Action Research
Effectiveness of a Parental Training Program in Increasing Authoritative Parenting ing harsh parenting practices, and increasing authoritative parenting practices.
By Michael Allen, ES Principal Shanghai American School, Puxi Campus
regardless of factors such as ethnicity and cultural background.
Since the 2013-14 school year, the Shanghai American School (SAS) Puxi campus elementary school counseling team and administration have been working together to provide 6-week parenting courses to the parenting community using the “Parenting the Positive Discipline Way” program. Over 300 Puxi campus elementary school parents have participated in these courses over the past six years. Research supports the notion that authoritative parenting effects are highly desirable yet little was known about the impact parenting classes were having on course participants at SAS. McVittie and Best (2009) stated that more work needs to be done in the evaluation of parent education programs and found that Adlerian-based parenting classes such as “Parenting the Positive Discipline Way” have had a direct positive impact on participants’ parenting styles, but it was not certain if our school’s course was having the same impact on cross-cultural participants. The 23 participants of the September 2018 “Parenting the Positive Discipline Way” course at SAS agreed to participate in an action research study. The goal of this study was to determine how much the parenting course influences parental behavior in the direction of being more authoritative
In reviewing research across cultures, nations, and nationalities, it was evident that the authoritative parenting style, as defined by the Baumrind (1971) parenting styles’ theoretical framework, consistently yields the most positive outcomes for children. Authoritative parents produce children who demonstrated academic achievement, self-esteem, healthy life satisfaction, and overall strong mental health as well as other positive attributes. Because education level was one of the most prominent factors that affect parenting style (Baumrind, Larzelere, & Owens, 2010), parent education and outreach programs around the world have had a significant positive impact on parenting practices and outcomes for children. Parents who were educated about authoritative parenting practices and were aware of the long-term benefits of an authoritative parenting style were more likely to use this approach. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the SAS parenting training program for parents of elementary school students. Because SAS uses the Parenting The Positive Discipline Way program, it was important to determine the effectiveness of the program in achieving the primary goals of improving the parent-child relationship, reduc-
26 EARCOS Triannual Journal
“Parenting the Positive Discipline Way” is an Adlerian-based parent training program created by Positive Discipline Authors, Dr. Jane Nelsen and Lynn Lott (2008). According to Adler and Dreikurs (as cited in Nelsen, Tamborski, & Ainge, 2016), a misbehaving child is a discouraged child. Dreikurs believed that the authoritative parenting style was the better of all styles to use with children because it provided them with options and buy-in for actions associated with parenting and discipline. Nelsen et al. (2016) built on these ideologies with an emphasis on being respectful with discipline that focuses on helping the child learn problem-solving in order to work through the behavior. Nelsen et al. (2016) emphasized encouragement in parenting in order to build the capacity for children to believe in themselves and have confidence in their abilities to enact positive behavior. Nelsen et al. (2016) also encouraged approaching parenting with compassion embedded in structure and routine in order to be successful with discipline and parenting. They encouraged five criteria for developing positive discipline in parenting including being (a) kind and firm at the same time, (b) helping children feel a sense of belonging and significance, (c) being effective long-term, (d) teaching social and life skills for good character, and (e) empowering children to feel capable. The 23 participants in this action research were parents of elementary school children at SAS who chose to participate in a 6-week positive parenting course with the commitment that they attended each weekly 2.5-hour session. The adult participants were from a variety of cultural backgrounds and had commonalities among them that included having their children schooled at SAS, being fluent in English, and being expatriates residing in Shanghai. Parents were surveyed on demographic information including age, gender, ethnicity, economic factors, parent marital status, and their child’s academic achievement. These demographic factors were analyzed in direct correlation with the experiences of participants complet-
