Comparative Study of Parenting Education Curricula in Selected Countries: Lessons for the Educational System of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Student in Curriculum, Department of education, Faculty of Education and Psychology,University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

2 Associate Professor of Curriculum, Department of education, Faculty of Education and psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

3 Professor. Department of Counseling, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

10.30471/edu.2025.10957.3030

Abstract

Extended Abstract
 
Introduction and Objectives: Today’s demands have led to the simultaneous pursuit of parenting education through the fields of andragogy (adult education) and pedagogy (the science and art of parenting). In some countries, not only have family-centered, community-based, or media-centered parenting education opportunities not been neglected, but these resources have been developed within the framework of a school-centered curriculum. In a study conducted by Merin (2018) titled “Review and Evaluation of Parenting Education,” the effectiveness of the educational platform in achieving the program’s goals and in accordance with the needs of parents and children has been examined.
Another study titled “Providing parenting education to teenagers: a culturally comprehensive program” was conducted in 2019 by Colbert at the University of California, which provided culturally appropriate parenting information to teenagers. This curriculum was presented to learners through various modules over the course of one academic year by social workers, parent education trainers, and school counselors. The content included infant and toddler development, parenting styles, safety issues, establishing healthy relationships, the importance of fathers’ roles, life skills, discipline, cultural expectations surrounding parenting, adverse childhood experiences, resilience, and self-care.
Studying the curricula of different countries is considered necessary because it follows a thoughtful, systematic, and diligent approach to developing parenting competencies. It can provide comprehensive information in the field of parenting education to curriculum developers in our country. The opportunity to draw on the experiences of other countries in accordance with religious beliefs, social norms, and Iranian-Islamic cultural values can help achieve goals in the face of competitive demands, given the constraints of time and resources. Because the quality of existing curricula in the field of parenting education varies across different countries, and there is no single formula for developing a desirable educational program, familiarity with this field can help inform the development of a parenting education curriculum in Iran by examining and comparing practical and executive solutions. The present study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of parenting education curricula in Canada (British Columbia and Ontario), Scotland, the United States (Virginia, Illinois, and Michigan), and Jamaica, drawing on the experiences of these countries.
Methodology: The approach employed in the present study is qualitative and comparative, utilizing a descriptive-analytical method of a documentary nature. The selection of countries was based on a purposive sampling technique, focusing on leading and successful countries in this field that had more comprehensive documents available. The parenting education curricula of these countries were extracted and analyzed accordingly. The required data to address the research question were collected through the review of research reports and documents available on the educational websites of the selected countries, as well as searches in domestic databases such as the Comprehensive Humanities Portal, the Jihad Daneshgahi Scientific Information Database, and international databases including ERIC, ScienceDirect, Springer, Taylor & Francis, Sage, Wiley, and ProQuest.
The framework employed in this study is George Bereday’s model, which consists of four stages: description, interpretation, juxtaposition, and comparison (Wahlström, Alvunger, & Wermke, 2018). Structured parenting education documents containing clear elements such as objectives, detailed content, explicit teaching-learning activities, and evaluation guidelines were selected and described, After the juxtaposition stage, the similarities and differences among the parenting education curricula of the mentioned countries were critically evaluated and analysed.
To ensure validity, the criteria proposed by Roya and Prati (2003) were employed, along with structured processes for data recording, writing, and interpretation. For reliability estimation, Scott’s method (2012) was applied, wherein the coding checklist was provided to five experts, resulting in an inter-rater agreement coefficient of 85%, which was confirmed and accepted.
Findings: The reality is that there is a great deal of variation in what individuals do in their role as parents across cultures, and an understanding of culturally informed parenting practices is beneficial in determining curriculum elements. For example, qualitative studies of American families have shown that parents’ descriptions of desirable child characteristics often focus on respect and obedience. For this reason, respectful interactions, the development of positive self-concepts, and respect for others, as well as the use of participatory and respectful negotiation techniques, have been emphasized in American parenting curricula. In Canada, parenting curricula have also been designed to leverage students’ cultural capital, aiming to have the most significant impact on their thoughts and behaviours. There is also a demand for accessible services tailored to the needs, ages, and circumstances of families across Scotland; therefore, an appreciation of cultural diversity has been given attention in the area of childcare in Scotland. Parenting education in Jamaica has considered flexibility in selecting and determining topics, as well as using topics and examples relevant to the local context of students. Curriculum developers can provide culturally appropriate and effective interventions for Iranian students by recognizing and respecting their religious, moral, and spiritual beliefs in the field of parenting education, thereby promoting Islamic ideals. Given the assumption that Islam is not only a religion but also a way of life (Ayatollahi, 2013), it has a pivotal role in shaping core values regarding family life. Therefore, parenting education in accordance with the Islamic perspective does not mean education in accordance with global trends, but rather preparing learners to remain faithful to the fact that God is the primary caretaker and nurturer of children and that parents, as facilitators of the path of upbringing, can achieve the best results by fulfilling their duties and seeking God’s help and grace (Fitriyah & Maksum, 2023). Additionally, this curriculum emphasizes the preservation of human dignity and the child’s pure divine nature. Using the experiences of other countries in the field of parenting education and trying to overcome the weaknesses of traditional, standard, and partial parenting models, along with benefiting from the holistic guidelines of the religion of Islam, can be considered highly valuable in developing the parenting education curriculum of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Hermawan et al., 2023).
Discussion and Conclusion: According to the study’s results, adapting the content to the age and developmental stage of students is considered essential. In most areas, content support, timely presentation of content, and standardized and controlled presentation of educational content have been considered the main features of parenting education curricula. It is also recommended to pay attention to the importance of motherhood and wifely duties from the perspective of Islam, to mention the characteristics, duties and management of successful women in the family, to the importance of recognizing the temperament of family members and to prepare appropriate and healthy food according to the model of Islamic medicine (Bagheri, Latifi, & Abdollahi, 2021).
Paying attention to the importance of effort and its impact on all aspects of life, including raising children and contemplating the afterlife, can help foster a monotheistic generation and children’s aspiration for excellence (Haghshenas, Janbozorgi, Arab-Pour, 2025). The revision of curricula at different levels in accordance with the results of this research and in line with Iranian Islamic culture, so that they cover the necessary components for parenting education, is one of the suggestions of the present study. It is also recommended to collect up-to-date information about a wide range of parenting education programs in the educational systems of other countries, which will help policymakers and education experts in Iran choose the appropriate curriculum.

Keywords


منابع
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