Parent Educators Research Articles

Participation in the Missouri Parents as Teachers Parent Education Program and third grade math and English language arts proficiency

The Missouri Parents as Teachers (PAT) Parent Education Program is a voluntary and universal home visiting program available to all Missouri families who are expecting a child or who have a child ages birth to kindergarten entry. Families participating in the Missouri PAT Parent Education Program receive a variety of family support services, including family personal visits with trained parent educators to develop parent practices and child school readiness. Research indicates that home visiting components of parent education programs support child academic outcomes. However, studies have not extensively examined how variation in participation, including the developmental period of exposure—the child's age upon entry and duration of participation—and number and frequency of home/family visits, is associated with child outcomes. In this study, we used linear probability regression to examine associations between variation in participation in the Missouri PAT Parent Education Program and child third grade proficiency in math and English language arts (ELA) (n = 9777), while controlling for relevant child, parent, family, and school-level factors. We also tested the potential moderating role of family low-income status at enrollment into the program. We found that the number of family personal visits was positively associated with third-grade math and ELA proficiency, whereas no significant findings emerged for developmental period of program exposure. Our findings indicate that increased exposure to the Missouri PAT Parent Education Program was positively associated with third-grade academic achievement for all children, including those from low-income families.

“Showing Up for Each Other”: Designing Community and Living Solidarities with Families

Despite the colonizing dynamics of educational institutions and the extractive research paradigms of academia, we argue that family- and community-centered research partnerships can foster collective care, cross-racial solidarities, and more just educational ecosystems. Drawing from a long-term community research collaboration, the authors (a university professor and community-based organizational leader) offer three grounded examples of our efforts to live cross-racial solidarities and realize healing and transformation with parent leaders and educators in perilous times.

Increasing access to quality parent education through a virtual synchronous setting: A qualitative study.

America's crisis of youth mental health challenges has been worsened by COVID-19. Group-based parent education has been proven effective in intervention and prevention; however, a lack of universal access and the busyness of parents are significant barriers to participation. Rapid growth in technology-based education aims to increase accessibility but live, virtual parent education was understudied. E3 Parent Education (E3 PE) was a free, virtual, and synchronous group programme offered in Montana by a certified parent educator to support families navigating common and uncommon challenges. Through qualitative evaluation with eight programme participants (n = 8), this study aimed to understand impacts and access of this parent education programme. All participants (100%) aligned on three themes describing the virtual, synchronous parent education experience: convenience, connection, and comfort. Participants suggested strategies for improvement as well. A free, virtual, synchronous, group-based format provided equitable access and lowered the barriers to participation. Findings advised that the developers, facilitators, and policymakers consider adding virtual options alongside in-person settings to reduce participant barriers and meet the needs of different families.

Digital Bonds: Exploring the Impact of Computer-Mediated Communication on Parent–Educator Relationships in Early Childhood Education and Care

Despite advancements in the use of mobile technology in recent years, investigation of the technology designed for communication in parent–educator relationships in early education and its impact remains limited. This study investigated how computer-mediated communication could support parent–educator communication in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. The participants selected were parent users (n = 140) at sites in Ontario, Canada, who had implemented a specified communication application; these participants were recruited by email, as identified within the organization’s database. Using a retrospective mixed-method design involving open- and close-ended and blended questions, an online survey consisting of 47 researcher-created questions was used to assess participants’ perspectives of changes in parent–educator communication. The quantitative and qualitative survey data were analyzed using paired sample sign tests and thematic analysis. Computer-mediated communication was found to have the potential to strengthen parent–educator communication practices, particularly when paired with face-to-face communication. The participants reported increased communication content regarding their children’s daily experiences, which positively influenced both parent–educator and parent–child relationships. To facilitate technology-mediated communication in childcare settings in the future, ongoing training and clear expectations for its use are recommended to support the effective application of technology within parent–educator communication practice.

