Evaluating Improvements in Parental Self-Efficacy Following Portage Intervention

  • Joel Wilson

Student thesis: Doctor of Educational and Child Psychology

Abstract

A clear correlation has been established between high parental self-efficacy (PSE) and positive outcomes for parents and their preschool-aged children. Practice-based interventions can successfully increase levels of PSE. Despite Portage involvement apparently supporting an increase in PSE, current methods of service evaluation fail to provide sufficient evidence of this. A systematic literature review (SLR) explored the practice and procedure of measuring the PSE of parents of preschool-age children in response to practice-based interventions. An action research (AR) project conducted within a Portage Service in the North of England, alongside a stakeholder group of Portage workers, aimed to develop a bespoke measure of PSE to evidence service outcomes. The SLR highlighted shortcomings across the design of adapted and bespoke measures of PSE, with most reviewed studies omitting to report a clear explanation of their measure development and validation procedure. The AR revealed that the development and implementation of a bespoke PSE measure within a Portage Service requires a collaborative approach, including parents, managers, and Portage workers, ensuring shared ownership of the product to enhance the likelihood of utilisation. Parent perceptions of Portage service delivery indicated the importance of building empowerment and self-efficacy, justifying the creation of a bespoke measure of PSE. The SLR highlights the importance of outlining a clear rationale and procedure for developing valid and reliable measures of PSE. 10 Findings from the AR and SLR indicate that the creation of service evaluations measuring PSE requires the input of parents and facilitators to gain an accurate understanding of the impact of practice-based interventions. Future research should adopt similar approaches to developing bespoke measures of PSE. Clear dissemination strategies for sharing these findings are described.
Date of Award6 Jan 2025
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • The University of Manchester
SupervisorKevin Woods (Supervisor) & Alison Gurney (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • Preschool
  • Kindergarten
  • Practice-Based Intervention
  • Parental Self-Efficacy
  • Portage

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