Solid as a rock, flexible as water? Effectiveness of a school intervention targeting the intrapersonal and interpersonal domains.
This study aimed to investigate whether 1) the school intervention Rock en Water (R&W) was effective in improving competencies and preventing problems in the intra- and interpersonal domain of students in pre-vocational secondary education (vmbo), and whether 2) intervention effects changed when more people were involved in the intervention (core team of teachers, whole school team, whole school team and parents). We conducted a randomized controlled study among first class students (N = 1299; M age = 12.38; 54 % boys) who completed digital questionnaires four times. The results showed that R&W improved a number of intervention-specific outcomes (self-control and emotional self-regulation), outcomes in the intrapersonal domain (psychological well-being, sexual autonomy and internalizing behavior) and in the interpersonal domain (aggression), but only when a core team of teachers was involved in the implementation of the intervention. The (moderate) intervention effects were greatest in the first year of the two-year intervention. These results show that R&W can produce positive effects among these students when implemented by a core team. So it seems valuable for schools to invest in interventions with a learning style that matches that of the target group, with a high quality of implementation and a limited number of people involved.
Practice leaflet
1. The pre-vocational students report more problems in the intra- and interpersonal domain than senior general secondary education students and pre-university students.
2. We examined: 1) the effectiveness of the school intervention Rots and Water for stimulating the intra- and interpersonal domain in pre-vocational secondary education students and 2) whether effectiveness changed as different people were involved in the intervention (core team teachers, whole school team, whole school team and parents).
3. The intervention showed moderate positive effects, particularly on outcomes in the intrapersonal domain, when only a core team of teachers was involved in implementing the intervention.
4. Intervention effects were greatest in the first year of the intervention.
5. It seems valuable to invest in proper training for and quality implementation by a core team.
- Mertens, E., Dekovic, M., van London, M., & Reitz, E. (2023). Solid as a rock, flexible as water? Effectiveness of a school intervention targeting the intrapersonal and interpersonal domains. Youth in Development, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.54447/JiO.13371