The Relations Between Parent–Educator Communication, the Home Environment, and Children’s Outcomes in Preschool

The Relations Between Parent–Educator Communication, the Home Environment, and Children’s Outcomes in Preschool

Topics and Effects of Iranian Mothers’ Disclosure to Their Children: A Phenomenological Analysis

Background: Parental disclosure is a phenomenon that occurs in families to a greater or lesser extent and has different effects on children and family relationships. Some parents do not know what topics are appropriate for disclosure and what the consequences may be. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the phenomenology of Iranian mothers› disclosure, its topics, and the experienced consequences. Methods: In this qualitative study based on the descriptive phenomenological method, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 22 first-marriage mothers who had disclosure experience and at least one 10- to 30-year-old child. The data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method. Results: Analysis of data revealed five main themes and 12 subthemes, including inappropriate disclosure topics (personal problems, problems with spouse), appropriate topics (positive or neutral comments about the spouse, financial problems, neutral and pleasant experiences, goals and viewpoints), contextual topics (negative comments about herself, communication problems with others, unpleasant experiences), positive consequences of disclosure (raising children’s awareness, improving the parent-child relationship quality), and negative consequences (undermining the parent-child relationship quality, creating negative emotions and thoughts in children). Mothers disclosed more frequently and about more diverse subjects to their children than their husbands. Conclusion: In general, the effects of mothers’ disclosure on children are different and depend on its content, and these effects are greater on adolescents. Family therapists, parent educators, and others who work with families can help mothers carefully evaluate their disclosures to establish clear and healthy communication boundaries with their children.

Multiple Perspectives on Motivating Parents in Pediatric Primary Care to Initiate Participation in Parenting Programs

ObjectiveTo use multiple perspectives to identify the key components of pediatric primary care conversations for motivating parents to utilize parenting programs. We aim to develop an actionable framework that primary care clinicians (PCCs) can follow for effective conversations with parents. MethodsWe conducted focus groups and interviews with researchers (n = 6) who have experience delivering parenting interventions through primary care, clinical personnel in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) (n = 9), parents of 3–5-year olds who receive services at a FQHC pediatric clinic (n = 6), and parent educators (n = 5). Groups and interviews were informed by nominal group technique, and researchers triangulated consolidated strategies across the groups. ResultsKey strategies for PCCs to motivate parents to utilize parenting programs followed three steps: 1) learning about a parent’s questions and concerns, 2) sharing resources, and 3) following up. PCCs can learn about parents’ needs by empathizing, listening and responding, and asking questions that acknowledge parents' expertise. When sharing resources, PCCs can motivate participation in parenting programs by explaining each resource and its benefits, providing options that support parents' autonomy, and framing resources as strengthening rather than correcting parents' existing strategies or skills. Finally, PCCs can continue to engage parents by scheduling follow-up conversations or designating a staff member to check-in with parents. We provide examples for each strategy. ConclusionsFindings provide guidance from multiple perspectives on strategies to motivate parents in pediatric primary care setting for utilizing parenting programs.

Language Teacher Identity and Emotions in a Duoethnographic Narrative: The Perspective of Teacher, Parent, and Teacher Educator

Teacher identity building rather than learning teaching in terms of skills and subsystems has recently been acknowledged as a priority in future teacher preparation. Several teacher identity models have been offered, including the 3A Language Teacher Identity Framework (3ALTIF) (Werbińska, 2017a) in which teacher identity comprises affiliation (teachers’ willingness to teach), attachment (teachers’ beliefs related to their teaching) and autonomy (teachers’ agentive, reflective, and resilient powers). With hindsight, it seems that the 3ALTIF, which drew on other identity models available at the time of its conception, does not address the affective side of language teacher identity explicitly enough and therefore can hardly embrace the uniqueness of this profession. That is why we decided to explore the issue of emotions more deeply and conduct a lengthy duoethnographic narrative to consider the 3ALTIF’s ‘missing’ component for the future ‘improvement’ of the 3ALTIF. Duoethnography was chosen as a qualitative research method thanks to its novelty, its suitability for investigating identity issues and the opportunity it provides for us to explain and express ourselves. In our duoethnographic dialogues we focused on our own emotions from three perspectives: former school language teachers, language teachers as parents, and language teacher educators, all of which are the roles we have played. The findings reveal our experience of emotions that once affected us and also suggest that emotions are not only psychological constructs but have social dimensions as well.

Parent and early childhood educator perspectives of unstructured nature play for young children: A qualitative descriptive study.

