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1 Unit 8: Teen Parenting Case Study and Variable Institutional Affiliation Student’s Name Instructor’s Name Course Name Date

2 Unit 8: Teen Parenting Case Study and Variable Introduction For some people, becoming a parent is the highest honor and desire. However, being a parent as a teenager is the most challenging situation one could possibly be in. Being a parent involves more than just raising a child as a father or mother; it also involves serving as an example to the child and promoting values like integrity, love, and empathy. Since they are still developing as individuals and as role models, teen parents face issues that are more challenging due to their youth. This condition is quite problematic for both the parent and the child. Teenage parents and their children are at considerable danger both physically and psychologically. Teen parents are at risk from poverty, malnourishment, pregnancy complications, emotional issues like depression, and drug and alcohol abuse. Children are also more likely to experience emotional, cognitive, and physical issues. A kid cannot grow healthy when raised by another kid unless offered the necessary support. Therefore, it is crucial to pinpoint the variables that determine how adolescent moms and their kids fare to recommend interventions that will have a more favorable impact on the physical and mental health of this growing demographic. In this case study, Shine's agency invited teen parents for eight-week parenting classes in urban environments. Shine's programs included adolescent parents, both fathers, and mothers. Additionally, those invited had to have children of any age. Social services agencies, hospitals, schools, and the Department of Children and Family Services referred adolescent parents from urban environments. The classes will teach the teen parents various lessons, including how to embrace parenthood, develop a perfect understanding and awareness of child development, effective communication with their children, strategies to behave compassionately with children, and manage the stress of parenthood.

3 The aim of this program offered by Shine is not directly to support these parents on how to parent their kids effectively but on approaching cultural and socioeconomic issues that come with early childbearing. Most of these teen parents are exposed to the risk of developing stress due to unhappiness, maternal distress, the overwhelming role of being a parent, social isolation, and the burden of caring for the children. Such issues are the ones that Shine agency is targeting. The researchers will consider several variables to determine the effectiveness of the 8- week classes. These variables include stress factors, behavior management, parenting styles, parenting competency, and an understanding of child development. The independent variables of the case study will include the 8-week classes program, information and material utilized to teach these parents, the parent's level of education, and the support system available for these teen parents. On the other hand, the dependent variable will be teen parents' numerous challenges. These include child growth and development knowledge, stress management, and parenting competency. The study uses interviews, questionnaires, observation, and focus groups to study the changes in the dependent variables. While all these were utilized, questionnaires are more common. A few tests are administered at program start-up, and another set is administered upon program completion; this helps monitor the participants' advancement in the program. The requirement was that participants had to commit to the entire eight-week program or at least six of them. The first measurement tool is the Child Development Test (CDT). CDT is a test made by the agency that includes inquiries on essential concepts in parenting education related to child development. The scale for scores is 0-100. The second measurement tool utilized in this case study is Parenting Competence Scale (PCS). PCS is meant to gauge each participant's parental capability. This tool measures perceived confidence on a scale from 10 to 40, with 0 representing

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4 low confidence and 40 representing intense confidence levels. The third tool is Teen Parent Stress Scale (TPSS), which the case study will utilize to measure participants' perceived stress levels. It has a scale that measures a range between 1 and 20, with 20 indicating a high-stress level and 1 indicating a low-stress level. Findings Interpretation and Reporting Since this case study utilizes many variables, the most compelling interpretation method is a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). MANOVA is an extension of ANOVA. An ANOVA is a statistical test that looks for statistical differences in a continuous dependent variable and a set of independent grouping variables. On the other hand, MANOVA utilizes several continuous dependent variables combined into a weighted composite variable or linear combination, broadening the scope of this analysis (Bathke et al., 2018). MANOVA determines whether or not the independent grouping variable simultaneously accounts for a statistically significant amount of variance in the dependent variable. To measure the results obtained from the study, the researchers recorded both pre-test and post-test findings on Child Development Test, Teen Parent Stress Scale, and Parenting Competence Scale. The results obtained from these tests were as follows. The CDT used to measure changes in teen parents' knowledge about child development principles indicated significantly different findings during pre- and post-program periods. Since the participants could participate in the test or decline, male teen parents responded lowly to them. For instance, only one male participated in CDTPre, and only one in CDTpost out of the 13 participating in the study program. The results indicated that the male score before the test was 20%, while after the test was 30%. On the other hand, five females out of 37 decided not to

