Theory and Practice in Child Development

Early Childhood Development in Pakistan: A Human-Centered Design Approach to Empower Positive Parenting

Seema Lasi — 2024-12-30

The early childhood development (ECD) provides a pivotal window of opportunity to lay the groundwork for a child's future. This study delved into the practices of caregivers with children aged 0-3 years, examining their engagement, challenges, and the consequential impact on childcare. Employing a human centered design (HCD) approach, the research embraced understand, empathize, synthesize, prototype, and testing phases. A mixed-methods strategy, including surveys, home observations, key informant interviews (KII), and focus group discussions (FGD), captured the knowledge, attitude practices (KAP), and perceptions of caregivers. Findings revealed entrenched gender inequalities in rural families, influencing caregiving practices where fathers predominantly fulfilled financial obligations. Less than 40% of parents engaged in activities like storytelling, demonstrating sensitivity to their child's needs, or actively playing and protecting them. The study adapted, contextualized, and tested parenting material, presenting it in diverse formats such as Vroom messages-based booklets, illustrations, animations, and video clips. Caregivers rated these materials highly, indicating their usefulness for child development and bonding. The project aimed to enhance our understanding of caregiving practices in remote Pakistani contexts, contributing valuable insights to parenting practices, service delivery, and caregiving structures. With implications for policy and practice, caregivers in targeted areas were empowered to foster positive relationships and supportive environments for young children. The study's recommendations, emphasizing contextually and culturally relevant, science-based learning resources, had the potential to scale up parenting programs and influence ECD outcomes and policies throughout Pakistan.

Factors Influencing Development of Self-Concept in Infants: A Systematic Review

Akshat Nishad — 2024-12-30

The current systematic review is executed for the identification of factors influencing development of self-concept in infants. The growth of the infant is characterized by changes in the physiological and cognitive self, including prominent factors such as role of caregivers/parents, imitation and social learning, cognitive development, and sensory perceptions. Following the PICo Guidelines, the meta-synthesis was carried out to explore the relationship between the development of self-concept in infants under two years and the factors influencing its development. Databases including Google Scholar, Consensus, National Institute of Health, Scispace, PubMed, Elicit and ResearchGate were utilized in the search, administering the keywords relating to self-concepts and infants. Of the preliminary 150 articles, approximately fifty-four met the inclusion criteria and provided valuable insight into what aspects of the external and internal environment of an infant influence the ecological and interpersonal self-growth. There is a positive relationship between the parent’s love and warmth and the self-concept of infants. Moreover, family symphony and type of parenting play a significant role in how infants perceive themselves along with secure maternal attachment, whereas infants that have an insecure relationship with their mothers tend to have lower self-worth and poor psychosocial functioning. The cognitive development of the infant also plays a notable role in the development of self, due to the cognitive mapping of intuitive processes in infants. Perception of senses such as touch and vision also play a substantial role because of proprioception and optical flow impacting self-recognition.

Impediments of Parents’ Involvement in Supporting Literacy Skills Development among Pre-Primary School Children in Tanzania

Jose Machumu — 2024-12-30

A child's intellectual, social, and emotional welfare is significantly impacted by the engagement and parenting style of their parents. This paper investigates the obstacles parents face in developing literacy skills among pre-primary school children in Tanzania. The study was conducted in six districts of Tanzania. Using a purposive and snowball sampling strategy, 67 parents—29 men and 38 females—were included in the study. This study used a qualitative technique, with a case study design for data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Data was gathered through focus group discussions (FGDs) and observation. Trustworthiness was realized through credibility, dependability, conformability and transferability. Informed consent was considered, and researchers adhered to the research enterprise norms and principles, by keeping and treating all responses from respondents with high confidentiality. The findings were analysed thematically, yielding several sub-themes. It was discovered that there were various barriers preventing parents from participating in promoting literacy skills development of pre-primary school children. Ultimately, the study suggests that parents should be capacitated inappropriate methods to encourage the development of reading skills in pre-primary schools, as it is critical for parents to support learning both in preschool settings and at home.

Social Identity of Codas in Relation to Family Identity

Millar Norma — 2024-12-30

This study is a qualitative exploration of the social identity of adult, hearing children of deaf adults (Codas) in relation to the cultural identity of their families (i.e., “Deaf” or “deaf”). The study was approached using a social constructionist perspective, using social identity theory, and in particular, self-categorization. Data was obtained through one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 15 participants, all of whom were Codas, 7 from “Deaf” families, and 8 from “deaf” families. Data was analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. The primary themes that emerged included cultural disconnect, responsibility and frustration. Cultural disconnect was experienced only by Codas from “deaf” families and not by Codas from “Deaf” families. Frustration and responsibility, although experienced by many of the participants, was more similarly experienced for “deaf” Codas, and likewise for “Deaf” Codas, indicating that familial cultural affiliation should be considered a contributing factor in the social identity of Codas.

