The Research Evaluation of Heroes Project
Thitavan Hongkittiyanon1 Boonleang tumtong 2
1,2 College of Nursing and Health, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University
2 Surin Rajabhat University
084 5151900/
Abstract
This project assessment aimed to examine an assessment of the New Age Heroes Project, to compare development of perceptions of their own ability and self-control to avoid using addictive substances of youths, and to compare knowledge and negative attitudes toward using addictive substances of youths. The sample in the study consisted of 200 youths who were under 19 years of age in risk groups with these behaviors: smoking using amphetamines, alcohol drinking or risk. 1. The instruments used in the study were a questionnaire and a test. The statistics used for analyzing the collected data were mean, standard deviation, and t-test. The results of assessment were as follows :
1. The youths viewed about the project in terms of context as a whole at a high level. When each item was considered, it was found that their viewpoint were at a high level. The first 3 top ranks were : 1)The project provides opportunities and acceptance from the society. 2) The project receives support well from all sections involved. And 3) The project operation need to have participation in addictive drug prevention and suppression.
2. The youths viewed about the project in terms of input as a whole at a high level. When each item was considered, it was found that their viewpoint were at a high level. The first 3 top ranks were : 1) The staff of resource persons had knowledge and abilities in training. 2) The area of spaces is adequate for training. And 3) The trainees felt about addictive drugs that drugs were bad things.
3. The youths viewed about the project in terms of process as a whole at a high level. When each item was considered, it was found that their viewpoint were at a high level. The first 3 top ranks were : 1) The resource persons explained clearly about harm and dangers of addictive drugs. 2) Field trips can cause trainees to feel fearful of getting involved in addictive drugs. and 3)The resource persons explained clearly about wrongdoing against laws concerning addictive and harmful drugs in the types of amphetamines and Ice drug.
4. The youths viewed about the project in terms of product as a whole at a high level. When each item was considered, it was found that their viewpoint were at a high level. The first 3 top ranks were : 1)Participation in the project can cause trainees to know how to select to associate with good friends. 2). The trainees know well about harm and dangers of addictive drugs. And 3)Participation in the project enables the trainees to live joyfully in the society.
5. The youths had morality and ethics as a whole at a medium level. When each aspect was considered, it was found that these youths had morality and ethics at a high level. The firth 3 top ranks were : 1) responsibility, 2) fairness, and 3) industriousness. They had morality and ethics at the lowest level in the aspect of patience.
6. The youths after being trained had higher perceptions of their own abilities to avoid using addictive substances than before being trained at the .01level of statistical significance. These youths, after being trained, had higher self-control to avoid using addictive substances than before being trained at the .01level of statistical significance. The youths, after being trained, had higher knowledge about using addictive substances then before being trained at the .05 level of statistical significance. Finally these youths, after being trained, had higher negative attitudes toward using addictive substances than before being trained at the .01 level of statistical significance.
Thitavan Hongitiyanan1 Boonleang Thumthong 2
Suan Sunandha Rajabhat1/084 5151900/
2 Surin Rajabhat University/0846859695 /
Keywords: Project Evaluation Research, Heroes Project
1. Introduction
It is undeniable that the face place of globalization has a big effect on every unit of the country. People have more stress from living the modern life. Many people, including teenagers, chose alternative way or relieving stress by using addictive substances and alcohol. Not only internal stimulators, external sources such as TV commercials about alcohol, are the main influence on young people to try drinking. It is scientifically proven that alcohol can lead to other drugs. It is very worrying to know that Thailand ranks no. 5 of most drinking country. Thai government put alcohol consuming and alcoholism to be the top 3 priority. Many organizations have been working so hard to prevent the spread of drug users. Unfortunately, addictive substances have been spreading into all provinces by illegal network and transportation. Target group of the drug dealers are mostly teenagers (Thanyarak, 2011). From the survey in Udonthani, the numbers of people who are addicted to drug were 3,647. 1,795 people were still teenagers. 106 teenagers were suspicious of using drug while 579 teengers admitted that they were using amphetamine. More importantly, 1,000 students in the area were in the high risk of using drug (Mayuree Jongsiri, 2011). From the “non smoking youth camp” in 2011 by Udonthani Hospital, 80 teenagers participated. Among them, there were 40 teens stating that they had tried addictive substances. From the monthly report of psychiatric department, we could see the number of young people using drugs was increasing. There was a research paper supporting the theory of drug-using teenagers can be cured by the cooperation of families and school, but drug-addict teenagers should get help from rehabilitation.
Thus, the research team has realized how crucial drug problem is, and how urgent it has to be managed. We would like teenagers in high risk of using drug realize the danger of using drug and the effect of drug on their lives. We also hope to see them turning away from it, pay attention to study, and creating the supportive network in their schools. We set up the “new age superhero program” to help these young people as a celebration of the 85th birthday of His Majesty the King. We hope that after attending this program, teens in high risk will have better quality of life and live happily in their neighborhood. We hope that children who pass the program will realize the danger of drugs, be able to control themselves and find alternative way to improve their competencies.