5 participate in the study before and after the 8-week class program. The MANOVA test indicated . 931 "sig" for the pre-test and .844 for the post-test. When measurements on the CDT, both before and after the test, were conducted, similar results were found. The following teen parents took both pre- and post-test of the CDT: four of those aged 14; seven of those aged 15; 10 of those aged 16; eight of those aged 17, and five of those aged 18. The age category indicated a significant turnout. When the MANOVA test was utilized in these findings, it indicated a .382 significance value on the pre-test and a .633 'sig' on the post-test. Before taking the 8-week class program, CDT indicated that many teen parents needed more knowledge about children's development and growth. It was unique, as most teen parents are sometimes only ready to be parents. However, after the 8-week program, the results of CDT indicated a significant improvement in teen parents' knowledge about children's development and growth. TPSS, which measured the teen parents' perceived stress due to the new responsibility, social pressures, and lack of support, also indicated similar results to the CDT findings in the pre-and post-program period. The results of the TPSS were out of 20 since the scale was running from 1 to 20, with 20 indicating the highest. When considering the male teen parents, only one took part in the TPSS test pre- and post-program. The interpretation using the MANOVA significant values of .655 and .170 for pre- and post-program findings, respectively. The significant value of the MANOVA test between the pre-and post-program findings indicates a huge difference in the perceived level of stress in these parents. Among the female parents, only five of them decided not to take part in the test, but the rest participated. The "sig" of these female teen parents reduced from .721 to .431, indicating how effective the class program was to them.

6 The last text the researchers took before and after the class program was the Parenting Competence Scale (PCS), used to determine how competent these teens were as parents to their children. Similarly, only one male took part in the pre-and post-program PCS test out of 13. The ANOVA results indicated a "sig" value increase from .401 to.467 and from .123 to 0.714 in male and female teen parents. This difference in the significance value between the pre-program findings and post-program results indicates an improvement in parental competency for both genders. Dataset Evaluation The dataset offered before and after the 8-week class program indicates that some have dropped. This is because, in some instances, the pre-program participants are more than the post- program participants. This creates significant challenges in interpretation, as others may come up with different values. Findings also indicate that more female teen parents participated in the study than male teen parents. However, regarding different age categories, participation is approximately equal; there was not much difference. Analysis of Findings and Evaluation The anticipated results were significantly positive depending on the independent variables that the study focused on. As mentioned earlier, even though every parent often undergoes significant challenges after childbearing, teen parents have additional unique challenges that make their new way of life a living hell. For instance, according to Huang et al. (2014), unlike non-parenting teens, those with children are at an elevated risk of dropping out of school, stressing financially, having adverse mental health outcomes, and going through

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7 parenting-related stress. These issues hinder their daily activities, making them start operating differently from their peers. Before taking the teen parents through the 8-week class program, Shine agency recognized that most of them lack the competency to be parents to their children; numerous studies can affirm this. For instance, Ryan-Krause et al. (2009) note that some important determinants of parenting skills include education, age, economics, value systems, and individual life experience. Teens tend to be less competent in caring for their parents because most are young and need these determinants. Other studies also indicate that the lack of these competencies has a significant impact on children. The Urban Child Institute notes that adolescent parenting is one of the main risk factors for early childhood development. Teen parenting will likely have negative social and emotional repercussions and other impacts on children. A baby born to a teenage mother will probably struggle to develop cognitive and verbal abilities and emotional and social abilities, including self-control and self-assurance (How Adolescent Parenting Affects Children, Families, and Communities, 2014). These skills are crucial for preparing for school and starting to emerge in infancy; this explains why Shine agency prompted to offer an eight-week class program for teen parents. Upon completion of the study, the program was expected to produce a greater understanding of child development, a greater sense of parenting competence, a decrease in reported stress levels, and beliefs that favor utilizing compassionate behavior control techniques rather than physical punishment in teen parents. According to the MANOVA test, findings from the pre-test and post-test gave significant outcomes. The agency-created test, which includes questions about fundamental concepts of child development covered in parenting programs, yields scores between 0 and 100 for the variable of increasing knowledge of child involvement.

8 The findings generally indicated that parental learning considerably improved due to the child development principles taught in class. For instance, before the 8-week class program, the teen parents had less knowledge about the development principles in kids, but due to the program, they gained much knowledge, hence the higher scores during the post-program test. The Teen Parent Stress Scale (TPSS), used to measure the perceived stress level of teen parents, also offered the anticipated outcomes. The test had a scale from 1 to 20, with 20 indicating the highest stress level. Before the program began, many teen parents indicated high levels of perceived stress. The teens were stressed about their new responsibilities as parents, lack of social support, and change in their way of living, as it became different from their colleagues who do not have children yet. However, after the 8-week class program, these parents' perceived stress levels reduced significantly. The program offered these parents the necessary knowledge to deal with the changes they are experiencing as new parents and how to continue their lives more meaningfully. The last instrument used in the study was the Parenting Competence Scale (PCS), which was used to measure how competent the teens were as parents to their children. In this test, the study asked the teens how they cared for their children and the numerous ways they thought were right for them. PCS has a scale ranging between 10 and 40, with the highest level of competence being 40 and the lowest 10. The score on the scale increased directly as the teens went through the 8-week class program. For instance, before the program began, most of the teen parents in the study recorded low parental competence levels. However, upon completion, a higher percentage showed a significant increase in competence. The implication of the study

