Evaluation of a pilot project: preparenthood and pregrandparenthood education

A pilot project in expanding perinatal education is presented in this article. The author has experimented with a series of group sessions on the introduction to the transition to parenthood for couples who are either engaged or recently married. Such couples, if introduced to the changes associated with the transition to parenthood at a point of development in the commitment process, may increase their chances of weathering the turbulence that is often a part of the transition. The potential grandparents are part of the process since they are usually an important source of social support. Preparenthood and pregrandparenthood education is a useful extension of perinatal education for the beginning of this century.     

The polomeno family intervention framework for perinatal education: preparing couples for the transition to parenthood

Couples face many challenges as they transform themselves from dyad to triad. For some couples, these challenges are life-enriching experiences, while for others, chaos ensues, potentially leading to separation and divorce. The transition to first-time parenthood, even for well-functioning couples, is fraught with potential disorganization. At the same time, it provides opportunities for simultaneous self-growth and conjugal enrichment. What role can perinatal educators play in preparing couples to deal with the changes associated with this transition? To answer this vital question, the author presents her conceptualization of perinatal education as a primary family intervention framework during the perinatal period.     

以和谐家庭为主要目标的系统家庭团体辅导实践研究

构建和谐家庭,离不开构建和谐的夫妻关系、亲子关系.系统家庭团体辅导对夫妻关系、亲子关刎系改善有效.其中系统思想的应用与积极取向是系统家庭团体辅导成功的主要理论基础,在家庭辅导中记秘密红账、阳性赋义、角色互换练习是其主要技术应用.建议家长注意夫妻关系的维护与与家庭"界限"的调整.     

Sex and Pregnancy: A Perinatal Educator's Guide

This article is a continuation in the author's growing series of articles on intimacy and sexuality in the transition to parenthood and its relationship with perinatal education. So many couples in the author's perinatal education practice feel that health professionals are uncomfortable discussing sex and pregnancy. Indeed, the couples have so many questions and concerns regarding this subject; they are seeking answers so that they may better understand and cope with the changes in this aspect of their relationship. Perinatal education group encounters or special sessions are the ideal setting to discuss intimacy and sexuality during pregnancy. The objectives of this article are to provide the perinatal educator with content for the group sessions and tools for teaching strategies and activities.     

The Davao Teen Centre empowers the youth of Mindanao. Philippines

This article discusses the Development and Family Life Education for the Youth (DAFLEY) Project in Davao City, Philippines. The DAFLEY aimed to make the youth enlightened citizens of the future by educating them on reproductive health care services, gender equality, and responsible parenthood. It was established by the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines and is being carried out through the Davao Teen Centre (DTC), which provides reproductive and sexual health care services through counseling, face-to-face or by telephone. In an effort to reach out to more teenagers in Mindanao, the DTC introduced radio programs offering on-the-air advice to adolescents with problems ranging from boy-girl relationships and unplanned pregnancies to more complex and serious problems. Public response to the programs has been enthusiastic. The youth that have benefited from the DTC counseling refute a conservative belief that sex education leads to promiscuity and sexual experimentation. They state the respect they have for their bodies and their sense of responsibility as proof of the value of the reproductive health education and services that they have received.     

From care to education and work? Education and employment trajectories in early adulthood by children in out-of-home care

BackgroundTemporal dynamics during the early adulthood transition among children in out-of-home care is a neglected research area, leaving the possibility of coping with childhood adversity over time a poorly understood topic.ObjectiveTo explore early adulthood education and employment trajectories among young adults who experienced out-of-home care during childhood and to examine how various care history factors predict these trajectories.ParticipantsWe use longitudinal birth cohort data comprising individual-level information from national registers of all children born in Finland in 1987 (N = 59,476, of whom 1893 were in care).Setting and methodsWe use trajectory clustering from a previous study on the 1987 birth cohort to compare trajectories between children in care and a propensity score–matched group of peers never in care. We investigated the association between care history factors and trajectories with multinomial logistic regression modeling.ResultsCompared with the matched peer group, children in care were less likely to enter trajectories characterized by education and employment (38%) and more likely to enter trajectories involving early parenthood (14%) or long periods of fragmented social assistance benefit receipt and unemployment (21%). Those on early parenthood trajectories were almost exclusively women, whereas those receiving social assistance benefits and experiencing unemployment for lengthy periods were mostly men. Entering disadvantaged trajectories was associated with, inter alia, placement as an adolescent, residential care, and aging out of care.ConclusionThe study demonstrates the relevance of examining longitudinal trajectories in children in care’s early adulthood. Many young adults with care experience need support in education and employment beyond young adult age.     

Constructing a patient education system: A performance technology project

The purpose of the patient education system described here was to distribute patient education material to and within medical practices managed by a small medical practice management company. The belief was that patient education opportunities improved health care outcomes and increased patient participation in health care decisions and compliance with health care plans. This tool reinforced medical practices' commitment to having patients participate actively in their treatment, differentiated them from other practices, and contributed to the generation of new patients.     

