A Qualitative Evaluation of Family Life Educators Jessica Troilo, Ph.D.

Purpose To identify what FLEs believe are essential behaviors, challenges, and outcomes of their roles as FLEs. To understand how the identified behaviors and outcomes relate to the National Extension Parenting Educators’ Framework (NEPEF). College or Department Name

Method Participants Procedure Analysis 53 mostly female (84%) and Caucasian (94%) FLEs, who teach a variety of family life education courses Procedure Open-ended interview questions Analysis Grounded Theory College or Department Name

Results: Centralized FLE Identity The Effective FLE Teaching Effectively (N = 53) Using and Extending the Reach of Quality Programs (N = 53) Collaborating with Others (N = 48) Connecting with Parents (N = 36) College or Department Name

Results: Challenges to Identity Challenges interrupted the Effective FLE Identity Challenges to Programs (N = 43) Challenges to Attendance (N = 32) Challenges to FLE Self-Efficacy (N = 21) Challenges to Collaborations (N = 8) College or Department Name

Results: Outcomes of Identity The Effective FLE Identity helped obtain desired outcomes: Parents Learned, Retained Information (N = 50) Positive Feedback about Courses (N = 50) Requests for Future Programming (N = 38) Behavior Change (N = 28) College or Department Name

Implications The Effective FLE Identity and its Outcomes follow NEPEF. Effective FLE Identities require: Teaching Effectively, and Using and Extending the Reach of Quality Programs These skills should be encouraged Effective FLE Identities allow for positive outcomes in audience College or Department Name

Questions How do/can FLEs overcome challenges? How can seasoned FLEs better help new FLEs learn how to take on the Effective FLE Identity? College or Department Name