The law related education programme: an evaluation in selected Wellington schools

Abstract

The effect of Law Related Education Programme (LREP) tuition on standard four to form three pupils in selected Wellington schools was investigated. Comparisons were made between an experimental group that recieved the tuition and a matched control group that did not. Measures were made a few days prior to the lessons, immediately subsequent to, and seven weeks later. Dependent variables were attitude toward the Police, which was evaluated with a ten point Likert style attitude scale, and an asssessment of knowlegde acquired from the lessons, measured by means of a simple test of the lesson content. Other factors to be considered were background factors such as age, sex and prior contact with the Police. Subjective impressions of the programme were gained from interviews of LREP staff and teachers involved in the study. Significant improvements were found in the experimental group on the post test and intervention measures (p=.0000) for both attitude toward the Police and for knowledge acquired. Statistical analysis was by means of a repeated measures analysis of variance, after appropriate transformation of the dependent variables had induced normality and stabilised the variance. However, in spite of indications of the importance of prior contact with the Police in overseas studies (Vorhaus, 1984), no significant effect was found for this, or in fact for any of the other background factors, in this study. The results speak highly for the current LREP programme, as they coincided with its stated aims as an educational programme and substantiated the satisfaction expressed by the staff involved with the programme in its current form. The implication drawn is that the New Zealand Police would benefit from an extension of the LREP programme.