of the program from the women’s point of view. A second purpose was to obtain outcome data pertaining to the women, such as whether they prevented further pregnancies, continued their education, or found employment after participating in the program. For the purposes of this research, pregnancy prevention was generally defined as reduced sexual activity and thus a lowered risk, which serves as a general definition of the central concept. 9 Significance of the Study Findings of the research could lead to a better understanding of students' beliefs about the program or any program of a similar nature. If counselors attain their goal of educating pregnant teenage girls about healthy relationships it may help reduce or prevent a second baby. A secondary benefit would be the reduction of sexually transmitted diseases after participating in the program. As a result of teaching about appropriate relations, gaining self-respect and building self-esteem teenage girls will better understand the importance of practicing safer relationships. A third benefit would be a decrease in the number of children born out of wedlock. As noted by Lear (2007), in order to create a culture of learning and reduce unhealthy relationships, school counselors must be trained in appropriate methods of counseling students who become pregnant or exposed to sexually transmitted diseases. Furthermore, the more effective a school counselor is the more likely students will develop healthier relationships (Lear, 2007; Portman, 2009). It is essential that school counselors are trained and participate in the planning, developing, and teaching of healthy and appropriate relationships. According to Pietrofesa (1996), counselors must learn to deal with the relationship concerns of their students and motivate students to become involved in relationship counseling and education to reduce unhealthy practices and teenage pregnancy. Teaching healthy practices is important because family structure affects self-concept. Self-concept effects the decisions regarding sexual activity and behavior (Bridgeland et al., 2006). Disruptions in family structure, through parental separation, divorce, remarriage, or cohabitation, were associated with problematic parenting and poorer outcomes (Bronstein et al., 2003); therefore, reducing the number of 10 children born out of wedlock is important. The significance of the present study relates to its impact on school counselors and the teenage girls they counsel. It is hoped the results of this study will be useful to counselors, educators, and parents who are searching for a consistent means of effectively reducing unhealthy and inappropriate decisions and relationships among teenagers participating in a pregnancy prevention program. The significance of the study also relates to the ability of the teen pregnancy/prevention program to serve as a model. If the program leads to a reduction in teen pregnancy and sexual activity, it could serve not only as a model for other programs in the state of Georgia, but also in other states across the country. Research Questions The continuing problem of teenage pregnancy, as well as the need for program evaluations that incorporate the views of participants, inspired this researcher to investigate the views of former participants regarding whether and how the Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Program (TAPP) was helpful to them in reducing the chance of them having a second baby out of wedlock, decreasing unhealthy sexual practices, developing good parenting skills, and preparing for productive employment. As such, the core research questions investigated in this research study were as follows: 1. What factors prompted participants’ decision to enter into the Teen Pregnancy and Prevention Program? 2. How did the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program reduce participants’ risk of having a second child and/or engaging in sexual activity(ies) while in the program? 11 3. How did the Teen Parenting Program help prevent participants from having a second baby out of wedlock after leaving the program? 4. How did attending the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program assist participants in finding a job and being self-supporting? 5. How did the program affect participants’ desire to pursue further education? Research Plan This qualitative case study used a phenomenological approach to hear the voices and beliefs of teen mothers who had attended a Teenage Parenting Program. The choice in this situation was a qualitative case study using a phenomenological approach, because this researcher was assessing beliefs of participants (Creswell, 2007). According to Babbie (2003), qualitative research is a line of inquiry that recognizes the role played by context in influencing subjectivity and behavior. Qualitative research includes specific methods of examination and investigation such as observation and documentary review. Phenomenological research occurs in a natural setting where the researcher is an instrument of data collection, gathering words or images, analyzing these data individually and collectively, and focusing on the meaning of the phenomenon as experienced by the participants. The defining elements of qualitative research involve the in-depth study of cases, interpretation of behaviors, or detailed description of respondents. The focus is on individuals or groups,