This study focused on effectiveness of the developed program by developing a family life education program for improving family functions in grandparents rising grandchildren, and then executing it directly. The study was aimed to improve family func...
This study focused on effectiveness of the developed program by developing a family life education program for improving family functions in grandparents rising grandchildren, and then executing it directly. The study was aimed to improve family function by making emotional supports, intimacy, communication, and forming family regulations. For this purpose, the study set up following 2 research matters largely. First, was the experiment group improved in family function through the family life education program? Second, if there was effectiveness after executing the program, was it persisted?
For dealing with the above research matters, this study composed an experiment group objecting to 8 grandparents and 8 grandchildren who wanted to participate in this research at ○○ Welfare Center located in Guro-gu, Seoul, and also set up an control group of 8 grandparents and 8 grandchildren who were similar to characteristics of the experiment group. The program was composed of total 7 sessions with 90~120 minutes per section, and made a principle of attending from grandparents and grandchildren together in all programs exempting 2 and 3 sessions. This program was carried out with activity-oriented education, not book-centered one together with practical explanations by considering a fact that grandparents had difficulty in understanding the Korean alphabet along with age’s differences in education participants, and tasks were given so as to utilize it in real life centering on the acquired contents.
In order to investigate effectiveness of the program, the study used 2 methods such as quantity analysis and quality one. For quantity analysis, this study checked differences of family functions between the experiment group participated in this program and control group who did not participate in by using ‘Korean-style family function scale of Choi Hui-jin․Yu Yeong-ju (2003), and then investigated on the effectiveness persistence of the program through pre-post additional tests in case of experiment group. Besides, the study backed up quantity analysis through quality one such like program process’ notes, interviews by sessions, additional in-depth interviews.
Research results of this study were same as followings.
First, as a result of executing Mann Whitney U-Test, nonparametric statistic method, so as to compare the experiment group having participated in the family life education program and control one, experiment group of grandparents and grandchildren showed significant elevation statistically (p<0.05) than pre-participation when looking into pre-post family functions, and the control group was not significant in pre-post family function’s changes in statistics. However, there was significant elevation in emotional supports and communication scope at grandparents experiment group, and only communication at grandchildren (p<0.05) from low-ranking scopes.
Second, as a result of analyzing persistence of the program through pre-post additional tests on the experiment group through Wilcoxon signed-Ranks Test, experiment groups of grandparents and grandchildren showed significant results statistically (p<0.001). Through this result, educational effects of the program were confirmed as being displayed continuously, not temporary.
Third, as a result of doing interviews by sessions and additional in-depth ones to the experiment group, it could be known that new viewpoints on family were found out and affections on each other were able to be confirmed. It could be known that emotional supports were increased and intimacy was improved in the report of experiment group through the quality analysis, even though it was not significant in the quantity analysis. Besides, the fact that family member having similar conditions lived together became consolation each other, and gave opportunities of encouraging forces because of occurred group dynamics.
With bases of this study, propositions for forthcoming researches are same as followings.
First, there may be unreasonableness in generalizing the program’s effects owing to little cases because this study executed the program objecting to 16 grandparents rising grandchildren, and then analyzed its results. So, if repeatedly analyzing it after executing to a lot of grandparents rising grandchildren in order to overcome this limitation, it will be more useful in generalizing effects of the program.
Second, there is a limitation in same person’s roles as educator and researcher. Therefore, in order to supplement this matter, it is considered as good methods to equip with educator and researcher separately, or utilize assistants in project process and research.
Third, family life educational programs tend to be insufficient very much because researches on grandparents rising grandchildren in our country have not active till now. In that sense, program developments on various parts that have to be made afterwards are required, objecting to grandparents such as educations that can give helps to parenting, managing methods of stress and troubles, communication education, health controls, and economic management. Also, group consulting and educational programs dealing with negative feelings on parents, overcoming methods of generation gaps with grandparents, and elevation programs of self-esteem etc. seem to be developed for grandchildren.