| The purpose of this study was to conduct a formative evaluation of the efficacy of the Team Advisory program, an in-school intervention in an urban public high school using fitness to teach study skills and social responsibility, based on the perspective of its faculty (n=9). The first research question asks what do Boston English Advisors (BEHST Advisors) and Boston University graduate student advisors (BUGS Advisors) perceive as effective and ineffective about the Team Advisory program. The secondary question asks, from the perspective of the Team Advisory staff, was the program accomplishing its goals, and was the program sustainable? An interview guide was developed for the purposes of this study. The sample was comprised of BUGS advisors (n=4) and BEHST advisors (n=4), as well as the program director (n=1) with a total of 9 interviewees. Based on 73 pages of single space transcribed verbatim interviews, data from qualitative interview data and participant observer notes was used for thematic analysis. The four major themes to emerge from the data included challenges, successes, social responsibility, and suggestions to improve the program. Results indicated that the program was successful in teaching social responsibility themes to this specific, urban population of students, but was less successful in incorporating the original academic component. Staff training and schedule inconsistencies lead to other deficiencies. Results can be used by educators and applied to program design and implementation when attempting to teach social responsibility and other study skills through fitness in similar settings. However, there will be a need to focus on improvement in the areas of staff selection, training, school leadership support, and scheduling to achieve these goals. |
