The dataset contains the findings from the quasi-experimental evaluation of the Rialto Learning Community (RLC) 'Out of School Time' (OST) initiative undertaken by Queen's University Belfast. The RLC OST initiative aimed to improve the range and the quality of OST activities that are available to young people in the Rialto area of Dublin. The range of programmes included in the RLC included homework support, sport and performing arts. The aim of the evaluation study was to explore the effectiveness of this combination of activities with specific focus on how these relate to outcomes for young people in the areas of; behaviour and motivation for learning, homework difficulty, school enjoyment and educational aspirations.

Probability: Simple random. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design. The young people in the intervention group (n = 82) were recruited directly from the RLC programmes and all 11-14 year olds attending the programmes at April 2011 were invited to take part (n = 70). Eligible children and young people who joined the programmes after this time were also recruited into the study (n = 12). To create a comparable control group, a similarly aged cohort of young people were recruited from the schools attended by the intervention group (n = 318). This cohort was designed to be as large as possible in order to provide a sufficient pool of potential control candiates from which to draw the best matches to the intervention group. All participants, including the unmatched control participants, were tested at each stage of the study (n = 400).

Face-to-face interview: PAPI