Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

Parent education classes offered at the Catholic Charities Organization of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties were the focus of this study. A pre-test and post-test design was utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of the classes for parents receiving parent education classes. The hypothesis was directed towards parents who attended parent education classes that would show improvement in knowledge of instrumental parental skills and an increase in parent satisfaction. This included understanding parents awareness and knowledge of healthy emotional expression, which further positive communication, appropriate developmental methods of discipline for their children and utilizing the coping strategies learned to deal with parent stressors. Accountability for program outcomes makes this study valuable to social worker clinicians working with at-risk youth.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / This study investigated the effects of training parents to administer a modified version of the focused stimulation intervention technique first reported by Girolametto, Pearce, and Weitzman (1996). Treatment was modified in a manner that increased reliance on a broader array of elements of responsive adult input (RAI), while eliminating reliance on a stipulated frequency of repetition. Prescriptive activity-based parent teaching was provided in the home by a team comprised of a speech and language pathologist (SLP) and a non-SLP early interventionist who was delegated responsibility for the majority of treatment. Eight parents and their toddlers with expressive language delay were randomly assigned to receive either prescriptive activity-based treatment (Treatment/PAT group) or traditional early intervention (Delayed-treatment Control/TEl group). Control group families received traditional early intervention services during the experimental period. Protocols for assignment of vocabulary targets and collection of outcome data were intended to replicate those of Girolametto et al. (1996). With one exception (Type Token Ratio), results indicate changes in the predicted direction for treatment group (PAT) parents and children receiving prescriptive activity-based treatment. Inferential statistics indicated a significant interaction for the Symbolic Play Test (Lowe & Costello, 1988). Results for measures that did not achieve statistical significance are attributed to the fact that the control group (TEl) received traditional early interventionist services during which non-SLP early interventionists modeled RAI elements. The study compares favorably with Girolametto et al. on numeric scores and magnitudes of effect. Following treatment, the language of parents receiving prescriptive activity-based treatment was slower, less complex, and more focused than those in the control group. Treatment group children used more target ords during naturalistic observations, used more words during free-play, and made substantial gains in vocabulary. Substantial gains were also identified in talkativeness and structural complexity of child language.

Although there currently exists an in-depth empirical understanding of parents experiences and involvement in youth sport, there is an absence of published field-based intervention research specifically with sport parents (Harwood & Knight, 2015). In order to address this gap in the literature, this thesis developed a psychosocial parent education programme for British Tennis. The first study identified the education and support needs of tennis parents operating within British high performance centres (study one). Adopting a grounded theory design, data were collected through informal chats, observations, and formal interviews with parents, coaches, and ex-youth players (n=29) during a six-month period of fieldwork. Findings revealed how parents education and support needs occur across multiple levels of functioning (i.e., social, organisational, developmental, and intra-interpersonal) and are influenced by the developmental stage that parents operate in. This theoretical framework was then used as the basis for a group-based tennis parent education programme (study two). Using a qualitative organisational action research framework seven workshops were run over a 12-week period for parents with children between the ages of 5 and 10 years. Participant diaries, social validation feedback forms, and post programme focus groups (n=19) revealed perceived improvements in parents knowledge, affect, and skills across a range of learning objectives. In an attempt to improve accessibility and extend participation, the final study utilised a convergent parallel mixed methods design to examine the effectiveness of an online education programme for British tennis parents (n=38) and their perceptions of engaging in the programme (study three). Quantitative findings revealed positive directional changes in tennis parent efficacy, general parent efficacy, emotional experiences, and achievement goal orientations after completing the programme. Qualitative data provided complementary and unique insights into what worked, how, and why. Taken together, the studies within this thesis are the first to demonstrate the effectiveness of face-to-face and online sport parent education programmes. Findings also extend and advance existing recommendations and guidelines in relation to the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of education programmes for sport parents. In particular, studies illustrate the importance and value of providing sport parents with accessible, proactive, structured, and developmentally appropriate education and support which addresses their stage-specific needs.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to revise the Lunch Box Program using the Intervention Mapping process to design a program for parents of preschool age children in the childcare setting. Program development was guided by input from group interviews (n = 3) that were held with parents (n = 31) at three child care centers. Four major themes were revealed 1) interest in receiving information in written format; 2) activities that stimulate parent interaction; 3) workshops and activity stations; and 4) recommendations for support from local supermarkets. Lunch Is In The Bag emphasizes packing fruits, vegetables and whole grains in lunch daily. In a quasi-experimental design, six childcare centers were paired by size before being randomly assigned to intervention (n=3) and comparison (n=3) groups. The parents with primary lunch packing responsibility for the three to five year old children were enrolled as parent-child dyads. Primary outcome measures included lunch contents of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Secondary outcome measures included change in behavioral constructs and process outcome measures included fit of program into operations and curriculum. A total of 132 parent-child dyads completed the study, 81 in the intervention group and 51 in the comparison group. Direct observation of children’s lunches from the intervention group showed a significant increase in predicted mean number of servings of vegetables, from 0.41 to 0.65 (P < 0.001) and whole grains, from 0.54 to 1.06 (P < 0.001), but not fruit. The intervention demonstrated a significant effect on knowledge of meal patterns (p = 0.010); outcome expectations for packing whole grains (p < 0.001); and subjective norms for packing fruit (p = 0.002), vegetables (p = 0.046), and whole grains (p = 0.015). Perceived behavioral control (p = 0.000), expectations (p = 0.007), and intentions (p = 0.048) were significant independent predictors for packing vegetables. Knowledge significantly predicted packing whole grains (p = 0.000). Process outcome data indicated Lunch is in the Bag was a feasible nutrition education program that fit well into both the childcare center operations and curriculum. / text

THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY IS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF PARENT EDUCATION ONTHIRD GRADE CHILDREN&#039 / S SOCIAL SKILLS. THE SAMPLE OF THE STUDY COMPOSED OF 29 THIRD GRADE STUDENTS&#039 / PARENTS. THE 3X3 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN WITH TWO TRAINING GROUPS AND ONE CONTROL GROUP AND THREE MEASUREMENTS (PRE, POST AND FOLLOW-UP) WERE USED. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS RECEIVED A 10 WEEK PARENT EDUCATION WHICH WAS DEVELOPED BY THE RESEARCHER WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP DID NOT RECEIVE ANY TRAINING. IN ORDER TO ASSESS SOCIAL SKILLS OF CHILDREN THE SOCIAL SKILLS RATING SYSTEM-PARENT FORM (SSRS-P) WERE USED. THE RESULTS REVEALED THAT PARENT EDUCATION WHICH INVOLVED FATHERS HAD A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON CHILDREN&#039 / S SELF-CONTROL DIMENSION AND TOTAL SOCIAL SKILLS SCORES IN TERMS OF PARENT PERCEPTION. HOWEVER, CONTRARY OF THE EXPECTATION THE GAIN WAS NOT MAINTAINED AFTER THREE MONTHS FOLLOW-UP. IN ADDITION, FATHER INVOLVED GROUP IMPROVED IN SELF-CONTROL AND RESPONSIBILITY DIMENSION AND FATHER UNINVOLVED GROUP IMPREOVED IN SELF-CONTROL DIMENSION AND TOTAL SCORE OF SOCIAL SKILLS AND THE IMPROVEMENTS MAINTAINED AFTER THREE MONTHS FOLLOW-UP.