Examining and Validating the Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS) Model and Evaluation Tool by East Asian Preschoolers

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: Early Learning Experiences

Abstract

The Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS) program is a prevalent school-based Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program in western countries, which is used to promote preschoolers’ emotion understanding, emotion regulation, and problem-solving skills (Greenberg & Kusché 1993). The implementation of PATHS curriculum in East-Asian cultures has not been widely investigated, because of the cultural sensitivity and cultural difference between western and eastern countries. This study examined four PATHS theoretical models and validated the PATHS evaluation tool by East-Asian preschoolers. The Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated that three-factor correlational model has adequate model-data fit by East-Asian preschoolers. However, the measurement invariance concluded that PATHS evaluation tool was biased when applied to different gender preschoolers.

Authors

• Lin Ma, Augusta University

• Menglong Cong, University of Denver