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Understandings of efficacy: cross-national perspectives on ‘what works’ in supporting parents and families

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 11:37 authored by Janet BoddyJanet Boddy, Marjorie Smith, June Statham
The research literature on parenting support typically focuses on English-speaking countries, such as England, the United States and Australia. This article draws on a review, commissioned by the English government, which examined policies and services to support parenting in five European countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, and considered the evidence for effectiveness. In exploring differences between the five countries, and with England, this article raises questions about the way in which understandings of ‘what works’ can inform the ways in which support for parents and families is designed and delivered. An emphasis on formal outcome evaluations, as in England, favours the use of standardised parenting programmes, which are more amenable to evaluation of effectiveness using quasi-experimental research designs. In some other European countries, support for parents and families is embedded in universal service provision, rather than a discrete, time-limited ‘intervention’, and hence evaluation is more likely to involve assessment of individual progress (is this working for this family?) rather than assessment of the overall efficiency of a standardised programme.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Ethics and Education

ISSN

1744-9642

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Issue

2

Volume

6

Page range

181-196

Department affiliated with

  • Education Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-05-11

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