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The Letterbox Club book gifting intervention: Findings from a qualitative evaluation accompanying a randomised controlled trial

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The Letterbox Club book gifting intervention: Findings from a qualitative evaluation accompanying a randomised controlled trial. / Roberts, Jennifer; Winter, Karen; Connolly, Paul.
In: Children and Youth Services Review, Vol. 73, 28.02.2017, p. 467-473.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

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Roberts J, Winter K, Connolly P. The Letterbox Club book gifting intervention: Findings from a qualitative evaluation accompanying a randomised controlled trial. Children and Youth Services Review. 2017 Feb 28;73:467-473. Epub 2016 Nov 15. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.11.016

Author

Roberts, Jennifer ; Winter, Karen ; Connolly, Paul. / The Letterbox Club book gifting intervention : Findings from a qualitative evaluation accompanying a randomised controlled trial. In: Children and Youth Services Review. 2017 ; Vol. 73. pp. 467-473.

Bibtex

@article{dfc7c58b08ef4513bec165a1cd092667,
title = "The Letterbox Club book gifting intervention: Findings from a qualitative evaluation accompanying a randomised controlled trial",
abstract = "It is now widely accepted that reporting the results of randomised controlled trials should encompass a complimentary focus on both outcome measures and process measures. Reflective of the current thinking, this article reports on the findings from a qualitative evaluation that accompanied a randomised controlled trial of the Letterbox Club; a book gifting intervention for children in foster care. Outcome measures used in the trial have recently been reported on (Mooney, Winter, & Connolly, 2016). Findings showed no significant effects in terms of improvements to children{\textquoteright}s literacy skills and/or enjoyment of reading. Through in-depth interviews with 20 foster children, their carers and the programme developer, the qualitative evaluation focused on how and why the intervention did not achieve greater impact. Findings illustrate differences between the {\textquoteleft}hoped for{\textquoteright} outcomes of the intervention, and carer/child levels of engagement with and experiences of the programme. In order to move the programme forward and begin to explore the findings, a logic model is suggested which accounts for the current findings regarding the use and lived experiences which carers had with the packs. Wider implications for the conduct of these types of randomised controlled trials are discussed.",
author = "Jennifer Roberts and Karen Winter and Paul Connolly",
year = "2017",
month = feb,
day = "28",
doi = "10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.11.016",
language = "English",
volume = "73",
pages = "467--473",
journal = "Children and Youth Services Review",
issn = "0190-7409",
publisher = "Elsevier Ltd",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Letterbox Club book gifting intervention

T2 - Findings from a qualitative evaluation accompanying a randomised controlled trial

AU - Roberts, Jennifer

AU - Winter, Karen

AU - Connolly, Paul

PY - 2017/2/28

Y1 - 2017/2/28

N2 - It is now widely accepted that reporting the results of randomised controlled trials should encompass a complimentary focus on both outcome measures and process measures. Reflective of the current thinking, this article reports on the findings from a qualitative evaluation that accompanied a randomised controlled trial of the Letterbox Club; a book gifting intervention for children in foster care. Outcome measures used in the trial have recently been reported on (Mooney, Winter, & Connolly, 2016). Findings showed no significant effects in terms of improvements to children’s literacy skills and/or enjoyment of reading. Through in-depth interviews with 20 foster children, their carers and the programme developer, the qualitative evaluation focused on how and why the intervention did not achieve greater impact. Findings illustrate differences between the ‘hoped for’ outcomes of the intervention, and carer/child levels of engagement with and experiences of the programme. In order to move the programme forward and begin to explore the findings, a logic model is suggested which accounts for the current findings regarding the use and lived experiences which carers had with the packs. Wider implications for the conduct of these types of randomised controlled trials are discussed.

AB - It is now widely accepted that reporting the results of randomised controlled trials should encompass a complimentary focus on both outcome measures and process measures. Reflective of the current thinking, this article reports on the findings from a qualitative evaluation that accompanied a randomised controlled trial of the Letterbox Club; a book gifting intervention for children in foster care. Outcome measures used in the trial have recently been reported on (Mooney, Winter, & Connolly, 2016). Findings showed no significant effects in terms of improvements to children’s literacy skills and/or enjoyment of reading. Through in-depth interviews with 20 foster children, their carers and the programme developer, the qualitative evaluation focused on how and why the intervention did not achieve greater impact. Findings illustrate differences between the ‘hoped for’ outcomes of the intervention, and carer/child levels of engagement with and experiences of the programme. In order to move the programme forward and begin to explore the findings, a logic model is suggested which accounts for the current findings regarding the use and lived experiences which carers had with the packs. Wider implications for the conduct of these types of randomised controlled trials are discussed.

U2 - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.11.016

DO - 10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.11.016

M3 - Journal article

VL - 73

SP - 467

EP - 473

JO - Children and Youth Services Review

JF - Children and Youth Services Review

SN - 0190-7409

ER -