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Evaluation of a group-based parenting education program: Impact on parenting competencies

Abstract:

Intervention programs for parents are becoming increasingly relevant when it comes to promoting, preventing, and treating mental health in adolescents, based on their responsibility to support their children in the development of skills for a functional and successful adulthood. Therefore, the objective of this research is to apply and determine the effectiveness of the Program for the Development of Emotional, Educational and Parental Competencies (Martínez González, 2009) in fathers and mothers with adolescent sons and daughters in the city of Loja, Ecuador. The methodology used was an experimental method, with a quantitative approach and retrospective and prospective temporality. In this program, 162 parents or representatives participated, the initial evaluation questionnaire of parental competencies was applied, and the Program-Guide for the development of emotional, educational and parental competencies was implemented (Martínez et al., 2009). Two-way statistical analyses were developed-both descriptive statistics and parametric comparisons through analysis of variance (ANOVA). In addition, the internal consistency of the initial evaluation questionnaire of parental competencies was analyzed through Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient. The research concludes that, through this program, significant changes are obtained in five (need for attention, respect, affection, and recognition; self-esteem and assertiveness; assertive communication; problem solving and discipline, norms, rules) of the six dimensions evaluated and intervened, within the experimental group (pre-post), as well as significant differences between the experimental group and the control group. Regarding the improvement of the dimensions, most of the parents claim to have developed better competences in all the dimensions analyzed. For instance, one that obtains a higher perception of improvement is that of self-esteem and assertiveness (80.6%), in which they were able to strengthen their self-confidence as parents.