9 The study examined whether offering adolescents an eight-week program would help change their insight on parenting and help them continue their lives more healthily after. The findings from the measurements obtained by the three tools and the MANOVA method are statistically significant. It is clear from the findings that the educational program helped the teen parents improve various skills concerning being new parents. One practical significance of the proposed research is that it offers necessary empirical information on the impact of education on child development awareness, enhanced parenting abilities, decreased recorded stress levels, and attitudes in accordance with kind behavioral intervention strategies rather than physical punishment among teen parents. With this information, scholars and researchers will have the opportunity to conduct future studies and determine how best teen parents can be helped to avoid the additional "unique" challenges they experience, unlike adult parents. Researchers will base their studies on these findings and expand on them to increase understanding. Limitations This study has been a success and has proved four hypotheses: 8-week programs improve teen parents' parental competence; improve understanding of children's growth and development; reduce perceived stress levels; and enhance effective behavioral interventions in teen parents. However, it has some limitations that might have affected the findings and should be avoided in the future. The first limitation is attrition. According to Bhandari (2021), attrition in research studies is the gradual withdrawal of participants. A certain amount of dropout will almost always occur in longitudinal research, negatively affecting the overall outcome. Even though the findings of this case study did not have many defects, the researchers had to utilize the participants that remained in the 8-week class program till the end. To avoid this limitation in the future, researchers should ensure that all participants tested during the beginning of the study

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10 should sign an agreement only to leave it once it is over. They should only be included in the study if they promise that. Another limitation of this study is that there needed to be controlled for comparison. Control groups aid in ensuring a study's internal validity. In their treatment group, the study's dependent variable could change over time. With a control group, it is easier to determine whether the change resulted from the intervention (Malay & Chung, 2012). In future research, a control group should be introduced. Additionally, the study’s internal validity may also have been affected by the need for more sampling methodologies. Researchers should consider selecting participants with detailed inclusion and exclusion criteria in future studies. Recommendations Since the findings of this study indicate that the 8-week class program was effective in helping teen parents address the numerous challenges they are encountering due to early parenthood, such classes should be implemented in states and nations with a higher percentage of teen parents. While continuing with the programs, more information and resources should be incorporated to help teen parents get more from the classes. More resources will mean reaching as many teen parents as possible and making significant societal changes. For instance, from the findings of this study, the percentage of teen parents competent in parenting increased after the 8- week class program. According to the ANOVA results, the "sig" values of male and female teen parents, respectively, increased from .401 to .467 and from .123 to 0.714. The significant value difference between the pre-and post-program findings and outcomes shows that parental competency has improved for both sexes. Another recommendation is a contract to every participant agreeing not to leave the study before the final measurements are conducted; this will ensure that the program is valid from the beginning to the end. The other suggestion is that researchers create a control group to contrast

11 with the experimental group. By doing so, they will be able to determine whether the program's effectiveness in raising parents who were more competent was a direct result of it. The participants should also be interviewed as this would have improved the validity of the data, according to the other recommendation.

12 References Bathke, A. C., Friedrich, S., Pauly, M., Konietschke, F., Staffen, W., Strobl, N., & Höller, a. Y. (2018). Testing mean differences among groups: multivariate and repeated measures analysis with minimal assumptions. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 53 (3), 348-359. Bhandari, P. (2021, November 1). Attrition Bias | Examples, Explanation, Prevention . Retrieved from Scribbr: https://www.scribbr.com/research-bias/attrition-bias/ How Adolescent Parenting Affects Children, Families, and Communities . (2014, February 27). Retrieved from The Urban Child Institute: http://www.urbanchildinstitute.org/articles/editorials/how-adolescent-parenting-affects- children-families-and-communities Huang, C. Y., Costeines, J., Kaufman, J. S., & Ayala, a. C. (2014). Parenting stress, social support, and depression for ethnic minority adolescent mothers: Impact on child development. Journal of child and family studies, 23 , 255-262. Malay, S., & Chung, a. K. (2012). The choice of controls for providing validity and evidence in clinical research. Plastic and reconstructive surgery, 130 (4), 959. Ryan-Krause, P., Meadows-Oliver, M., Sadler, L., & Swartz, a. M. (2009). Developmental status of children of teen mothers: Contrasting objective assessments with maternal reports. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 23 (5), 303-309

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