Familie und Familienalltag als Bildungsherausforderung

Against the background of a growing diversity and fluidity of family life in modern western societies, the arrangement of everyday family life has become quite demanding for individuals and families. The reflection of individual notions of family as well as the development of concepts of a fulfilling everyday family life has become a recurrent challenge throughout the life course, particularly relevant during transitions in family life (e. g. the transition to parenthood, the reentry of the main caregiver into the labor market, or the transition into post couple parenthood after separation or divorce). Although family theory recently developed the concept of ‘doing family’ to highlight the need to maintain and arrange family life day after day, there is little knowledge on how individuals develop family concepts and how these concepts are adopted to changing life circumstances. In this article we present a research approach which allows to empirically study the reflection and development of family concepts and to work out family concept-related processes of learning and ‘Bildung’. We will illustrate our theoretical and methodological considerations by presenting results from a case study that is part of an ongoing longitudinal study.     

The role of education in health system performance

I investigate the role of education on health, using country-level data and the production frontier framework suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) to assess performances of health care systems. I find that the impact of human capital on health is much smaller than suggested by the WHO frontier model, and the relationship exhibits diminishing return in the observed range of education. Taking into account the heterogeneity in this relationship generates a different ranking of the efficiency of health care systems internationally. This suggests that the method currently used by the WHO favors health care systems operating in countries that underinvested in education in the past.     

Early childhood education and care educators supporting parent-child relationships: a systematic literature review

Building strong relationships between children and parents is vital for children’s social and emotional development. A majority of children attend early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings where they experience a range of relationships (educator–child, educator–parent, parent–child). Educators build relationships with children and parents, yet their influence on parent–child relationships is not well understood. Therefore, an evaluation of interventions/programs designed to promote parent–child relationships in ECEC settings (long day care, occasional care and preschool) and a range of settings (play groups, community groups and health centres) was conducted. The search revealed 21 peer-reviewed studies and seven interventions: two conducted in ECEC settings and five in a range of parent–child support settings. All studies reported intervention efficacy, yet none examined educators’ influence on parent–child relationships. Investigation into current educator practices is recommended to ensure educators are supported to promote and nurture parent–child relationships, consequently strengthening children’s social and emotional development.     

Strange new world: applying a Bourdieuian lens to understanding early student experiences in higher education

Occupational therapy pre‐registration education stands at the intersection of the fields of health and social care and higher education. UK Government agendas in both fields have seen an increase in the number of students entering with non‐traditional academic backgrounds, a group noted to experience particular challenges in negotiating the transition to, and persisting and succeeding within, higher education. Drawing on data from an ongoing longitudinal case study, a Bourdieuian lens is applied to exploring the early educational experiences of a group of these students during their first year of study and highlights a number of key issues, including the high‐value status of linguistic capital and its relationship to understanding the rules governing practices within the learning environment, the processes via which students manage to adapt to or interestingly, to resist, the dominant culture of the field, and some of the barriers to finding a foothold and legitimate position within the new field.     

A future at risk: children having children

Every day in the US, over 3000 teenagers become pregnant. The US adolescent pregnancy rate is higher than that in most other developed countries and is increasing. About half of the teenage pregnancies result in a live birth, and most of these mothers are unmarried and will not finish high school. The root cause of this problem is that the young women have a sense of worthlessness and hopelessness about their future that makes them establish the relationships that leave them with babies they are ill-equipped to rear. This is creating an ever-growing underclass condemned to poverty, to a dependency on welfare, and to continue the cycle. All of this results in an ever increasing burden on taxpayers. In Missouri, a bill was enacted in 1990 to address a number of school-related issues that are impacted by premature parenthood. Based on research, the bill makes schools responsible for the continued enrollment of pregnant teens. Alternative programs for pregnant and teen parents receive state aid through guidelines established by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education which allow local school districts to design their own programs. Nationwide research indicated that the greatest need of the teenage parents is obtaining appropriate child care. Parenting education is also of vital importance as is appropriate prenatal care. These strategies, in addition to intervening in the lives of middle grade students to help them avoid premature parenthood, form the basis of a 5-step program developed by the Committee for Economic Development to address the problem of teen parenthood. In Missouri, emphasis has also been placed on involving teen mothers in the education of their children so that the children are ready for kindergarten. Despite the proven cost-effective nature of these programs for teen parents (which help avoid additional pregnancies), very few states have encouraged such programs, apparently because of the up-front costs. Until Americans decide to devote sufficient resources to this problem, it will continue to place the future of all of society at risk.     

关于儿童音乐教育价值的思考

人类接触和学习音乐的最佳阶段是儿童时期,音乐教育能够改善儿童心理品质,促进智力发展,增强身体健康,丰富审美情感,如何让儿童在快乐中体会音乐,呵护儿童的音乐灵性,培养他们对音乐的兴趣是至关重要的.     

