Independent Evaluation
This external evaluation was commissioned by the manager of the project, with funding from Bridge House Trust, in order to identify the project’s strengths and to make recommendations for its improvement. It was carried out by Judy Corlyon, a Principal Research Fellow, who is also a founder and co-ordinator of the National Teenage Parent Research and Practice Group. The evaluation used qualitative methods to elicit the views of providers, beneficiaries and stakeholders: this method was chosen in view of the fact that a substantial amount of quantitative (as well as some qualitative) data were already being collected from questionnaires administered to pupils at the beginning and end of each course1. Interviews were carried out with: the manager of the project; a trustee; four members of teaching staff in schools where the course is delivered; 21 pupils of mixed ability who had received the course; and nine young mothers responsible for delivering the course.
A brief evaluation such as this which focuses on one point in time does not enable a judgement to be made on whether an intervention reduces the propensity of teenagers to have children. That can only be achieved through a longitudinal study which takes account of other factors in the lives of teenagers that may also have a bearing on whether they do or do not become pregnant. However, what it can do is: explore the efficacy of the intervention in informing young people about the reality of being a teenage parent and in counteracting some of the myths about having children when young; identify the benefits and drawbacks of the intervention; and explore how it fits within current Government policy.
Main findings
By presenting the facts about teenage parenthood in a manner that is both enjoyable and educational, Straight Talking is effective in its aim of informing young people about the adverse consequences of teenage pregnancy experienced by the majority of young women.
Pupils are able to display vivid recall of its elements, indicating that the information has been retained.
A key factor in its effectiveness is the delivery by young parents. Both pupils and teaching staff considered that the same message, delivered by someone who was not a young parent, would not be absorbed.
A further factor in the course’s success is its content. It provides what one young mother described as ‘a life lesson’ – information not only about pregnancy and parenthood but also about the practical, financial and emotional responsibilities of adult life which is typically not accessible to teenagers elsewhere. This is an element of the intervention which might be extended to other aspects of young people’s education, notably within the citizenship agenda.
Although certain key components are always included in a course, the manual on which it is based is sufficiently comprehensive to allow young parents to deliver those elements of it which they consider are best suited to their own style of delivery and to the ability of the class. This flexibility is advantageous in that it indicates an element of trust in the young parents to ensure that the course is delivered as effectively as possible. There is, however, a danger that the course integrity may be jeopardised and this may be a matter for consideration by the management. More recently, however, a meeting now takes place before each course begins to ensure that it will include those elements which the teaching staff identify as being most helpful to that particular class.
In this sample, pupils of both sexes appreciated the fact that those delivering the course were mothers, young and female. Although the management makes considerable efforts to involve young fathers as peer educators – and has some limited success - this stated preference should help alleviate management anxieties about the difficulty in recruiting young fathers to the project.
The language used in the course may need to be adapted for less able pupils who, according to teaching staff, are apt to struggle with the technical terms associated with pregnancy.
There is no evidence that pupils are confused by the fact that a course informing them that teenage parenthood is difficult and should be avoided is delivered by young mothers who are clearly confident, competent and who themselves challenge the view that having a child when young marks a point of no return. They trust the integrity of the young mothers’ accounts of how difficult their life has been as a result of having a child at a young age.
The benefits to the young mothers delivering the course are manifold. Chief among these, according to their accounts, was the improvement in their level of confidence and the increase in their self-esteem. This derived from their ability to present themselves to a class of teenagers, talk about themselves, deliver the course and hold the pupils’ attention throughout. This, in turn, had made them more self-assured in other spheres of their lives such as dealing with authority figures. An additional bonus was the increase in their confidence vis-a-vis their own situation. Where previously they might have been defensive about being a teenage mother, they had come to realise that they had, in fact, achieved a considerable amount in typically difficult circumstances.
Other significant benefits reported by the young mothers were: the confidence and inclination to engage in other employment or in education or training; the availability of a reference from the project to assist them to do so; an increase in their knowledge and skills base; the amelioration of isolation; new social contacts; and financial gain. Talking as equals to teachers may break down barriers to their going back education.
The selection process of the young mothers is currently somewhat loose and although the training (which itself appears rigorous) eliminates those unsuited to the task, management might wish to consider a more formal selection process. This would not only enhance its reputation for delivering a high quality product with suitable staff but would have the added advantage of introducing those young mothers who had not previously been in employment to the process of recruitment.
There is currently some debate about the appropriateness and effectiveness of peer education. Rather than going down the route of justifying the role of the young mothers (the so-called peer educators) in delivering one element of the course, we would argue that here the term is a misnomer. By definition peer educators are approximately the same age as those whom they seek to educate. This was not the case here: no young mothers in the sample were in the 14 to 15 age group and some were almost ten years older: the youngest were 19 but the majority were turned 20. Even those who had been active in the project for some years were some 3 to 4 years older than the pupils when they began as peer educators. Exceptionally, mothers in the younger age group are involved but nevertheless management may wish to consider an alternative job title for these young parents.
Conclusions
The outstanding aspect of Straight Talking is the extent to which it fits with Government policy around teenage pregnancy and parenthood. This has the twin 7 aims of reducing the rate of teenage pregnancies and supporting young parents. In common with other welfare initiatives, and especially those such as New Deal, support is largely defined as helping mothers to (re-)enter education and employment. This is precisely what the project does by employing young mothers to deliver its course. The number who currently benefit is small but the potential for expansion is great. At the same time, the project works towards reducing the number of young people who do become parents. Notwithstanding the impossibility of unequivocally supporting this claim, it is clear that the project is effective in delivering its message to young people and, when provided alongside sex and relationship education, could be highly advantageous in the drive to reduce teenage pregnancies. There are many reasons why teenagers become pregnant, ranging from deliberate choice to lack of information about sex and contraception. No single intervention is likely to be able to address them all but a combination of methods stands the most chance in succeeding.
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