Transformations in parenting : new possibilities through peer-led interventions

Parenting education is a core strategy adopted by many parent support services. The research literature is replete with varying degrees of evidence attesting to the effectiveness of a variety of parenting education interventions. Some recent literature questions the veracity of some of these claims and the nature of their supporting evidence. Despite this, professionally led parenting education interventions remain a dominant strategy in parent support services and have been widely disseminated. There is little research exploring the benefits and impact of alternative approaches that are collaborative and peer-led in the Australian context. The absence of research evidence about alternative approaches contributes to the hegemony of the traditional paradigm. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the experiences of parents who were participating in an innovative peer-led parenting intervention, specifically in communities characterised by disadvantage in Tasmania. Often, where situational disadvantage is compounded by inter-generational issues of unemployment and welfare dependency, family relationships are fragile and parenting is under pressure. It is important to consider how parents in such situations can be supported to develop confidence and skill in their parenting. The primary question addressed through this research was ‘What insights do the experiences of parents participating in a peer-led parenting intervention provide for approaches to parenting education and the provision of parent support services?’ In order to capture fine grained data about the issues and concerns of the participants, their interactions within the program and the program processes and impact, a qualitative methodology, informed by ethnographic perspectives was adopted for the research. This allowed the gathering of personal and contextual data that would contribute to addressing the research question. Thematic data analysis was undertaken through highly recursive processes of researcher immersion within the data and triangulation of data sources to verify emerging themes and interpretations. The following three sub questions emerged as important to addressing the overall question through this iterative process of data analysis: What are the experiences of parents participating in a peer-led parenting program? In what ways do the experiences of parents’ participation in a peer-led parenting intervention influence their parenting and their relationships? What insights can the parents’ experiences provide for program designers, policy makers and service providers? More broadly, this research aimed to contribute to an emerging body of knowledge about the changing nature of relationships between parents and professional workers resulting from parent and professionals working together in implementing parenting interventions. Furthermore, this study sought to investigate how the involvement of parents in the delivery of parent support services influence models of service provision