When designing a parenting education program, referring to the National Extension Parenting Education Model (NEPEM) can provide guidance in the parenting content areas. There are six dimensions discussed in detail in this model. By considering the six categories of parenting and relating the content to the overall program goals and objective, you are much further along in a strong program. The domains of self, understand, guide, nurture, motivate, and advocate are important when deciding about the content of the program.
A multi-faceted parent education program most likely will include all of these aspects. Balancing content in these areas provides a holistic approach to parenting education programs. For example, there are some fallacies in only teaching in the category of Guide, and leaving out the Understanding of the child or the taking care of Self dimensions.
Rarely will you find one curriculum that will meet all the needs of your targeted audience. To a large extent, the content and methods of generic parenting programs have been developed based on a parent educator's perceptions of the needs of the parents rather than the self-identified needs or assessed preferences of the parents (Harman & Brim, 1980). Since parents represent diverse family forms, cultures, and characteristics, parent education programs should be as diverse as the anticipated population for whom they are designed (Harman & Brim, 1980). The effects of different types of parent education programs must be evaluated while giving attention to what works for whom and why (Zigler & Weiss, 1985; Barnett & Escobar, 1987; Halpern, 1990; Meyers, 1993).
Consider multi-dimensional offerings for an effective program. You also might consider that each parent is an individual learner; each comfortable with a different learning method. Do some parents prefer learning in a group and do others prefer self-study? So some prefer trained parenting educators as instructors and do others prefer to learn from family members or other parents or even from written materials?
How are you choosing what to use to teach or impart information? After you have a greater understanding of your target audience or potential participants, identify your criteria for selection of materials and information that will be used., e.g. quality parenting program, solid research base, empirical evidence of program effectiveness, and high quality materials that are easy to use.
You might consider:
When considering multi-dimensional delivery, consider the various aspects that will influence your learners. Again Extension personnel may need to look through their socially developed and personal lens. Be sure you are assessing and re-assessing the perspective and needs of your audience as well as considering WHERE and HOW your perspective developed.
Have you considered potential parent individual attributes such as their educational levels, literacy levels, language levels, time constraints and schedules, cultural values and mores? Should you learn more about comfort levels with members in a learning group or comfort with a particular group leader?
Consider learners' learning styles and the teacher's delivery style. If their style does not fit the learner, what program adaptations can be made? Who else can teach parents? Are there other places in the community that information can be made available than in group settings? For example, laundromats, medical facilities (physicians and dentists' offices), or story hour at the library.
Another consideration is the learning style of the parent. Assessing learning style, then discussing the results with parents allows the parent to have a greater understanding of their own style of learning. It also allows you to build on the most effective learning mode. If possible, assess their individual learning styles (some tools: Kolb Learning Styles Inventory, PETALS.)
In addition to learning style, parents who "buy-in" to their learning program feel more control, are more motivated, and interested which leads to more lasting behavioral change. Another instrument under construction (Goddard, 1996) is called the Parent Self-Evaluation Instrument (PSEI) and is based on The National Extension Parent Education Model's (NEPEM) six categories of parenting and 29 critical parenting practices (Smith, Cudabeck, Goddard, & Myers-Wall, 1994). These formed the foundation to construct 410 measurement items to assess individuals' strengths and needs. This instrument, under development, will be an assessment that can guide educators in planning for learning.