Mixed Methods Evaluation of the Intergenerational Schools Dementia Project - the Challenges of Working with Children (and Teachers)

The Association for Dementia Studies was commissioned to evaluate a pioneering approach to educating young people about dementia in a bid to dispel myths and create a more compassionate and informed society.

Emerging from current Government policy, the Prime Minister’s Challenge on dementia launched in March 2012 identified 22 Pioneer Schools to participate in an intergenerational dementia awareness raising project. Teachers embraced this challenge as part of their curriculum, devising ways to improve understanding of dementia in pupils from both primary and secondary schools. A range of innovative curriculum activities have been devised which are brought to life in this presentation where footage of pupils will be shared with the audience.

The methodology adopted a qualitative and quantitative approach. Pre and post intervention questionnaires were designed in order to capture changes in pupil knowledge and understanding. From the emerging data three case study sites were identified each of which exemplified a novel approach to curriculum delivery and offered insights for future teaching.

This presentation will share the challenges of the evaluation approach and its methodology, the various approaches to introducing this sensitive material into the curriculum and the impact on young people.