Maternal Knowledge, Involvement and Integrative Early Child Development Programs in Ethiopia
Abstract
This is an exploratory study of maternal behaviors with particular reference to knowledge and levels of involvement in child development. Two groups of mothers representing the high and low class families of two communities in Addis Ababa were compared on PARI (Parental Role, Knowledge and Involvement) Scale in a quasi-experimental fashion. The analyses employed descriptive, correlational parametric and non-parametric procedures, and major maternal socio-demographic characteristics such as education, income and general life conditions were seen against perceived maternal knowledge, and level of involvement in child development. The study revealed significant differences as well as relationships, where perceived maternal knowledge and involvement levels in child development appeared to be primarily dependent on maternal educational and socioeconomic variables. The results appear to be telling more about the differential perception of parental knowledge and roles in child development, as a result of educational and socio-economic disparities. The tendency of especially the low-income group of mothers to show low level of knowledge and low involvement in their children’s development, apparently as a result of the above material and nonmaterial constraints, suggests the use of an integrated approach if the purported programs of early childhood developmental intervention have to realistically meet their objectives.
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References
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_____, (1983). Effect of Motivation, Values, Cognitive Factors, and Child-Rearing Attitudes on Productivity among Punjab Farmers/ Journal of Social Psychology, 120:2, 273-278. Super, C. M., and Harkness, S. (1993). The Developmental Niche: A Conceptualization at the Interface of Child and Culture. In Pierce, R. A.,and Black, M. A.(eds), Life-Span Development: A Diversity Reader. US: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co. Tirussew T. (1999). Early Child Care and Development Interventions in Ethiopia, (A report submitted to the World Bank’s Economic Sector, Addis Ababa. Useem, E. L. (1990). Social Class and Ability Group Placement in Mathematics in the Transition to Seventh Grade: The Role of Parental Involvement, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Boston, MA, April 16-20. Valsiner, J. (ed) (1988). Social Co-construction and Environmental Guidance in Development. NJ: Ablex Publishing Corp. Zepeda, M. and Espinosa, M. (1988). Parental Knowledge of Children's Behavioral Capabilities: A Study of Low Income Parents. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 10:2; 149-159, June. Zeskind, P. S. and Ramey, C. T. (1978). Fetal Malnutrition: An Experimental Study of Its Consequences on Infant Development in Two Care giving Situations. Journal of Child Development, 49:4; 1155-62, December.
Beckwith, L. (1990). Adaptive and Maladaptive Parenting: Implications for Intervention. In Meisels, S. J. and Shonkoff, J. P. (eds.) Handbook of Early Childhood Intervention. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Benas, E. A. (1980). How One City Got Parents Involved (Panel Session). Theme Two: The Child, His Parents and His Community. International Congress on Early Childhood Education, Tel Aviv, Israel, January 6-10.
Berry, J. W. , Poortinga, Y. H., Segall, M. H. and Dasen, P. R. (1992). Cross-cultural Psychology, Research and Applications. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Bizunesh W. (1983). An Evaluation of Kindergarten Curriculum Implementation in Addis Ababa. (Unpublished thesis) Nairobi: University of Nairobi. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. Brown, J. and Bakeman, R. (1977). Antecedents of Emotional Involvement in Mothers of Premature and Full-term Infants. Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, New Orleans, Louisiana, March 17-20. Bruner, J. (1986). Actual Minds, Possible Worlds. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. _____. (1990), Acts of Meaning. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.. Cashmore, J., and Goodnow, J. J. (1986). Influences on Australian Parent's Values: Ethnicity versus Socio-economic Status. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 17:4, page 441-54, Dec. Children and Youth Affairs Organization and The Italian Cooperation (1996). Protect Children from Abuse and Neglect, Addis Ababa: MOLSA. Elster , A B. (1990). Intervention Models for Promoting the Parental Behaviors of Adolescent Mothers. In Stiffman, A.R. and Feldman, R. A. (eds), Contraception, Pregnancy, and Parenting. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Glasser, W. (1990). Reality Therapy: A New Approach to Psychiatry. New York: Harper and Row, Publishers. Feuerstein, R.; Klein, P.S.; and Tannenbaum, A. J. (1991). Mediated Learning Experience: Theoretical, Psychosocial, and Learning Implications. London: Freund Publishing House. Ginsburg, M. (1980). The Jewish Nursery School as Surrogate Parent. Chicago: Chicago Board of Jewish Education, (Opinion Papers 120. Goldstein, K. M.; Taub, H. B.; Caputo, D. V.; and Silberstein, R. M.(1976). Child Status and Demographic Variables as Related to Maternal Child-Rearing Attitudes. Journal of Perceptual and Motor Skills, 42:1, 87-97.