The program was recommended by the community and school that it should be continued next year in order to help more teenagers who have the same problem.
2. Research objective
1. To study and evaluate the heroes program based on the comments of teenagers attending the program in terms of context, input, process and product
2. To study the level of moral among teenagers after attending the program
3. To compare the development of self-competency perception and self control to avoid using drug
4. to compare the knowledge and attitude toward using drug before and after the program
3. Research Framework
1. Population
The population in this research was teenagers under 19 years old who are in high risk of being drug addict. They have been reported due to the use of tobacco, alcohol or amphetamine. There are 3,647 teenagers on the list in Udonthani. The sample group was selected by Systematic Random Sampling, and we got 200 teenagers from the group.
2. Idea framework
This research is the evaluation of CIPP Model in terms of context, Input Process and Product.
3. Duration
The research took place from 20th September 2011 – 1st October 2012.
4. Literature review
4.1 The factors that put teenagers in the high risk zone and the behavior of avoiding drug
4.2 The perception of self competency to avoid drug
4.2.1 The ideas of perceiving their own ability
4.2.2 Perception of self ability to avoid drug
In conclusion, there are 4 sources to develop self-perceived competency. The first one is the personal successful experience. Second is the imitation to their idols, which might be in real situation, dramatization, visual and audio media. Third is the verbal persuasion from their idol or important people in life. Last is the emotional stimulation which triggers teenagers to avoid the drug. All these sources are important in order to create self-perceived competency among teenagers to help them avoiding drug. Adults can help them, too, by educating them the danger of drugs, how to avoid drug, how to deal with risky situation and how to say no to drug offer.
4.3 Self control and drug avoiding behavior
4.3.1 Ideas of self control
4.3.2 Development of self control
4.3.3 Self control and drug avoiding behavior
Few researchers supported that self control affects behavioral adjustment.
Thorensen, Carl E., and Mahoney, Micael J.(1974) found out in their research about weight loss that sample group that recorded their eating habit primarily lost weight. Sample group also gained more weight when they get the reward at the end of weight loss program. This is related to the findings from the research of Atchara Wilaihong (2002) and Panida Meetongpan (1988) which studied about weight loss program by self-control among female students in secondary schools. The quit smoking program of Axe lord, et al. mentioned in Mahoney and Thoresen(1974) also used self-control method. The last one is the research of Warapor Kupradit (2008) and Siripat Sotatiyapai (2002) which adapted the self control method to use with teenagers in the “say no to amphetamine” campaign.
4.4 Ideas of related morality
4.5 Rossi., Howard and Freeman (1982) mentioned that program evaluation aims to:
1. The purpose of managing and administration
2. The plan and policy: to find out more detail to support the program
3. The accuracy of data for evaluators to get the most accurate result.
Program evaluation idea in this research was based on the idea of Stufflebeam (1971) which clarified the meaning of evaluation. It is the process to find the useful information. That information will be useful for us when it comes to making decision among all options we have. This evaluation process is called CIPP model which is the acronym of Context, Input, Process and Product. In this research, CIPP was implied as:
1. Context: to develop the program’s purpose
2. Input: to design the program
3. Process: to analyze operation steps in the program
4. Product: to evaluate the result of the program
4.6 Related literature
Boonliang Toomtong and team (2007) performed a study about new age hero project among teenagers. According to the comments from the participants, all fields were in the high level, ordering respectively by the process, product, context and input.
Thitavan Hongitiyanon and team (2008) studied the united project and discovered:
1. Teenagers’ feedback on the project was in the high level in terms of context.
2. Teenagers’ feedback on the project was in the high level in terms of Input.
3. Teenagers’ feedback on the project was in the high level in terms of Process.
4. Teenagers’ feedback on the project was in the high level in terms of Product.
5. Teenagers knowledge and self-perceived competency to avoid drug after attending the project were so much higher than before. The Statistical Significance value was .05. Teenagers also have gained more negative attitude toward drugs after the project. The Statistical Significance value was .01.
Titavan Hongkittiyanon (2013) conducted an evaluating research on nursing curriculum and graduates quality. She also used CIPP model in her research. Here is the finding.
1. In context term, the overall result was in the average level.
2. In Input term, the overall result was in the good level.
3. In process term, the overall result was in the good level.
4. In product term, the overall result was in the good level.
According to few sample researches above, CIPP Model is a suitable tool in order to get the accurate result for this research.
5. Research Methodology
This research used mixed method to conduct the operation. It was the mixture of qualitative research and quantitative research.
1. Study the primary information from the related literature and researches
2. Design the research tool, and get approved by expert to get the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient value of 0.89. The test was about the drug awareness consisting of 10 questions. The correct answer scored 1 point, while incorrect answer scored 0. The questions about attitude toward drugs, self-perceived competency and self control had got the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient value of 0.87. The questionnaires were the rating scale of 6 levels as follow.
Strongly agree=6 points
Agree=5 points
Somewhat agree=4 points
Somewhat disagree= 3 points
Disagree=2 points
Strongly disagree=1 point
The third set of questions had got Cronbach’s alpha coefficient value of 0.88. It was the questions about teen morality. The questions were designed in the style of rating scale of 4 levels.
