Novice parent educators’ experience facing unexpected interactions while facilitating group parent education.

Abstract

This thesis describes and explores the lived experience of novice parent educators as they face unexpected interactions while facilitating group parent education. The study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach to conduct and analyze unstructured interviews with five novice parent educators. The analysis generated meaning constituents of (a) being surprised by the unexpected, (b) struggling to hide my reactions, (c) pressure to respond but I don’t know how, and (d) needing to balance educating with protecting the individual and the group. Links between participant descriptions and literature concerning facing unexpected interactions, being a novice educator, and facilitating adult education are discussed. Implications are explored for the field of parent education in general and parent educator preparation in particular, and for further research.