Nature play is growing in popularity, with many early childhood settings transforming their outdoor play environments to incorporate more natural elements. Current research highlights the benefits of engaging in unstructured nature play for children's health and development; yet little is known about the experiences of key nature play end-users such as parents and early childhood educators, even though they directly impact the application of nature play within early childhood settings. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by exploring parent and early childhood educator (ECE) perspectives to gain an understanding about their experiences with nature play. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, semi-structured in-person and telephone interviews were conducted with 18 ECE and 13 parents across four early childhood centres (from various socio-economic regions) across metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia during 2019-2020. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis identified five main themes; positive affirmations of nature play, factors influencing nature play engagement, defining nature play, outdoor play space design and risky play. Children's connection to the natural world, learning about sustainability, emotional regulation, and children discovering their own capabilities were perceived advantages of engaging in nature play. Despite the benefits, ECE's described institutional barriers such as resourcing, adhering to policies and scheduling conflicts, whereas, parents described time, getting dirty and proximity to nature play spaces as barriers to nature play engagement. Parents and ECEs alike described adults as gatekeepers for play, especially when other daily tasks compete for their time, or when faced with weather-imposed barriers (cold, rain, extreme heat in summer). The findings suggest that parents and ECEs may need additional resources and guidance on how to engage with nature play and how to overcome barriers within early childhood settings and the home environment.

Preliminary evaluation of the What You Do Matters curriculum in community-based settings

Preventive parent education programs are an increasingly popular means to increase parents’ knowledge of child development, improve parenting practices, and foster better social, emotional, and educational outcomes for children. This study examined the extent to which participation in What You Do Matters (WYDM; Parents as Teachers National Center, Inc., 2018) is associated with increases in caregivers' knowledge, improved parenting, and enhanced parental self-efficacy. Naturally occurring site-related differences in implementation were also examined as potential moderators of impact. Ninety-four families attended up to six classes that comprise WYDM. Participants completed caregiver knowledge surveys before and after each class and they completed a caregiver behavior change and self-efficacy survey after completion of the program. Participants demonstrated large increases in knowledge about children’s brain development (t = 8.86, p <.0001, d = 0.97), language development (t = 10.69, p <.0001, d = 0.81), and social-emotional development (t = 6.88, p <.0001, d = 0.95). Caregivers also demonstrated moderate increases in knowledge of children’s motor development (t = 5.80, p= < 0.0001, d = 0.95) and small increases in knowledge about children’s cognitive development (t = 3.45; p = < 0.001; d = 0.24). Most participants reported large increases in effectual parent/child interactions and high parental self-efficacy upon program completion. Significant Time by Site interactions on caregivers’ knowledge of child development (Fs = 7.56 to 19.95, ps = < 0.01) suggest that participants’ learning gains may be moderated by differences in intensity of implementation, parent educator effectiveness, demographic characteristics of participants, and/or the match between language of instruction and language dominance of participants.

Facilitating antiracist sessions for white parents: self-study on the challenges to and perpetuations of whiteness

ABSTRACT Educational transformation of communities is often focused on school-based initiatives, but parenting offers forth a powerful site for antiracist change. This self-study details how I, a White parent and antiracist teacher educator, both challenged and perpetuated whiteness while facilitating antiracist parenting sessions for White parents. Using critical whiteness studies, I analyse one particular emotional ‘hot point’ where a participant abruptly exited a virtual session. My findings suggest that prior to the incident I challenge race-evasiveness, concepts of goodness and innocence, passive ‘non-racism’, individualism, and the discourse norms of whiteness. However, after the ‘hot point’, I perpetuated whiteness in ways that were deeply connected to the same challenges I had just made, highlighting some of the difficulties White people have in doing antiracist work.