Exploring Parental Expectations on Children Helping Parents out in Lower Middle-Income Families

Justine Jewell Casilan — 2024-12-30

Helping parents out is the top priority of Filipino youth. Helping out is the act of children giving services or resources to make it easier for parents to support the family. The objective of this study is to determine what are the expectations of parents from lower middle-income families regarding the idea of children helping out their parents. This study also aims to know how parents identify a child who is capable of helping, what are the reasons why children will help their family out, and what kind of support they will provide. To attain the purpose of the study, exploratory research was conducted. Parents with two or more children belonging to the lower middle-income class residing in NCR, Region III, and Region IV-A served as this study’s participants. Using thematic analysis, the findings revealed that helping out is a non-obligatory practice. Children must first have a number of essential characteristics before being classified as a child capable of helping out. Parents also outlined various reasons and means by which children will help out. This study may offer a new framework for understanding how helping out parents is perceived by Filipinos in the current times.

A Case Study on Preschool Children's Perceptions of Biomimicry

Sevim Yüncü — 2024-12-30

The main purpose of this research is to examine the biomimicry perceptions of preschool children. A case study, one of the qualitative research models, was used in the research. This research was conducted with the participation of 11 girls and 10 boys, aged between 50-65 months, who were studying in an independent kindergarten affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Gaziantep in the 2023-2024 academic year. Photographs and observer notes were used as data collection tools in the research. In explaining the science of biomimicry, the book "I am Hezarfen" written by Müzeyyen Erkul Art and Science Center and Suat Turgut (2018) was used. Through the activities, children were given detailed information about the science of Biomimicry and presentations were made. Within the scope of our study, one-week activity plans were created using the 5E model. At the end of this planning process, the children were allowed to create product designs. Findings emerged that during the activities, children used problem solving, collaboration, communication, research-discovery and creative thinking skills, which are 21st century skills. As a result, it has been observed that the activities carried out with preschool children have positive effects on children's perceptions of biomimicry.

Examination of American Psychological Association Books in the Context of Well-Being and Children’s Rights

Meltem Gündoğdu — 2024-12-30

In this study, which aims to examine American Psychological Association (APA) books in the context of well-being and children's rights, the document analysis method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. The research sample consists of 30 books. Psychological Well-Being Review Checklist in Children's Illustrated Books and Child Rights Review Checklist in Children's Illustrated Books were used as data collection tools. The data obtained through descriptive analysis are presented with frequencies and direct quotations. According to the findings, it was seen that APA books contain many positive statements about supporting well-being in children. It was determined that the most statements about well-being were in the self-regulation and the least statements were in the low externalization categories. In the contents of APA books, whose ultimate purpose is not to teach children's rights, the most statements about children's rights were about development and least about protection. Another conclusion is that the articles regarding the right to development positively support well-being. In summary, it was determined that APA books contain implicit content for teaching children's rights and can be functionally used to support well-being.

Examining the Attachment Behavior and Anxiety Levels of Mothers Who Have Infants with Infertility Treatment and Mothers Who Have Infants without the Treatment

Gülden Öztürk Serter — 2024-12-30

Infertility treatment includes medical follow-up, hormone therapy and in vitro fertilization methods, and also it is a process that is bothersome for couples in both economic and emotional terms. Intensive infertility treatment may exacerbate the risk factors and make it difficult to switch to parenting process. Therefore, it is aimed to compare the levels of attachment and anxiety of mothers having infants of with infertility treatment and of mothers having child with spontaneous pregnancy. 103 women who became mothers through infertility treatment and spontaneously pregnancy were included in the study. Personal Information Form which is developed by researchers, Maternal Attachment Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory have been used in the study. SPSS 20.0 statistical program is used in the analysis of the data. In the study, it was found that mothers who had a baby with infertility treatment (in vitro fertilization treatment) had significantly higher maternal attachment than mothers who had a baby without any treatment (p<0,05). In addition, it was also concluded that there were negative and moderate (r=-0,423, p<0,01) relationships between maternal attachment and trait anxiety of mothers who had a baby with infertility treatment and positive and low (r=0,320, p<0,05) relationships between maternal attachment and state anxiety mothers who had a baby with spontaneous pregnancy. As the study is cross-sectional and the sample group is small, it constitutes the limitations of the study; large sample and longitudinal studies are needed. As a result, it is thought that women who became pregnant through treatment need professional support during the treatment process and during their pregnancies.