Evaluation of an experiential program for parents: Educators as agents of change

Abstract

In experiential parents training programs, such as "Building the everyday", the role of the person who is responsible for the group is crucial. Furthermore, the trainer/educator who implements it, is seen as an agent of change. In this article, emphasis is placed on the importance of the trainer, and illustrates this idea with the results obtained in the implementation of the training program. This took place in the academic year 2010/2011 in four schools of Pre-school and Primary Education in the Principality of Asturias. Thirty four people participated in the study (16 pairs of nuclear families and two single parent families), as well as 8 trainers (2 people in each school). Quantitative and qualitative evaluation results obtained from the educators show that the program has been effective for its participants, and that changes have been noticed in all the families. These trainers' perceptions are essential to understand the development of the program, and they are also a basic tool to regulate the emotional climate and the motivational aspects of the group.