Understanding the experience of teenage parents: An empirical examination of attitudes and expectations among education professionals

Approximately 10% of all adolescents between 15-19 years old in the United States become pregnant, with about half of these pregnancies resulting in birth. Several variables have been correlated with long-term outcomes for teenage mothers, including poor academic achievement, lower occupational attainment, poor mental health, and socioeconomic hardship. Social support is one factor that moderates these outcomes. This study employed the use of written vignettes to examine differences in expectations for success (educational, economic, and psychological) that educational professionals have for teenage mothers and non-mother adolescents (N=145). Vignettes were varied according to levels of social support and parenting status, with current grades, race, gender, age, and socioeconomic status held constant. Expectations for future educational achievement, economic success, and psychological well-being were rated according to information provided in the vignettes using the Expectations Rating Scale, which was developed for the purpose of this study. Participants also rated attitudes about teenage motherhood by endorsing level of agreement with statements on the Professionals’ Attitudes Toward Teenage Mothers rating scale, which was adapted for the purpose of this study. Results indicated that expectations differed according to the type and amount of social support portrayed in the vignettes. As the number of social supports increased, so did expectations. Furthermore, the receipt of parent support, teacher support, and peer support all predicted higher global expectation ratings. In particular, high parent and teacher support predicted higher expectation ratings. However, when expectations for psychological well-being were examined individually, only peer and parent support were predictors. Also, expectations were lower for teenage mothers than for non-mother adolescents. Exploratory analyses revealed that teaching professionals’ attitudes Experience of Teenage Parents vii and expectations were not correlated; participants held generally more positive attitudes about teenage mothers when mean scores were compared with the possible “neutral” score; no demographic variables were associated with expectation ratings; and participants’ age and years in profession were positively correlated with attitudes about teenage motherhood. These findings have implications for the training of education professionals with regard to their role in the lives of teenage mothers. Experience of Teenage Parents viii TABLE OF CONTENTS APPROVAL . ii DEDICATION. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. v ABSTRACT . vi LIST OF TABLES. xii LIST OF FIGURES. xiv INTRODUCTION . 1 Outcomes Associated with Teenage Motherhood. 2 Academic Achievement/Educational Attainment. 3 Financial Viability/Employment Potential. 6 Aspirations/Expectations of Teen Mothers. 7 Barriers to the Achievement of Aspirations/Expectations. 9 Psychological Disorders and Subclinical Distress. 9 Effects of Social Support on Stress, Depression, and Well-Being . 13 Types of Social Support. 13 Sources of Social Support. 14 Family Support . 14 Partner Support . 17 Peer Support . 18 Professional Support . 19 Contribution of Teen Mothers’ Individual Factors in Receipt of Support. 22 Effects of Social Support on Educational Achievement . 24 Experience of Teenage Parents ix Attitudes of Professionals. 26 Purpose of Present Study . 30 Hypotheses of Present Study. 31 METHOD. 34 Participants. 34 Procedure . 34 Recruitment and Informed Consent Procedures . 34 The Use of Written Vignettes. 37 The Development of the Written Vignettes in the Present Study. 38 Presentation of Stimulus Materials and Survey Procedures. 39 Measures . 41 Demographic Questionnaire. 41 The Expectations Rating Scale (ERS). 41 Professionals’ Attitudes Toward Teenage Mothers Scale (PATTM) . 42 Data and Safety Monitoring Plan . 43 RESULTS. 44 Participant Demographics. 44 Data Reduction . 45 Vignette Scales . 45 Expectations Rating Scale . 46 Hypothesis Testing . 49 Hypothesis 1 . 49 Hypothesis 2 . 52 Experience of Teenage Parents x Hypothesis 3 . 54 Hypothesis 4 and Hypothesis 5. 56 Hypothesis 6 . 58 Hypothesis 7 . 60 Exploratory Analyses. 60 Exploratory Analysis 1. 60 Analysis of the Professionals’ Attitudes Toward Teenage Mothers (PATTM) Scale. 60 Exploratory Analysis 2. 62 Exploratory Analysis 3. 64 Exploratory Analysis 4. 65 DISCUSSION. 66 Discussion of Findings of Main Hypotheses . 66 Discussion of Differences in Expectation Ratings Between Mothers and Non-Mothers . 67 Discussion of Social Support Findings . 67 Discussion of the Relationship between Level of Social Support and Expectations . 67 Discussion of the Relationship between Social Support Type and Expectations . 68 Discussion of Exploratory Analyses. 71 Limitations of Study . 73 Strengths of Study . 75 Experience of Teenage Parents xi Recommendations for Future Research. 76 Conclusion. 77 REFERENCES .