The goal of the KEYS Pilot Study was to determine the feasibility of integrating parent-teen homework assignments into the Montana driver education curriculum and family support for their use. Feedback for use of the homework assignments was generated in three phases from (1) driver education instructors in the interdisciplinary team, (2) individual families, and (3) parents and instructors in driver education classes. The overwhelming majority of qualitative feedback from all phases was positive; limited negative comments related to parents not having enough time in their daily lives. The recruitment rate for pilot-testing homework assignments in classes was 81%. Families exposed to the first recruitment strategy (required participation or choose another class) were 24 times more likely to participate than were those exposed to the second strategy (voluntary participation within the class). A minimum of 90% of parents reported at least "medium" willingness to complete all activities across homework assignments, and willingness was highly related to exposure to the tenets of goal-oriented persuasion and parent motivation in schools incorporated within the homework assignments. The findings indicate that the majority of parents are willing to complete homework assignments within their teens' driver education classes. The next step would be to conduct an efficacy trial in a broader audience to determine whether exposure to homework assignments is related to short-term and prospective outcomes related to safe teen driving. (Author/publisher)
Abstract