Table 2 Summary of the PLAN-A feasibility trial process evaluation

Peer-supporters

Post-training questionnaire (All peer-supporters in 4 schools)

Open ended questions regarding enjoyment, identifying memorable facts, ratings of confidence to peer support and anticipated difficulties. Quantitative ratings of enjoyment of training, duration, confidence, venue and trainers (including trainer autonomy support [48])

Post-intervention focus groups (1 per school, n ≈ 30)

Perceptions of training and intervention: peer-supporter recruitment, training content, logistics and trainer, being a peer-supporter (e.g. successes and challenges, use of the email/web support, interpersonal and environmental barriers/facilitators)

Non-peer-supporter pupils

T0, T1 and T2 questionnaire

Two items assessing perceived contact/conversations with year 8 pupils about physical activity

Post-intervention focus groups (1 per school, n ≈ 30)

Perceptions of receiving peer-support, awareness of peer-supporters, peer nomination, perceptions of impact, research methods.

Peer-supporter trainers

Post-training questionnaire (n ≈ 4)

Attendance, absences and reasons for absence, N pupils who did not complete training and reasons, training arrangements, degree to which training goals were met, pupil engagement and response to training

Post-delivery semi-structured interviews (n ≈ 4)

Perceptions of train-the-trainers programme and 2-day peer-supporter training, resources, venue, successes, challenges and refinements

Training observation

Degree to which lesson plans were delivered as manualised. Qualitative observations of successes and challenges.

Parents of peer-supporters

Semi-structured interviews (n ≈ 12)

Awareness of the intervention, views on acceptability of training, intervention, influence of family context and study child’s activity and attitudes. Perception of impact.

School contact

Semi-structured interviews (n = 6)

Peer nomination, training, intervention, difficulties and successes. Acceptability of research methods.