Goodnow, J. J.(1988), Parents' Ideas, Actions, and Feelings: Models and Methods from Developmental and Social Psychology. Journal of Child Development, 59:2; 286-320, April. _____. (1989), Family Life: The Place of Children's Work around the House. Journal of Early Child Development and Care, 50, 121-130. Gottfried, A. W. (1984). Home Environment and Early Cognitive Development: Integration, Meta-analysis, and Conclusions. In Gottfried, A. W.(ed), Home Environment and Early Cognitive Development. Orlando: Academic Press. Hart, C. M. (1989). Parental Involvement and Reading Achievement (Masters Thesis). New Jersey, US. Henderson, R. W. (1981). Parent-child Interaction: Theory, Research, and Prospects. New York: Academic Press. Holms, M.,et al. (1973). The Impact of the Head Start and Parent-Child Center Program on Parents. Washington D.C: Office of Child Development. Hundeide, K. (1991). Helping Disadvantaged Children of Developing Countries: Psycho-social Intervention and Aid to Disadvantaged Children in Third World Countries. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Justice, J. (1986). Policies, Plans and People: Foreign Aid and Health Development. Los Angeles, CA: The University of California Press. Klein, P. S. (1992). Cognitive and Emotional Interplay in Early Development: Mediational Role of Parents. Advances in Cognition and Educational Practice, Vol. 1A; 169-194. ____. (1996). Early Intervention: Cross-Cultural Experiences with a Mediational Approach. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc. LeVine, R. A. (1988). Human Parental Care: Universal Goals, Cultural Strategies, Individual Behavior. In LeVine, R . A., Miller,P. M. and West, M. M.(eds.), Parental Behavior in Diverse Societies. San Francisco:Jossey- Bass Inc., 8-11. _____. and LeVine, S.E.(1988). Parental Strategies Among The Gusii of Kenya. in LeVine, R.A., Miller, P.M. and West, M . M .(eds.), Parental Behavior in Diverse Societies. San Francisco:Jossey-Bass Inc.
_____. Dixon, S.; Levine, S.; Richman, A.; Leiderman, P.H.; Keefer, C. H.; and Brazelton, B. T., (1994). Child Care and Culture: Lessons from Africa. USA: Cambridge University Press. Lidz, C.S. (1991). MLE Components and their Roots in Theory and Research. in Feuerstein, R., Klein, P.S. and Tannenbaum, A.J. (eds.) Mediated Learning Experience (MLE), Theoretical, Psychosocial and Learning Implications. London: Freund Publishing House, Ltd. MacPhee, D. (1983). The Nature of Parents’ Experiences with and Knowledge about Infant Development. Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, MI, Detroit, April 21-24.. Nsamenang, B. (1992). Human Development in Cultural Context: A Third World Perspective. London: SAGE Inc. Rogoff, B. (1989). The Joint Socialization of Development by Young Children and Adults. In Lewis,M.,and Feinman, S. (eds.), Social Influences and Behaviour. New York: Plenum. _____. (1993). Children's Guided Participation and Participatory Appropriation in Socio-cultural Activity. In Wozniak, R. H., and Fischer, K. W.(eds), Development in Context: Acting and Thinking in Specific Environments. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Rye, H. (2001). Twelve Years of Early Intervention Studies in Ethiopia- Phases of Implementation and Summaries of Findings. (a mimeograph) Oslo: University of Oslo, Norway. Scheeper, H. N. (1985). Culture, Scarcity, and Maternal Thinking: Maternal Detachment and Infant Survival in a Brazilian Shantytown. Ethos, 13:4, 291-317. Sewel, T. W. and Price, V. D. (1991). Mediated Learning Experience: Implications for Achievement Motivation and Cognitive Performance in Low Socio economic and Minority Children. In Feuerstein, R., Klein, P. S. and Tannenbaum, A. J.(eds), Mediated Learning Experience (MLE), Theoretical Psychosocial and Learning Implications. London: Freund Publishing House Ltd. Singh, S. (1982). A Study of Modernity in Relation to Psychometric Measures of Motives, Values, Child Rearing Attitudes and Vocational Choices, Guru Nanak. Journal of Sociology, 3:1, 99-107.
_____, (1983). Effect of Motivation, Values, Cognitive Factors, and Child-Rearing Attitudes on Productivity among Punjab Farmers/ Journal of Social Psychology, 120:2, 273-278. Super, C. M., and Harkness, S. (1993). The Developmental Niche: A Conceptualization at the Interface of Child and Culture. In Pierce, R. A.,and Black, M. A.(eds), Life-Span Development: A Diversity Reader. US: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co. Tirussew T. (1999). Early Child Care and Development Interventions in Ethiopia, (A report submitted to the World Bank’s Economic Sector, Addis Ababa. Useem, E. L. (1990). Social Class and Ability Group Placement in Mathematics in the Transition to Seventh Grade: The Role of Parental Involvement, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Boston, MA, April 16-20. Valsiner, J. (ed) (1988). Social Co-construction and Environmental Guidance in Development. NJ: Ablex Publishing Corp. Zepeda, M. and Espinosa, M. (1988). Parental Knowledge of Children's Behavioral Capabilities: A Study of Low Income Parents. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 10:2; 149-159, June. Zeskind, P. S. and Ramey, C. T. (1978). Fetal Malnutrition: An Experimental Study of Its Consequences on Infant Development in Two Care giving Situations. Journal of Child Development, 49:4; 1155-62, December.
Published
2002-06-01
Section
Articles