AMTC Content, Pedagogy, Implementation, and Context Components Study - AMTC & Associates (AMTC) is responding to OPA’s NOFO investigative area #2: “identifying and/or validating core program components or “active ingredients” essential for teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) programs and practices to produce the desired outcomes.”
AMTC proposes a two-phase study entitled Content, Pedagogy, Implementation, and Contextual Components Study (CPIC Study). The ultimate goal is for OPA grantees and the broader field to better understand the core components of 6 commonly used evidence-based TPP programs (EBPs) and to learn which core components in which implementation approaches are most effective at moving the needle on intended TPP outcomes.
The study will build on OPA’s Component’s Evaluation of the REAL Essentials Curriculum and other TPP research. And it will draw upon AMTC’s 12-plus years of evaluating 17 OPA-funded Tier 1 EBP replication projects and our subsequent large databases of program implementation and participant outcome evaluation data. From 2010 to 2022, AMTC evaluated 17 (4 are current) OAH/OPA-funded TPP Tier 1 replication projects of client implementation of the 6 EBPs in 29 counties (both rural and urban communities) in Florida, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Missouri, and California. The 6 EBPs (to be examined in the CPIC study) are Draw the Line/Respect the Line, Love Notes, Making Proud Choices, Positive Prevention Plus, Promoting Health Among Teens-Abstinence Only (PHAT), and Reducing the Risk.
In Phase 1, we will conduct a descriptive study to identify the core components of 6 EBPs and how each addresses participant equity through 1) a systematic qualitative review and analysis of EBPs’ curriculum materials (theory of change, manual, ancillary materials, evaluation studies) and 2) interviews with the curricula’s developers and experienced implementers. AMTC will identify the core components and their mechanisms for change in four categories: content (topics and theoretical determinants related to those topics), pedagogy (the methods used to teach those topics and determinants to learners, implementation (how the program is delivered in terms of setting, dosage, facilitator type, learner attendance and engagement), and contextual (characteristics, school support, etc.). In this phase, AMTC aims to answer two research questions: 1) What are the core content, pedagogy, implementation, and context components of the 6 EBPs? and 2) How do the six curricula address inclusivity, health equity, and access to services?
In Phase 2, AMTC will conduct a quantitative descriptive analysis to empirically investigate critical outcome questions related to the core components identified in Phase 1 and test theoretical implications and discoveries that affect program effectiveness. AMTC will examine whether component/outcome relationships vary based on differences in 1) geographical location, race, or gender (context); 2) developer-approved adaptations (content eliminated, added, or modified); 3) dosage and youth engagement (implementation); or 4) way in which the curriculum was taught (pedagogy). AMTC seeks to answer two additional research questions in this phase: 1) Which program components matter the most in influencing participant outcomes? and 2) Through what mechanisms do core program components influence participant outcomes?
The planned, written work products include one final research-to-practice brief and required OPA technical reports, including implementation and outcome data. AMTC will convene an advisory panel of 5 highly esteemed experts in TPP development, replication, and evaluation; CC research; and health equity to provide guidance throughout the CPIC study.
The project will begin on 9/1/22 and conclude on 8/31/24.
