Building strength through enhancing social competence in immigrant students in primary school. A pilot study

In the present pilot study we examined how a school-wide intervention model, 'Positive behavior, interactions and learning environment in school' (Norwegian acronym: PALS) contributed to risk reduction in immigrant students through the promotion of social competence. The aims of the PALS project were to promote social competence through positive behavior support and to prevent and reduce problem behavior in students. Teachers and students in selected grade levels at four elementary schools and four comparison schools participated in a quasi-experimental evaluation spanning over 20 months. The present study was conducted with a subset of the students, namely the 6.7% (n = 49) immigrant students who had Norwegian as their second language. Consistent with the social learning theory underlying the PALS model, teacher reports indicated that immigrant students in the intervention group were significantly more socially competent than were their counterparts in the comparison group at post-test when school differences at pre-assessment were accounted for. A significant decrease in internalizing problem behavior was registered in teacher ratings along with a marginally significant positive trend in teacher-rated academic progress. No intervention effect was registered in teacher-rated externalizing problem behavior or in student ratings of social competence. In order to measure potential generalizing effects of school-wide intervention programs, we discuss the need for larger samples and longer follow-up periods.