal 'underlying reasons and motifs that contribute to particular behaviours and outcomes' of VP programmes (Cahill et al, 2019, p. 146;Williams & Mattson, 2006).…”