Family Life Education: Translational Family Science in Action

• Author: Marsha Rehm,Dawn Cassidy,Carol A. Darling
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12286
• Published date: 01 October 2017
• Date: 01 October 2017

C A. D Florida State University

D C National Council on Family Relations

M R Florida State University

Family Life Education: Translational Family

Science in Action

Translational family science lies at the inter-

section of family research and the practice of

family life education (FLE). Discussion of the

foundational principles of FLE (education,

prevention, strengths-based, and research and

theory-based) and its key components (cul-

ture, context, content, and practice) provide

a framework for considering the reciprocal

relationship between family science and family

life education in the context of translational

family science. Further discussion is provided

regarding possible barriers to progress and the

need to better integrate discovery science and

practice science.

Family science is the “scientic study of fam-

ilies and close interpersonal relationships”

(National Council on Family Relations [NCFR],

n.d.-b). Family life education (FLE) is rooted

in research about individuals, families, and

their environments; as such, FLE is the practice

of family science and is therefore inherently

translational. Because of their location at the

nexus of the sciences of practice and discovery,

family life educators (FLEs) are often directly

involved in converting results from discovery

Department of Family & Child Sciences, Florida State Uni-

versity, Tallahassee, FL 32306 (cdarling@fsu.edu).

Key Words: Family life education, family life education

methodology, family well-being, prevention–intervention

science, translational family science.

science into real-world initiatives or programs

that affect family well-being and benet com-

munities. Therefore, FLEs occupy a pivotal

space for ensuring that the programs and ser-

vices provided to families are based in solid

evidence and, in turn, that research is informed

by practice.

The aim of this article is to demonstrate

the integral nature of FLE to translational fam-

ily science. To achieve this goal, the article

begins with a brief overview of FLE, empha-

sizing its foundational principles (education,

prevention, strengths-based, and research- and

theory–based) with an eye toward how these

principles are reective of translation and the

interaction between the sciences of discovery

and practice. Key components of FLE (culture,

context, content, and practice) provide a basis for

discussion of FLE as translational science. The

article closes with discussion of possible barri-

ers to progress and a call to action to more fully

integrate discovery science and practice science.

F L E—O

The purpose and goals of FLE are “to increase

knowledge and develop skills so families may

build on their strengths to function at their

optimal level” (Myers-Walls, Ballard, Darling,

& Myers-Bowman, 2011, p. 370). It provides a

primarily preventive and educational approach

to healthy family functioning within a family

systems perspective (NCFR, n.d.-c). When

Family Relations 66 (October 2017): 741–752 741

DOI:10.1111/fare.12286