Predicting child development knowledge and engagement of Moroccan parents

<p dir="ltr">A growing body of empirical evidence points to a child's earliest years as a critical period for developing the foundation for later learning. Yet neither parents nor public policy in the Middle East and North Africa actively support such development. We developed,...

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Main Author: Gail L. Zellman (19811562) (author)
Other Authors: Rita Karam (4040324) (author), Michal Perlman (742646) (author)
Published: 2014
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author Gail L. Zellman (19811562)
author2 Rita Karam (4040324)
Michal Perlman (742646)
author2_role author
author
author_facet Gail L. Zellman (19811562)
Rita Karam (4040324)
Michal Perlman (742646)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Gail L. Zellman (19811562)
Rita Karam (4040324)
Michal Perlman (742646)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2014-10-01T06:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.5339/nmejre.2014.5
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Predicting_child_development_knowledge_and_engagement_of_Moroccan_parents/27179880
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Education
Specialist studies in education
Human society
Policy and administration
Middle East parents
parent roles and engagement
child development knowledge
predictors of knowledge and engagement
gender differences
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Predicting child development knowledge and engagement of Moroccan parents
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Journal contribution
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
contribution to journal
description <p dir="ltr">A growing body of empirical evidence points to a child's earliest years as a critical period for developing the foundation for later learning. Yet neither parents nor public policy in the Middle East and North Africa actively support such development. We developed, tested, and administered a survey to a small number of parents of children aged six years and under in Casablanca, Morocco in 2013 to assess parents' child development knowledge and how they view their role as teachers of their young children. We used multiple regression models to predict parental knowledge and parental engagement in learning activities with their sons and separately with their daughters. Results indicate that nearly half of parents believe that brain development does not begin until after a child's first year of life. Consistent with these beliefs, parents report engaging in learning activities with their young children less frequently than Western parents; they also relate that they would be unlikely to enroll their young children in high quality child care programs, even if cost were not a factor. Parents who indicated feeling a high level of individual control over life events were less knowledgeable about child development. Those who believe that God controls life events were both more knowledgeable and reported more engagement in learning activities. Parents who reported turning to professional sources for information on child development were likelier to engage in learning activities. The general view that teaching and learning in the first years are unimportant may help to explain the poor academic performance of Moroccan children later in life relative to those of children from other nations with similar economic status. Education of the public regarding the importance of early-years development could help inform parents and policymakers. Services that might be offered to reinforce this message are discussed.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Near and Middle Eastern Journal of Research in Education, title discontinued as of (2017)<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.5339/nmejre.2014.5" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.5339/nmejre.2014.5</a></p>
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
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identifier_str_mv 10.5339/nmejre.2014.5
network_acronym_str Manara2
network_name_str Manara2
oai_identifier_str oai:figshare.com:article/27179880
publishDate 2014
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spelling Predicting child development knowledge and engagement of Moroccan parentsGail L. Zellman (19811562)Rita Karam (4040324)Michal Perlman (742646)EducationSpecialist studies in educationHuman societyPolicy and administrationMiddle East parentsparent roles and engagementchild development knowledgepredictors of knowledge and engagementgender differences<p dir="ltr">A growing body of empirical evidence points to a child's earliest years as a critical period for developing the foundation for later learning. Yet neither parents nor public policy in the Middle East and North Africa actively support such development. We developed, tested, and administered a survey to a small number of parents of children aged six years and under in Casablanca, Morocco in 2013 to assess parents' child development knowledge and how they view their role as teachers of their young children. We used multiple regression models to predict parental knowledge and parental engagement in learning activities with their sons and separately with their daughters. Results indicate that nearly half of parents believe that brain development does not begin until after a child's first year of life. Consistent with these beliefs, parents report engaging in learning activities with their young children less frequently than Western parents; they also relate that they would be unlikely to enroll their young children in high quality child care programs, even if cost were not a factor. Parents who indicated feeling a high level of individual control over life events were less knowledgeable about child development. Those who believe that God controls life events were both more knowledgeable and reported more engagement in learning activities. Parents who reported turning to professional sources for information on child development were likelier to engage in learning activities. The general view that teaching and learning in the first years are unimportant may help to explain the poor academic performance of Moroccan children later in life relative to those of children from other nations with similar economic status. Education of the public regarding the importance of early-years development could help inform parents and policymakers. Services that might be offered to reinforce this message are discussed.</p><h2 dir="ltr">Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Near and Middle Eastern Journal of Research in Education, title discontinued as of (2017)<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.5339/nmejre.2014.5" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.5339/nmejre.2014.5</a></p>2014-10-01T06:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.5339/nmejre.2014.5https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Predicting_child_development_knowledge_and_engagement_of_Moroccan_parents/27179880CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/271798802014-10-01T06:00:00Z
spellingShingle Predicting child development knowledge and engagement of Moroccan parents
Gail L. Zellman (19811562)
Education
Specialist studies in education
Human society
Policy and administration
Middle East parents
parent roles and engagement
child development knowledge
predictors of knowledge and engagement
gender differences
status_str publishedVersion
title Predicting child development knowledge and engagement of Moroccan parents
title_full Predicting child development knowledge and engagement of Moroccan parents
title_fullStr Predicting child development knowledge and engagement of Moroccan parents
title_full_unstemmed Predicting child development knowledge and engagement of Moroccan parents
title_short Predicting child development knowledge and engagement of Moroccan parents
title_sort Predicting child development knowledge and engagement of Moroccan parents
topic Education
Specialist studies in education
Human society
Policy and administration
Middle East parents
parent roles and engagement
child development knowledge
predictors of knowledge and engagement
gender differences