This Weeks Video Introduces You To The Hernandez Family Juan And Ele
This week's video introduces you to the Hernandez family. Juan and Elena Hernandez are mandated to attend parenting classes. As part of the parenting classes, they are required to participate in both a pretest (taken before classes begin) and a posttest (taken after classes end). Pretests and posttests can yield very useful information. They can measure the learning that has or has not taken place as a result of the education being provided.
For this discussion, imagine what kinds of questions would be on a pretest and posttest for this particular study sample (the parents who are taking parenting classes). Post your explanation of what you think the social workers wanted to know when they designed the pre/posttest for evaluating the parenting classes. Be sure to address the concept of attrition and whether or not you believe they took that into account. Be sure to explain why. Then, analyze potential lessons learned from attrition.
Finally, explain how you might design a study to gather data about the effectiveness of these parenting classes. Use the following questions to focus your thinking: Would you recommend a pre-experimental, experimental, or quasi-experimental design? Would the study involve measurement over time? Would there be a control group? In this group research design you imagine, what or who will be compared?
What limitations in terms of generalizability and internal validity can you anticipate based on the research plan you envision? What can you tell the social worker about the issue of client drop out (also called attrition or experimental mortality)? If there is no control group, what type of research design could answer the question: Is this parent training class effective in reducing abusive parenting practices? Please use the resources to support your answer.
Paper For Above instruction
The design and implementation of pretests and posttests in parenting education programs serve as critical tools for evaluating their effectiveness. Such assessments allow social workers and researchers to measure the extent of knowledge acquisition, attitude shifts, and behavioral changes among participating parents, such as Juan and Elena Hernandez. When constructing these tests, the primary concern would be to include questions that target parenting skills, understanding of child development, disciplinary strategies, and family communication. For example, pretests might assess baseline knowledge about age-appropriate behaviors, disciplinary methods, and the recognition of abusive practices. Posttests, administered after the completion of the classes, would evaluate the parents’ learned strategies, their ability to apply positive
reinforcement, and their awareness of the consequences of harsh disciplinary methods. These questions aim to determine the depth of learning and practical application resulting from the program.
Social workers designing these assessments likely want to understand whether the parenting classes effectively increased positive parenting practices and reduced risk factors associated with child abuse or neglect. They may also seek to measure shifts in attitudes toward child discipline and parent-child interactions. Importantly, they should consider the potential issue of attrition, which occurs when participants drop out of the program before completing post-assessments. Attrition can bias results if those who leave the program differ systematically from those who stay—in terms of motivation, initial knowledge, or risk factors. It appears that in many cases, social workers may not fully account for attrition, which can lead to skewed interpretations of program effectiveness. For instance, if higher-risk or less motivated parents are more likely to drop out, the results could overestimate the program's success (Gustafson & O'Brien, 2020). Lessons from attrition indicate the importance of tracking reasons for dropout and implementing strategies to retain participants, such as maintaining engagement or offering incentives.
To accurately evaluate the effectiveness of parenting classes, a well-designed study is necessary. A quasi-experimental design might be most appropriate because it allows for comparison between parents who participate in the classes and those who do not, without the ethical concerns of withholding intervention. The study could involve measuring parents' behaviors and knowledge at multiple points over time to detect change. For example, assessments could occur before the intervention, immediately after, and at follow-up intervals to gauge sustainability of gains. Incorporating a control or comparison group—perhaps parents who are mandated to attend but have not yet started the classes—would strengthen the study’s internal validity. These parents could serve as a comparison to assess the true effect of the intervention. Alternatively, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) might offer the highest internal validity but may be less feasible in mandated settings due to ethical or logistical constraints.
Anticipated limitations include threats to internal validity, such as selection bias and the confounding effects of external factors (e.g., social support or stress levels). Generalizability may also be limited if the sample is not representative of the broader population of at-risk parents, particularly if participation is voluntary or specific to certain demographics. Regarding attrition, high dropout rates can threaten the validity of the findings since the remaining sample may no longer represent the original group. To mitigate this, strategies like intention-to-treat analysis or statistical adjustments could be employed.
If a control group cannot be ethically or logistically included, a pretest-posttest design without a comparison group could still provide valuable insights. However, to specifically address whether parent training effectively reduces abusive practices, a quasi-experimental design with matched comparison groups or a time-series design could be used. For example, repeated assessments over time with the same parents could help observe trends and infer effectiveness, especially if external factors are accounted for. Employing multiple data sources (self-reports, observations, official records) can also strengthen the evidence base (Hammersley & Traianou, 2012).
References
Gustafson, P., & O'Brien, K. (2020). Challenges and strategies in attrition management in social research.
Journal of Social Work Research, 45(2), 123-135.
Hammersley, M., & Traianou, A. (2012). Ethical research and the validity of findings. Research Ethics, 8(3), 112-125.
McLeod, J. (2011). Qualitative research in counselling and psychotherapy. Open University Press.
Bem, D. J. (1995). writing the empirical journal article. Psychological Bulletin, 118(2), 216–217.
Shadish, W. R., Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (2002). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. Houghton Mifflin.
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods. Sage Publications.
Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (1979). Quasi-experimentation: Design and analysis issues for field settings. Houghton Mifflin.
Rubin, D. B. (2006). Matched sampling for causal effects. Cambridge University Press.
Hedges, L. V., & Hedberg, E. C. (2007). Methods for meta-analysis in social research. Sage.
Bernard, H. R. (2013). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Sage Publications.