Family and work‐related risk factors in children's social–emotional well‐being and parent–educator cooperation in flexibly scheduled early childhood education and care

AbstractNon‐standard work schedules (NSWS) have become typical, but their associations with childcare arrangements and children's well‐being are unknown. This study explores how risk factors are associated with the social–emotional well‐being of girls and boys using flexibly scheduled early childhood education and care. Furthermore, the study investigates whether well‐functioning cooperation between parents and educators buffers the negative effects of the risk factors. This study, which is a part of a larger survey carried out in three European countries, reports Finnish parents' (N = 146) perspectives. The results showed that high parental stress was associated with low child well‐being. Strong parent–educator cooperation positively impacted both boys' and girls' social–emotional well‐being. The risk factors of reconciling work and family life had negative associations with children's well‐being and the fulfilment of their basic needs. The results illustrate the complex interrelations between children's well‐being, risk factors relating to NSWS and the buffering effect of protective factors.

Family-SEN School Collaboration and Its Importance in Guiding Educational and Health-Related Policies and Practices in the Hungarian Minority Community in Romania.

Special education practice allows for the educational principles of parental involvement, pointing to a common dialogue on health issues and general well-being. Special education professionals primarily empower the families of children with atypical development by relying on the organizational factors of individual support and services. The decision-making/partnering factors of the educational and general health processes, on the other hand, receive less attention. The present study aims to explore the place of the parent-school relationship within the framework of a special educational institution in Romania. Involving Hungarian special education teachers (N = 12) from Romania, we analyze the school involvement of the parents of students with special educational needs in Bihor County, Romania, concerning their children's academic achievement and well-being. The qualitative research data were recorded through semistructured interviews and were organized through deductive categorization, as well as being analyzed thematically using Atlas.ti. The results highlighted the essential elements of the parent-school relationship, e.g., communication practices, active inclusion programs, support services, and peer acceptance plans. We believe it is important to emphasize that, in the study, families frequently better understood their child's situation and health-related issues and advocated more effectively for the recognition of their rights. However, as an active player in everyday education, the teacher can better organize development activities for the child's specific needs and plan complex habilitation/rehabilitation. To sum up, a parent-educator team approach can result in more successful educational and health outcomes, as well as a more accepting social image in the cognitive, emotional, and social development fields.

Mothering experiences in prison: Exploring distinctions between maternal and paternal caregiving arrangements

AbstractObjectiveThe current study considers the mothering experiences of incarcerated women to identify important differences between maternal and paternal caregivers and explore how these arrangements influence mother–child relationships.BackgroundMany incarcerated mothers decide who will care for minor children in their absence, often depending on relatives to care for children. Researchers have not yet explored the differential experiences of incarcerated mothers whose children are cared for by maternal and paternal caregivers.MethodThis study uses semistructured interviews with incarcerated mothers. Researchers engaged in thematic and comparative analyses to identify differences in maternal and paternal mother–caregiver dyads.ResultsMothers whose children lived with maternal caregivers received support from caregivers and were afforded co‐parenting opportunities. In contrast, mothers whose children lived with paternal caregivers experienced limited information sharing and attempts to exclude them from parental decision‐making.ConclusionMothers highlighted the importance of their maternal mother–caregiver relationships, as well as their mother–child relationships. With less support from paternal caregivers, mothers depended on maternal relatives to serve as an intermediary or resigned themselves to temporarily suspending their maternal role.ImplicationsPrisons can promote positive mother–caregiver relationships by providing counseling and can support mother–child relationships through various contact programs. Parent educators can work with incarcerated mothers to identify maternal intermediaries, and formal agencies can target interventions to include maternal intermediaries and provide additional assistance to caregivers.

Lessons from the Field. Development of a group intervention to promote need‐supportive sport parenting

AbstractObjectiveThis Lesson from the Field describes the development of a need‐supportive parenting intervention aimed at enhancing motivation and preventing burnout in youth athletes.BackgroundSelf‐determination theory posits that basic psychological needs (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness) are essential for optimal motivation and performance in any context. However, research has shown that parents, a critical social agent, may thwart rather than support their children's psychological needs in competitive contexts such as sport. The development and implementation of need‐supportive sport parenting interventions are warranted.MethodWe reviewed and analyzed the components, including the content, frequency, and duration, of need‐supportive sport coaching interventions and parenting interventions in other domains (e.g., education). Based on the analysis, we constructed our intervention with a workbook to educate parents on (a) reducing athlete pressure, (b) providing choices within limits, (c) focusing on individual improvement, and (d) enhancing parent–child communication. We used gymnastics examples to illustrate these strategies.ConclusionThis article provides parent educators with a theoretically and empirically informed intervention to work with sport parents. The proposed benefits of the program may extend beyond athlete motivation and burnout prevention to better parent–child relationships and psychological need satisfaction of both the parent and the child.

