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Impact of Parenting Education on Positive Parenting Practices among Parents of Under-Five Children in Nigeria

Abstract

Positive parenting is an important component of early childhood development because the quality of interactions between parents and young children may influence children's emotional, social, cognitive, behavioural, and overall development. Parents of children under five years in Nigeria may face challenges in adopting positive parenting practices because of limited parenting knowledge, traditional child-rearing beliefs, socioeconomic pressures, parental stress, limited access to parenting resources, and reliance on punitive disciplinary approaches. Parenting education provides an opportunity to improve parents' understanding of child development and promote supportive, responsive, non-violent, and developmentally appropriate approaches to raising young children. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of parenting education on positive parenting practices among parents of under-five children in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on Social Cognitive Theory, Ecological Systems Theory, and the Health Belief Model. Social Cognitive Theory explains how observational learning, behavioural modelling, parental self-efficacy, reinforcement, and social support may influence parents' adoption of positive parenting practices. Ecological Systems Theory emphasizes the influence of family relationships, community environments, socioeconomic circumstances, cultural practices, childcare settings, and broader social systems on parenting behaviours. The Health Belief Model provides a framework for understanding how parents' perceptions of the importance of positive parenting, perceived benefits of supportive practices, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and cues to action may influence their parenting decisions. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how parenting education may influence positive parenting practices among parents of under-five children in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise parents or primary caregivers of children aged 0–59 months residing in selected urban, semi-urban, and rural communities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, local government areas, communities, households, primary healthcare centres, and eligible parents. Parenting education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to parenting education sessions, frequency and duration of education, information on child development, responsive communication, emotional support, positive reinforcement, play and learning, non-violent discipline, setting age-appropriate boundaries, active listening, parent-child interaction, management of challenging behaviour, child safety, recognition of developmental needs, and appropriate healthcare-seeking for children. Positive parenting practices will be assessed using indicators such as responsive communication, affection and emotional support, praise and positive reinforcement, interactive play, age-appropriate discipline, avoidance of physical and harsh punishment, consistent household rules, active listening, encouragement of children's participation, appropriate supervision, constructive management of challenging behaviour, and provision of a safe and supportive home environment. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, standardized positive-parenting assessment tools, parenting-practice scales, scenario-based questions, observation checklists where appropriate, and pre-test and post-test assessments where a quasi-experimental intervention is adopted. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize parents' demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, child characteristics, parenting knowledge, sources of parenting information, and positive parenting practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, paired and independent t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the impact of parenting education on positive parenting practices. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, positive parenting practice scores before and after the educational intervention may be compared with those of a comparison group to determine changes associated with the intervention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that parenting education has a significant positive impact on positive parenting practices among parents of under-five children in Nigeria. Parents exposed to structured, practical, evidence-based, culturally appropriate, and participatory parenting education are expected to demonstrate greater use of supportive and non-violent parenting practices than parents without comparable exposure. Education may improve parents' understanding of children's developmental needs and strengthen their ability to communicate effectively, provide emotional support, use positive reinforcement, establish appropriate boundaries, engage children in play and learning, and manage challenging behaviour without harmful punishment. It may also improve parents' confidence in responding to common childhood behavioural and developmental challenges. However, parental stress, financial difficulties, cultural expectations, household workload, limited access to parenting resources, family influence, and deeply established disciplinary practices may reduce the effectiveness of education alone. The study therefore expects accessible, practical, culturally sensitive, sustained, and community-based parenting education to contribute significantly to improved positive parenting practices among parents of under-five children in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on positive parenting, parenting education, early childhood development, child protection, responsive caregiving, child health, family health, non-violent discipline, parental practices, health education, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, state ministries of health and education, primary healthcare centres, child-development centres, schools, healthcare professionals, community health workers, child-protection organizations, development partners, parents, and policymakers regarding strategies for strengthening positive parenting and early childhood wellbeing. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating parenting education into maternal and child-health services, strengthening community-based parenting programmes, promoting non-violent discipline, improving parental access to practical child-development resources, strengthening early childhood support systems, and developing sustainable interventions that promote responsive and supportive parenting practices among families with young children across Nigeria.

Keywords: Parenting education, positive parenting practices, parents, under-five children, responsive caregiving, non-violent discipline, child development, parenting practices, child health, health education, Nigeria, public health.