Development of a New Curriculum in a Positive Youth Development Program: The Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong

Table 7

Correct conceptions, misconceptions and principles adopted in the implementation process of 60 new teaching units.

Areas	Correct conception (what the 60 new units are)	Misconception (what the 60 new units are not)
Primary objective	Promotion of psychosocial competencies (which might eventually lead to reduction of adolescent developmental problems).	Direct reduction of adolescent developmental problems.
Curriculum content	Activities and materials leading to enhanced psychosocial competencies.	Primarily a psychoeducational program, in which activities and materials directly leading to reduction of adolescent developmental problems.
Role of adolescent developmental issues	Adolescent developmental issues used as an illustration of and entry point (i.e., a means) for enhancement of psychosocial competencies.	Adolescent developmental issues are the primary focus of the units and they are problems to be solved (i.e., an end).
Role of psychosocial competencies	Promotion of psychosocial competencies is of primary importance because deficit in one psychosocial competence may be related to various adolescent developmental problems.	Promotion of psychosocial competencies is on the periphery and the focus is knowledge and information transmission.
Primary outcome	Promotion of psychosocial competencies.	Reduction of adolescent developmental problems.
Role of moral education	Only some new units are directly related to moral competence.	All new units constitute a moral education program.
Principles adopted for adopting the new units	(1) Replacement basis: the new units are designed with reference to the existing units of the Tier 1 Program. Workers can refer to the “substitute units” (see Table 6) and take the new unit to replace the existing one. For example, workers can use AD1.1 to replace EC1.1 and deepen the teaching targets of the EC1.1 when teaching the new unit.
	(2) Addition basis: the new units are specially designed for addressing the five developmental issues in adolescence. Workers are advised to spend extra hours on teaching the new units according to students’ needs and helping students to consolidate their learning for the relevant topics.