Parental education programs for parents with children up to age six. A systematic review

Abstract

In order to approach the distinctive features of parenting education programmes (PEPs) with children aged zero to six years, a systematic review was conducted. Thirty-four studies were included. More than half followed an experimental design and presented follow-up evaluations with small sample sizes. The USA and China were the most prolific in terms of number of publications. Interventions were mainly implemented in educational settings, with a typical number of sessions between eight and twelve, duration of two hours and on a weekly basis. Most were aimed at parents with children with specific educational support needs. The most frequent variables with statistically significant pre-post results were adults’ dysfunctional practices, stress and self-efficacy. The main themes addressed were emotions, communication and behavior management strategies. Evidence is provided to support the use of PEPs as they favour the development of positive parenting.