PATHS did not improve academic attainment in a UK cluster-randomised trial, with one significant negative effect on Year 6 English favouring control schools¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2015 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Across year groups, outcome measures, subject areas and analytical frames, PATHS failed to impact pupils' attainment, with effect sizes mixed and extremely modest. → Alexandra Barlow 2015 q3 i? The only significant intention-to-treat effect was on KS2 English, favouring the control group (Hedge's g = -0.106, about -2 months' progress). → Alexandra Barlow 2015

Evidence¶

Alexandra Barlow 2015¶

Alexandra Barlow, Michael Wigelsworth, Ann Lendrum, Kirsty Pert, Craig Joyce, Emma Stephens, Lawrence Wo, Garry Squires, Kevin Woods, Rachel Calam, Mark Harrison, Alex Turner, and Neil Humphrey. (2015). Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) Evaluation report and Executive summary. Education Endowment Foundation. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED581278

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Cluster-randomised controlled trial in 45 Greater Manchester primary schools analysing Year 5 InCAS and Year 6 KS2 outcomes via hierarchical linear modelling. The report states "the overall trend is that PATHS failed to impact upon pupils' attainment", with Year 6 English g = -0.106 significant favouring control.

"The only exceptions are an effect on KS2 English scores at intention to treat favouring the control group and a marginal , non-significant effect (p = 0.06) on KS2 English scores for FSM eligible pupils favouring the PAT HS group."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• PATHS produced no differential gains in academic attainment for children eligible for free school meals — a narrower finding that bears on this claim