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Parent Education Theories (STEP, PET, APT)

📚 Education By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated
Quick answer: the main parent education programmes are STEP (understanding the goals of misbehaviour), PET (active listening and I-messages) and APT (transactional analysis of parent-child interaction).
Contents
  1. 1. Ginott's humanistic approach
  2. 2. STEP
  3. 3. PET
  4. 4. APT
  5. 5. Common lessons
  6. 6. References

Ginott's humanistic approach

In Between Parent and Child, Ginott urged parents to accept all feelings while limiting behaviour, to praise specific actions rather than character, and to communicate empathically.

STEP

Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (Dinkmeyer & McKay) draws on Adler and Dreikurs. Misbehaviour is understood through four goals (attention, power, revenge, display of inadequacy), and parents use encouragement and natural and logical consequences.

PET

Gordon's Parent Effectiveness Training, rooted in Rogers' person-centred theory, teaches identifying problem ownership, active listening, I-messages and the no-lose method of conflict resolution.

APT

The transactional-analysis approach applies Berne's ego states (Parent, Adult, Child), transactions, strokes and life scripts to family interaction. Popkin's Active Parenting is another Adlerian programme often abbreviated APT.

Common lessons

All emphasise respect, communication and responsibility over punishment; choice should fit parents' needs and children's ages.

References

  1. Ginott, H. G. (1965). Between Parent and Child. Macmillan.
  2. Gordon, T. (1970). Parent Effectiveness Training. Wyden.
  3. Dinkmeyer, D., & McKay, G. D. (1976). Systematic Training for Effective Parenting. American Guidance Service.
  4. Berne, E. (1964). Games People Play. Grove Press.
  5. Popkin, M. H. (1983). Active Parenting. Harper & Row.

Reports and materials that use this theory (Korean)

There are no materials dedicated to this theory yet, but you can search related reports in the CampusDown library (Korean).

Find more reports · Search '부모교육 이론' on CampusDown →
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This article was last updated on October 15, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.