Family and Parental Education

Recommended Prerequisites

The student needs to be an independent reader of English (reading) since many bibliographic references and other resources are in English.

Teaching Methods

Theoretical and practical teaching with the use of lectures and active methodologies (e.g., DVD vignettes; role-play, debates, group dynamics), fostering the articulation between theoretical concepts and their application, through reflective exercises. In order to promote research skills and critical thinking the students prepare, before each class, a written reflection on the content of the class. It is also foreseen to invite professionals who implement programs or manage family and parental education projects to come and share their experiences.

Learning Outcomes

Goals:

1) Reflect on the concept of positive parenting and on the contributions of research, legislation and socio-political recommendations for its promotion at international, European and national levels

2) Train for qualified intervention in parenting education with different types of families, in different contexts (welfare; health; education; social services) and at different levels (universal; selective; indicated)

Students are able to:

1) Identify the components of positive parenting and its centrality in the promotion of mental health and equity

2) Conceptually and politically framing parenting education

3) Identify evidence-based parenting education programs and know how select those that best suit the needs and characteristics of families

4) Recognize the centrality of needs assessment, implementation with fidelity, effectiveness assessment and dissemination in parenting education interventions

 

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. The concept of positive parenting and its centrality in the promotion of mental health and equity

2. Family and Parenting Education as intervention with families

2.1. Historical and socio-political framework

2.2. The concept: Doherty's model

2.3. Evidence-based parenting education programs

3. Examples of international evidence-based parental education programs implemented in Portugal

3.1. Incredible Years Basic program

3.2. Parenting Wisely programs: Young Child and Urban Teens

3.3. Children in Between program

4. The evaluation, implementation and dissemination in Parenting Education

4.1. The assessment of the parents' needs, their characteristics and specificities, as well as their objectives

4.2. Implementation with fidelity: training, supervision and the profile of the parent educator

4.3.  Evaluating effectiveness and impact

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Written reflection reports done before each class: 10.0%
Frequency: 30.0%
Group work with presentation in class in which they writte a report with recommendations for the selection, implementation and evaluation of a parenting education response in a local service (promotion and protection; health; education; social) to contribute to solve previously identified problems: 60.0%

Bibliography

Clarke, A. (2019). Implementing parenting and preschool programmes. In M. Barry, A. Clarke, I. Petersen, R. Jenkins (Eds). Implementing mental health promotion. Second edition (pp.261-300). Springer, Cham.

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

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.

Ponzetti Jr, J. (Ed.). (2015). Evidence-based parenting education: A global perspective. Routledge.

Scott, S., & Gardner, F. (2015). Parenting programs. In A.Thapar, D. Pine, J. Leckman, S. Scott, M. Snowling, & E. Taylor (Eds.). Rutter’s child and adolescent psychiatry (pp. 483-496). John Wiley & Sons.