From 2018 to 2020 I worked to complete a master’s degree program at Westminster College and earned the degree of Master of Arts in Community Leadership. Because of the coronavirus pandemic that started during my final semester, I graduated without completing my thesis project. My thesis research focused on the nature of parenting in Tooele County. My hope was to use the research as a starting point to find ways to optimize the parenting that happens in Tooele County. As a former substitute teacher in the county, I have an interest in improving the lives of children, so this seemed to be one way to help do that.
Since graduating from Westminster College, I continued analyzing the research data I had gathered for my thesis. I then worked for some time on writing a report detailing the research and its findings. All of this additional work that I completed after graduating from Westminster was now on my own and I have made it a project of Lightward Bound.
This research report will now form a starting point for Lightward Bound to work within the community to pursue additional research and work with organizations in Tooele County to make improvements to optimize the parenting that takes place here, for the sake of improving the lives of children–bringing more light into their lives.
While conducting my research, I learned some things I didn’t know before about parenting and parents. I reviewed previous research in the area of parenting and discovered that the “authoritative” style of parenting has been found to be associated with better outcomes for children, based on much research. I also discovered that the parents that participated in my research were truly invested in the well-being of their children.
The report, which I am now making public here, details many things that I found in previous research on parenting. It also details five key findings that I discovered from analyzing the statements of the nine parents who participated in the research.
If you care about children, I hope you’ll take some time to learn something useful from the report that you can use in your dealings with children.
Go to the Lightward Bound Research page to download your copy of the research report.