Varieties of Adlerian Experience

Varieties of Adlerian Experience Erik Mansager (bio) and Dyanne Pienkowski (bio) Inspired by the published celebration in spring 2020 of Adler’s 150th birthday in volume 76 of this journal, your current guest editors wanted to see whether, outside of scholarly articles, the depth and diversity of our community might also be shared. We asked members to contribute their Adlerian stories—what has moved them most deeply about Adler’s writings, philosophy, application, and personal healing. The wide-ranging experiences of the various authors in this issue called to mind William James’s The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902/2014). This entire issue is a celebration of sharing professional journeys and sometimes profoundly personal stories about what can happen when Adler’s Individual Psychology comes into focus for an individual. So, read on as one of the contributors to this special issue illustrates the very personal story of experiencing Adler’s theory in real life. It is a fine summary of the wonderful contributions you are about to read: In The Varieties of Religious Experience, the Father of American psychology, William James (1842–1910), considers the word religion and its powerful meanings. To many, the word connotes organized or institutionalized religion and belief in the all-powerful divine! Consider Buddhism, Christianity, or Islam. However, James suggests we also associate the word with our strong, emotional—power-filled—individual belief system that leads, connects or, in Adlerian terms, moves us toward whatever we consider the divine. To James (1902/2014) that can mean, well, practically anything: a belief, for example, not in “a deity in concreto, not a superhuman person, but the immanent divinity in things” (p. 33), including one’s aspirations, which, in Adlerian terms means goals. In essence, The Varieties of Religious Experience focuses on individuals’ deeply personal awakenings—movement—toward their self-perceived ideas of the divine. (Les White, personal communication, November 20, 2020) In fact, the choice of the “Varieties of Adlerian Experience” as a theme was first suggested by Jane Griffith in a touching interchange we had about [End Page 1] Adler’s contributions to Individual Psychology today. She suggested that there were many pluses for invoking William James in an Adlerian context. As the author of The Principles of Psychology (James, 1890/1950), James is credited as breaking psychology away from philosophy, and he was the first to treat psychology as a separate discipline. And, as Les White mentioned, James is considered the “Father of American psychology,” which indicates the importance of this special issue for the North American audience. But mainly, by drawing to mind William James’s popular 1901–1902 Gifford Lectures, published as The Varieties of Religious Experience, Jane indicated that James’s range of individual experiences were so different one from another that some challenged whether they really constituted religion at all. To James’s great credit, he showed that all the experiences were united at the feeling level. Our focus for this issue also acknowledges, by demonstration, how Adler’s theory and therapy have become a pervasive influence across the varied fields of human caregivers today. Rather than lament what has been borrowed from Adler without attribution, this issue celebrates the growth of Adlerian influence along Adler’s original lines as well as among the enthusiasts who incidentally, accidentally, or intentionally attribute their appreciation of Adler to an understanding and practice of his theory and therapy. In doing so, the issue celebrates the self-identified Adlerian. Regarding the scope of this issue, we wanted to include perspectives from the Adlerian psychologist, therapist, counselor, coach, parent educator, teacher, professor, consultant, consumer, and others. To secure this breadth, invitations were made to published Adlerians for the names of those who they believed exemplified an Adlerian spirit. These identified practitioners were invited to share along the following lines: Describe the kind of work you do; identify features in Adlerian Psychology that are most valuable and useful to your particular work; share what and who influenced you most in your Adlerian identity; and cite the top few sources you draw from for your work. So, given the focus, population, and the topics—we needed only respondents. And respond they did! Enough to fill this...

Impacts of Re:MIX-A School-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Incorporating Young Parent Coeducators.