The concerns and interests of expectant and new parents: assessing learning needs

Antenatal education is an important component of antenatal care in the developed world, but research indicates that it may not be meeting consumer needs. This article provides an overview of a needs assessment that aimed to determine the concerns and interests of expectant and new parents and how they prefer to learn during the periods of pregnancy and the early weeks of parenthood. The findings could be used to develop an innovative approach to antenatal education in order to prepare expectant and new parents for the birth experience and the early weeks of parenthood. The current study's results identified that expectant and new parents' concerns and interests during pregnancy, childbirth, and new parenting fall within five interrelated conceptual areas: 1) perceiving achievement or failure; 2) taking on "risk"; 3) riding an emotional "roller coaster" of joy, anxiety, and uncertainty; 4) needing to "know...what is normal"; and 5) needing help to "perform well."     

Changing balances in Dutch higher education

Like many other higher education systems in the Western world, Dutch higher education underwent profound changes during the last decade. In this article we will present an overview of these changes, and try to formulate an analytical framework that might be suited to analyze this process. In order to set the stage, we will begin with an overview of the Dutch higher education system, in which the broad structure is described, and some trends are presented. Next, an overview is given of the retrenchment and restructuring operations with which Dutch higher education was confronted during the last decade. Drawing, mainly, on public administration and political theory, we then attempt to formulate a framework for analysis. In this we focus on the Dutch higher education system as a policy network, and address the relationships that exist between the various key actors in the network: between government and higher education, among higher education institutions themselves, and among the different actors within the institutions, especially administrators and academics. In doing so, we hope to demonstrate that at all these levels some identical basic processes operate which to a large extent determine the outcomes of governmental policies aimed at changing the higher education system. Time and again the modern state stumbles over the academic system (Clark 1983: 137)     

家庭心理健康教育概论

在整个心理健康教育系统中，家庭心理健康教育是其重要的组成部分。本文从学校心理健康教育的角度，对家庭心理健康教育的目标，任务，原则，内容，策略和途径等基本理论问题作了初步论述，以期教育者和管理者对学校心理健康教育视野中的家庭心理健康教育有了一个基本的了解与认识。     

加快职教两轮并举，促进职业教育发展

教育发展正在进行着由量向质的转化过程。毫无疑问,职业教育更要顺应这种形势对职业教育自身进行重新定位,调整好发展的方向和步骤。当前职业教育出现了有的偏重学历教育,有的偏重职业培训的两种倾向,本文认为应该两者并重,即学历教育与职业培训两轮并举,建立并实施合理的弹性学制和双证制度,是促进职业教育发展的有效途径,也是一种趋势。     

Health and education expansion

In this paper I exploit a reform that expanded UK post-compulsory education during the 1980s and 1990s to examine the effect of education on health. The expansion resulted in a rapid increase in education over the whole education distribution. I find evidence that education had an effect in reducing body mass index, waist circumference and weight. For other health measures (self-reported general health, long term or limiting illnesses), blood pressure and health behaviours (smoking and drinking) there were small to no improvements. There is suggestive evidence that the mechanisms driving these results are improvements in labour market and social status.     

如何在高校体育教学中加强传统保健与养生的教学

随着我国社会经济的持续发展,为教育事业带来了发展的机遇,同时也对教育事业提出了更高的要求。体育教学作为高校教学的重要内容,也逐渐引起了人们的关注,如何提高高校体育教学质量已经成为教育事业发展的热点问题。中国传统保健与养生是我国传统文化的重要组成部分,在培养人们的体魄和意志品质方面有着巨大的作用。本文主要介绍了传统保健与养生的作用,并具体阐述了如何在高校体育教学中加强传统保健与养生的教学。     

A Mixed Methods Investigation of Maternal Perspectives on Transition Experiences in Early Care and Education

ABSTRACT

Research Findings: Strong relationships among children, families, and early care and education (ECE) providers are key to quality infant–toddler care. These relationships are shaped during the initial transition period to group care. We used a mixed methods approach to (a) assess maternal perspectives on the transition to group care, (b) explore mothers’ perceptions of factors that made for easy or difficult transitions, and (c) examine associations between maternal and child characteristics and the ease of the transition. Through qualitative interviews, mothers identified factors that played a role in their child’s transition, including the child’s age, the ECE provider’s support, and the number of transitions the child experienced. For mothers, an easy transition was characterized by ease of child adjustment to group care, comfort with nonparental care and returning to work, and being able to exercise some control over the transition. Quantitative analyses revealed that an easy child transition was associated with younger child age, low maternal distress reactions to child distress, and low child social fearfulness. Higher maternal depressive symptoms and maternal distress reactions to child distress were associated with mothers having a difficult transition. Practice or Policy: Implications of the findings for ECE provider training and ECE policy development related to transitions are discussed.