TPC-Journal-V5-Issue3

The Professional Counselor /Volume 5, Issue 3 347 Bullying Behaviors The second research question asked whether fifth-grade students who received SSS would experience a decrease in bullying behaviors, assessed by the bully scale of the PRQ, compared to their peers in the comparison group. Results from a one-way ANOVA showed a statistically significant difference between the participants’ ( n = 311) posttest scores, F (1, 308) = 5.708, p = .017 and a small effect size, h p 2 = .02. These findings confirmed that students in the treatment group evidenced a decrease in mean change scores on the PRQ bully scale after SSS implementation, whereas students in the comparison schools reported an increase. Thus, students in the treatment group who received the SSS classroom intervention reported less bullying behavior at posttest than students in the comparison group. Engagement in School Success Skills Research question 3 investigated whether participating fifth-grade students who received the SSS classroom program would experience an increase in levels of engagement in student success skills (cognitive and learning, social, self-management) as compared to their peer counterparts. Results from the SESSS instrument were used in this analysis. A total of 115 students in the treatment group (schools A, B and C) and 85 students in the comparison group (schools D and E) were included in the SESSS analysis ( n = 200). Table 2 displays the treatment and comparison group means, standard deviations, and change scores for the SESSS by school at the following three data collection periods: pretest (prior to SSS implementation), posttest (immediately following implementation of the five weekly SSS lessons) and post-posttest (at the end of the study). Table 2 Treatment and Comparison Group Means, Standard Deviations and Change Scores for the SESSS by School School n Pretest M ( SD ) Posttest M ( SD ) Post- posttest M ( SD ) Pretest-to- posttest M +/- Posttest-to- post-posttest M +/- Pretest- to-post- posttest M +/- A* 40 2.49 (.61) 2.88 (.63) 2.41 (2.63) +.39 +.47 -.08 B* 38 2.47 (.68) 2.62 (.66) 2.64 (.63) +.15 +.02 +.17 C* 37 2.44 (.58) 2.60 (.60) 2.82 (.64) +.16 +.22 +.38 D 28 2.53 (.53) 2.47 (.57) 2.56 (.65) -.06 +.09 +.03 E 57 2.07 (.77) 1.37 (.12) 2.39 (.48) -.70 +1.02 +.32 Total T 115 2.47 (.62) 2.50 (.64) 2.62 (.65) +.03 +.12 +.15 Total C 85 2.22 (.73) 1.73 (.68) 2.45 (.54) -.49 +.72 +.23 Note . SESSS = Student Engagement in School Success Skills; n = number; M = mean; SD = standard deviation; T = treatment group; C = comparison group; * = treatment school; +/- = mean change score.