Most accurate =4 points
Accurate =3 points
Not quite accurate=2 points
Strongly inaccurate=1 point
3. The questionnaires were used in the sample group of 30 teenagers.
4. The information was collected by research team and the school staff.
5. The data was analyzed by SPSS for Windows 19. Statistics used in this research to find out the result were percentage, mean, standard deviation, point average and T-Test. For qualitative result, individual in-depth interview was used to get the result.
Right of sample group protection
Participants in the sample group were informed about the research objective. They acknowledged their rights, and they can refuse and leave at any time during the research. The participants’ information was secured. The data and information on this research will be presented as a whole, not individual.
6. Result
From the research, most teenagers participated in this program were male (65.83%). They were studying in secondary school level 2 (74.17%). 66.95% live with their parents. 71.43% of parents were still together.
The participants’ opinions on this project in terms of context were on the high level of agreement. When consider into each section of the questionnaires, the top 3 sections that got highest score were 1) The project granted an opportunity for them to be accepted in community again 2) the project got enough support and coordination 3) the project’s purpose has served the community in terms of preventing drugs. In input section, the participants scored this part in high level. The top 3 sections were 1) Project instructors were expert and skillful 2) The location was big and suitable for the project 3) Participants acknowledged the danger of drugs. In the process term, the overall opinions from participants were high as well. The top 3 sections were 1) Project instructors have clarified the danger of drugs clearly 2) seminar excursion to hospitals has increased the knowledgeof drug and helped them avoiding the drug 3) Instructors presented the punishment of amphetamine and methamphetamine dealers and users. Lastly, in terms of product, the overall score was also in high level. The top 3 sections were 1) The project has taught them how to choose the right type of friends 2) Participants learn better about drug and its side effect 3) The knowledge from this project can be adapted among participants to live happily with others in community. Below is the comparison of mean, SD and T-Test before and after the project.
Evaluation topics / Before / After / t1. Self-perceived efficiency to avoid drug / 3.57 / 1.04 / 4.78 / 1.50 / 4.02**
2. Self-control ability to avoid drug / 3.85 / 1.05 / 5.02 / .99 / 3.74**
3. Knowledge about drug and side effect / 4.72 / 1.69 / 5.39 / 1.81 / 2.60*
4.Negative attitude toward drug / 3.42 / 1.25 / 4.26 / 1.40 / 9.02**
**Statistical Significance =.01 *Statistical Significance =.05
From the table, participants’ level of self-perceived efficiency after attending the project was obviously higher than before with the Statistical Significance of .01.
Their ability to control themselves from using drug was also higher with Statistical Significance of .01. They also gained more knowledge about drug with Statistical Significance of .05, and earned more negativity toward using drug with Statistical Significance of .01.
The summary of Heroes Project
Top 3 Top 3
ระดับคุณธรรม Morality
Evaluation of Heroes Project
(CIPP Model)
Top 3 Top 3
7. Discussion
1. The participants’ opinions on this project in terms of context were on the high level of agreement. When consider into each section of the questionnaires, the top 3 sections that got highest score were 1) The project granted an opportunity for them to be accepted in community again 2) the project got enough support and coordination 3) the project’s purpose has served the community in terms of preventing drugs, respectively. The reason why this section gains high score is because the project was supported very well by many sectors in the area because drug preventing is one of the priorities in the province. The project also aimed to help young people to be aware of the disadvantages of drugs and try not to use it. Since drug is one of the concerns among teenagers, creating network of friends to help one another about drug preventing is also the ideal project of the province.
2. In input section, the participants scored this part in high level. The top 3 sections were: 1) Project instructors were expert and skillful 2) The location was big and suitable for the project 3) Participants acknowledged the danger of drugs.
It might be from the design of the project where dangers of other addictive substances were presented and taught among teenagers as well, not only tobacco. We invited various instructors from many fields, including teenagers who had experience in drug before, to share their stories with the participants.
3. In the process term, the overall opinions from participants were high as well. The top 3 sections were 1) Project instructors have clarified the danger of drugs clearly 2) Seminar excursion to hospitals has increased the knowledge of drug and helped them avoiding the drug 3) Instructors presented the punishment of amphetamine and methamphetamine dealers and users. This section was very successful because the instructors used interesting visual aid to present the danger of drug by videos, Power Point, flip chart, project guidebooks and brochure. Besides materials, real-life instructors were also very fascinating and influential; especially teenagers who used drug before and could quit it eventually. The project team also presented persuading videos of celebrities who used drug before to encourage participants not to use drugs. We also taught the participants how to refuse drug when someone asks them to try. The participants also learned how to stop themselves from trying drugs, practice self control, manage stress, perform role play, and encourage themselves not to use drug again. Not only individual learning, the participants also shared ideas in groups, created bonds with their friends and helped one another in the camp. The project was run by friendly instructors and full of fun and knowledge, which had the same atmosphere with the previous heroes project observed by Thitavan Honitiyanon and team (2008).