Date of Completion
Spring 4-26-2017
Thesis Advisor(s)
Beth S. Russell
Honors Major
Human Development and Family Studies
Abstract
This study evaluates the implications of parenting education programs for high-risk fathers. Participants were young, underprivileged, minority, and unmarried fathers in urban Hartford. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify participants’ perceptions of the program, their roles as fathers, and motivations for change. Interviews were coded using a modified version of Prochaska’s Theory of Change. Additionally, grounded theory was employed to identify major themes in the interviews regarding father involvement. A priori-like coding was used to capture the quality of relationships between the father, his co-parent, and his motivation for change. Consistent with literature, fathers that had more positive relationships with their co-parent tended to see their child more often, indicated that their relationship with their child got stronger, learned co-parenting as a skill through the program, and had a higher motivation for change. These results imply that co-parenting should continue to be a target of fathering education programs in order to increase fathers’ time and involvement with their children.
Recommended Citation
Forcier, Paige, "Evaluation of Parenting Education for High-Risk Fathers: Relationship with a Child’s Mother as an Indicator of Paternal Involvement" (2017). Honors Scholar Theses. 541.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/541