Latinx adolescents are at increased risk of teen pregnancy. This study evaluates the impact of Re:MIX, a comprehensive sexuality education program cofacilitated by professional health educators paired with young parent educators implemented with primarily Latinx youth in Texas. A cluster randomized trial was conducted with students in grades 8-10 in 57 classrooms across three schools. Students completed baseline, post-test, and long-term follow-up surveys to determine the impact of the program on behavioral outcomes-sexual experience and unprotected sex-and on mediating factors including intentions, attitudes, knowledge, and self-efficacy related to sexual activity and contraception. Re:MIX was implemented with fidelity and educators were well-received. At post-test, compared to control students, Re:MIX students were more likely to intend to use hormonal or long-acting contraceptive methods if they had sex, had greater reproductive health knowledge, had more confidence in their ability to ask for and give consent, and were more likely to know where to obtain contraception. Most findings were sustained at the long-term follow-up, but there were no impacts on behaviors. The implementation and impact findings highlight the promising approach of pairing young parent educators with experienced health educators for teen pregnancy prevention among Latinx students.

Workplace Predictors of Family Educators' Technology Acceptance Attitudes

ObjectiveThe purpose of the study was to examine workplace conditions as influences on professional parent and family educator technology acceptance attitudes and to describe their technology use.BackgroundThe rise of new media and information and communications technologies (ICT) has significantly affected the field of parenting and family education in the first part of the 21st century.MethodsOn the basis of responses from a national sample to an online survey (N = 631 participants), information search and communications technologies (e.g., email) were employed most frequently; social media, texting, and online learning platforms were used infrequently. Structural equation modeling tested a hypothesized model of influences based on a modified technology acceptance model (TAM, Davis, 1989).ResultsTechnology attitudes were related directly to perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of technology. Workplace encouragement and workplace infrastructure indirectly influenced acceptance attitudes as mediated by perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, respectively. Workplace encouragement also showed a small but direct influence on technology acceptance.ImplicationsAdequate technology resources, supports, training, and working in a culture that values technology use offer tangible ways to promote competence and comfort in technology adoption by parenting and family educators, thus helping the profession address necessary and changing needs of families.

Social Determinants of Health Discussed with Mothers During Personal Visits Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: This report describes the social determinants of health (SDOH) discussed during personal visits at the time leading up to and during the first 4 months of the pandemic from families across the United States.Methods: This is a secondary analysis from a cluster randomized trial that embeds Healthy Eating and Active Living Taught at Home within Parents as Teachers (PAT). PAT is a national organization serving families prenatal through kindergarten, delivered by parent educators. After parent educators complete visits with mothers in the trial, they complete brief surveys including the question “Did issues with any of these come up during the visit?” with yes/no options for “Transportation,” “Housing,” “Food insecurity,” “Childcare,” “Financial constraint,” or “Other.”Results: Among the 60 mothers with visit records in the months before and during (March–July 2020) COVID-19, 55% identified as Hispanic or Latino and 52% reported food insecurity at baseline. During COVID-19, financial constraints and other SDOH were as common as they were before COVID-19; childcare issues were discussed less frequently and food security was discussed more frequently. When comparing the number of SDOH parent educators reported discussing with mothers in visits that took place before COVID-19 with the number of SDOH discussed in visits during COVID-19, the number of SDOH increased for 41% for mothers identifying as Hispanic or Latino and only 8% for non-Hispanic or Latino mothers.Conclusions: This study can help build an understanding of how COVID-19 is impacting families, and how these impacts may be inequitable.Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT03758638

Parent Cooperative Early Childhood Settings: Empowering Family Strengths and Family Engagement for All Young Children

Parent cooperative preschools are unique educational enterprises because they involve the participation of parents and children. The purpose of this historical qualitative analysis examines the history of parent cooperative preschools and the contributions of this type of early childhood setting, including parent engagement in the classroom, family strengths (both personal and in the community), and the teacher’s role in the classroom as a facilitator, leader, and parent educator. Reflections from past parent cooperative board members of a parent cooperative are included sharing their personal contributions, joys, collaborations, and challenges of engagement in this type of early childhood program. The reflections from the parent cooperative board members share insight into the role they played in the awareness of early childhood education to society, family engagement, advocacy, and the critical importance of this type of early childhood setting for all young children. Parent cooperative preschools encourages families to engage in reciprocal relationships with teachers by offering learning activities for the home and in the community. They are associated with important values and virtues for families to grow and learn with their child.