Pychology of Parenting
Institution:
University of ZagrebCountry:
CroatiaDiscipline:
PsychologyLevel:
MADuration & intensity:
Semester-courseNumber of students:
20Societal need addressed
Need for accessible, evidence-based support for parents across different developmental stages and family contexts, including
- challenges related to parenting competence
- understanding child development
- navigating transitions (e.g. becoming a parent)
- responding to specific circumstances such as single parenting, parenting children with atypical development, or adolescence-related difficulties
Key competences for Democratic Culture
- Empathy
- Openness to cultural otherness and to other believes, world views and practices
- Co-operation skills
About the course
In Psychology of Parenting, graduate psychology students explore theories and research findings on parenting while applying this academic knowledge, together with knowledge and skills from other areas of psychology acquired during their studies, to design and implement projects addressing the needs of parents in diverse real-life contexts and at different stages of parenting. The theoretical topics covered in the course include parenting dimensions and styles, self-perceptions of parenting, coparenting, determinants of parenting, parenting motivation, stages of parenting, parenting in specific contexts, and parenting in a digital world.
Students’ service-learning projects are co-created with community partners who support diverse groups of parents, such as parents of prematurely born children, parents of children with developmental disabilities, and parents of gifted children. In designing and implementing these projects, students work in teams under the supervision of psychologists employed by community organizations supporting parents. Student projects begin by identifying parents’ needs, followed by designing and implementing interventions to address those needs, evaluating their effects, and preparing a report on the project as a whole. The course typically concludes with students presenting their projects to their colleagues, community partners, and other stakeholders in the community.
Student projects vary from developing educational materials for parents (e.g., leaflets, brochures, website posts, website articles), to delivering psychoeducational lectures and workshops, to conducting qualitative and quantitative research on parenting in different settings, analyzing empirical data, writing research reports, and presenting research findings to relevant community stakeholders. In addressing parents’ needs and providing support, students are encouraged to approach parenting from a relationship perspective, taking into account the needs and rights of both parents and children.
How are Competences for Democratic Culture developed?
By combining academic and experiential learning, students develop greater sensitivity to the demands of parenting in the contemporary world and greater empathy toward particularly vulnerable groups of parents. They also deepen their understanding of cultural and individual differences in parenting, as well as social policies concerning parents and families. In addition, the course enhances students’ analytical and critical thinking, autonomous learning, project development, evaluation and implementation skills, teamwork and cooperation, problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills, communication and presentation skills, flexibility and adaptability, civic responsibility, and self-efficacy.
Direct contact between students and parents of children with developmental difficulties offered far more than just academic knowledge: it was a heartfelt opportunity to build professional confidence and ignite a genuine passion for sparking change in the community - an opportunity our students embraced with open arms. Supported by their mentors, they learned how to overcome obstacles as a team and navigate project tasks on their own. Through honest reflection in their learning journals, they turned their fear of failure into valuable lessons and challenges into strengths, leaving them feeling deeply prepared and empowered for everything ahead in their future careers.
Our knowledge only gains its full meaning when used to help others, even through the smallest acts.
University-Community Partnership
Community partners involved
- kindergartens
- schools
- counselling centres
- NGOs working with families
social welfare institutions supporting parents and children
Co-definition of the social need
Community needs are identified through analysis of current research in parenting psychology and through consultation with community partners who work directly with families and children.
Reciprocity & partner role
Students design projects addressing parental support, while partners provide contextual knowledge, access to target groups, and evaluation input. This ensures that interventions are both theoretically sound and practically relevant. Partners provide real-world insight into parenting challenges, define target groups, and give feedback on student-designed interventions.
Pedagogical design
Curriculum integration
Service-learning is integrated as a central pedagogical component of the elective MA course “Psychology of Parenting” in the Master in Psychology.
Learning objectives
- Apply theoretical models and empirical findings in parenting psychology to real-life contexts
- Design, implement, and evaluate preventive and intervention programs for parents
- Analyse parenting across developmental phases (infancy to adulthood) and diverse family contexts
- Critically evaluate interactions between parent, child, and contextual determinants
- Promote child well-being by aligning parental support with the child’s rights and best interests
Service & learning activities
Service activities:
- Identifying parenting-related needs in specific community contexts
- Designing evidence-based programs (e.g. workshops, educational materials, support sessions)
- Tailoring interventions to specific developmental phases (infant, preschool, school-age, adolescent)
- Addressing diverse parenting contexts (e.g. single parents, adoptive families, parents of children with atypical development)
- Implementing and evaluating interventions in collaboration with partners
Learning activities:
- Lectures on models of parental influence and determinants of parenting behavior, parenting across developmental stages, assessment of parenting practices and self-perceptions. preventive and intervention approaches
- Seminar discussions and case analysis
- Project-based teamwork focused on intervention design
- Meetings with community partners
- Development and implementation of service-learning projects
- Reflection through structured student journals
Active role of the student
Students select target groups (e.g. parents of adolescents, first-time parents), design intervention programs, and decide on implementation strategies based on theoretical grounding and partner input.
Reflection
Reflection helps students critically analyse their project work, evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions, understand complex parent–child–context dynamics, and refine their professional approach. It takes place before, during, and after the service activity.
Assessment
- Service-learning component (journals and project reports): evaluation of project design, implementation, and outcomes
- Written and oral exam: assessment of theoretical knowledge and understanding of research in parenting psychology
Competences for democratic culture
Competences for democratic culture
Values
- Valuing human dignity and human rights
Attitudes
- Openness to cultural otherness and to other beliefs, world views and practices
- Civic-mindedness
- Responsibility
- Self-efficacy
Skills
- Analytical and critical thinking skills
- Autonomous learning skills
- Co-operation skills
- Conflict-resolution skills
- Empathy
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Linguistic, communicative and plurilingual skills
How are competences for democratic culture developed?
Through engagement with real parenting challenges, students learn to balance parental needs with children’s rights, understand diversity in family structures, and critically reflect on how social contexts shape parenting practices. By combining academic and experiential learning, students develop greater sensitivity to the demands of parenting in the contemporary world and greater empathy toward particularly vulnerable groups of parents. They also deepen their understanding of cultural and individual differences in parenting, as well as social policies concerning parents and families.
Outcomes & impact
Learning outcomes for students
Knowledge and understanding
- Advanced understanding of parenting theories, models, and research findings
- Insight into parenting across developmental stages and contexts
Cognitive and analytical skills
- Ability to analyse determinants of parenting behaviour (parent, child, context)
- Ability to critically evaluate parenting interventions
Practical and professional skills
- Designing and implementing evidence-based programs
- Evaluating intervention outcomes
- Communicating with parents and professionals
Civic and ethical competencies
- Commitment to child well-being and rights
- Sensitivity to diverse family contexts
- Ethical responsibility in working with families
Community impact
- Increased availability of evidence-based support for parents
- Improved awareness of parenting challenges and developmental needs
- Strengthened collaboration between academic psychology and community services
Challenges & conditions for success
Challenges
- Limited time for project implementation within one semester
- Sensitivity of working with parents and family issues
- Translating complex research findings into accessible interventions
- Variability in partner engagement and access to target groups
Conditions for success
- Strong partnerships with organizations working with families.
- Structured mentoring in intervention desig
- Alignment between theoretical content and applied project work
- Ethical safeguards when working with parents and children
- Clear alignment between course learning objectives and community needs