Paths 2 the Future and the Development of Perceived Peer Support: A Mixed Methods Study

This study used a convergent mixed methods design to examine environmental and curricular influences on peer relationships and support for young women with disabilities within a clustered, randomized controlled trial of a gender-specific, disability-focused intervention, Paths 2 the Future (P2F). Pre- and post-intervention surveys of perceptions of peer support were collected from 366 young women with disabilities in 26 high schools in the Northwest region of the U.S. Focus groups were conducted with 112 participants from the intervention group to examine participant perceptions regarding how P2F influenced their relationships. Survey data were analyzed using an intent to treat analysis approach using hierarchical linear modeling. Focus group data were analyzed using deductive and inductive strategies. The effect of the P2F on peer support was non-significant in our quantitative model, whereas qualitative themes suggested participants developed new relationships, closeness, and skills that support peer relationships as a result of the transformation of space, transformation of peer relationships, and transformation of self. The integration of qualitative and quantitative data indicated discordance, which was reconciled through additional quantitative analyses that suggested focus group participants, but not the overall intervention group, experienced significant increases in peer support from pre- to post-intervention.