Family Education

Recommended Prerequisites

Introduction to Educational Sciences ( in order to understand the epistemological classification of the discipline - Educational Sciences); Sociology of Education ( in order to understand family as a social system and its evolution);

Educational Psychology (in order to perceive family as a developmental niche of the child, affecting and being affected by it). Social and Educational Intervention with children, youth and families (importance of intervention based on evidences and importance of Family Education at the levels of indicated, selective and universal prevention); Adults Education and Training (relevant for the fields of methods and strategies in Adults Education).

Teaching Methods

The classes interchange oral exposition and participated discussion of the syllabus themes, supported by visual projection material by teaching staff. Paper work's presentation by students an testimony of family educators.    

Learning Outcomes

Contribute to the initial training of Family Education professionals, by means of a training that presents and raises students’ awareness to issues which allow them, at the level of their continuation of studies (attending a Seminar and an Internship related to the thematic of Family Education and/or proceeding with their post graduate studies in Family Education ), to work in this field at different levels:

- teaching; vocational training; research;

- design, implementation, management and assessment of Family Education intervention programs;

- coordinators; advisers and opinion developers;

- design applications to projects involving the component of intervention in Family Education.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

I. Family Education as a socio-educational intervention with parents (father, mother) and children.

1. Families in social, historical and cultural context of the 21st Century: roles, challenges and needs.

2. The constructionist paradigm as a framework for social and educational interventions with families.

3. Legal, social and political framework of Family Education in Portugal.

4. Typologies of Family and Parenting Education.

5. Professional profile of the Parent or Family Educator.

II. Social and Educational Intervention Processes with families: promotion of competences

1. Quality interventions with groups of parents.

2. Quality individual interventions with parents

3. Websites and Parenting Education.

III. Parenting Education Assessment

1. Needs assessment.

2. Process assessment.

3. Efficacy assessment.

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Synthesis work: 20.0%
Research work: 30.0%
Frequency: 50.0%

Bibliography

Doherty, W. (1995). Boundaries between parent and family education and family therapy. Family Relations, 44, 353-358.

Gaspar, M. (2005). Educação familiar como intervenção sócio-educativa: Porquês, para quem, como e por quem?. Revista Portuguesa de Pedagogia, 39 (3), 61-98.

Gaspar, M. (2011). Educação parental e prevenção do risco na infância: Resposta milagre ou desafio incitador? In A. Almeida & N. Fernandes (Eds.) Intervenção com crianças, jovens e famílias: Estudos e práticas. Coimbra: Almedina.

Pourtois, J-P. (2011). Conclusion. In E.Catarsi & J.-P. Pourtois (Eds.). Les formations et les recherches en education familiale (pp.185-192). Paris: L’Harmattan.

Ramos, M. (2002). Educación Familiar: Una propuesta disciplinar y curricular. Málaga: Ediciones Aljibe.

Webster-Stratton, C., Gaspar, M., &  Seabra-Santos, M. (2012). Incredible Years Parent, Teachers and Children’s Series: Transportability to Portugal(…). Psychosocial Intervention (Intervención Psicosocial, 21 (2), 157-169.