Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine if the participation of middle school students in the "Lion's Quest-Skills for Adolescence Program" resulted in significant growth in self-concept when measured by the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Methodology. This quasi-experimental study evaluated the effects of participation in the "Lion's Quest-Skills for Adolescence Program" on the self-concept of 142 middle school students after an eighteen week treatment. Pre-test/post-test data were collected on the research population maintaining the strictest control features possible. A t-Test for Independent samples was used to determine if obtained data were significantly different. In order to determine if gains registered by the experimental group were statistically significant, a t-Test for Dependent Samples was utilized. Findings and conclusions. Results from this study indicated that: (1) during the term of the treatment, the mean self-concept score for the experimental group improved a total 6.86 points. This increase was statistically significant. (2) After treatment, there was a significant difference in self-concept scores for the boys and girls of the study, with the girls improving to a greater extent. (3) After treatment, there was a significant difference in the self-concept scores of two of the population sub groups based on ethnicity. These included the White/Hispanic comparison, with the White students improving to greater extent, and the Black/Hispanic comparison, with the Black students improving to a greater extent. Scores for the four other ethnic comparisons yielded no significant differences. Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that the participation of middle school students in the "Skills for Adolescence Program" does lead to improved self-concept, and that attained increases tend to be greater for girls as opposed to boys, and for Whites and Blacks, as opposed to students of other ethnic backgrounds. Recommendations. Based on the results of this study the following recommendations were made: (1) That curriculum development efforts at the middle school level include programs such as "Skills for Adolescence" in order to enhance student self-concept and to facilitate effective transition from the elementary grades, through the middle grades. (2) That the training strategies utilized for the "Skills for Adolescence Program" be considered as components of teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities, and as components of teacher inservice training programs. (3) That parent training workshops include components of the parent strand of the "Skills for Adolescence Program". (4) That additional research be conducted to determine the impact of the "Skills for Adolescence Program" in settings with larger minority populations than the setting of this study, and to determine if the effects of the program are sustained in subsequent years.