Parenting and Early Childhood Learning in Jordan

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

The early childhood period is particularly important for brain development, setting patterns for healthy behaviors that contribute to physical, emotional, and cognitive growth, and preparing children for school. Parents and other adult caregivers play a vital role in ensuring that young children--from the day they are born--reach their potential. Bornstein theorizes that parenting beliefs affect parenting practices, which in turn affect child outcomes (Bornstein & Cheah, 2006). Furthermore, according to Holden (2010), “the single most important mediator of parenting [behaviors] are beliefs” (p. 129). According to McGillicuddy-De Lisi and Subramanian (1996), parental beliefs about children and child development are developed through three means: (1) beliefs come directly (and unquestioned) through the culture; (2) beliefs are formed through the holder’s own childhood, family, and parenting experiences; and (3) beliefs are influenced by the exchange of ideas and assumptions of people from different cultures. There is less agreement in the literature about which beliefs matter, how to measure them, and the exact relationship between beliefs and behaviors (Sigel, 1992). In addition, some studies have questioned the correlation between parental knowledge and beliefs and actions (e.g. Holden & Edwards, 1989), and have doubted whether parental beliefs are a stable construct (Bloomstra, van Dijk, Jorna, & van Geert, 2013). Yet other research has demonstrated the ways in which parental beliefs can impact their behaviors as well as child outcomes (Bornstein & Cheah, 2006; Grusec, Rudy, & Martini, 1997; Rowe & Casillas, 2010).

There is agreement that many children in Jordan are not ready to learn by the time they enter school. The unpublished results of the 2018 Early Development Instruments show that nearly 29% of Jordanian children were not ready to learn compared to 39% of Palestinians and 35% of Syrians. Furthermore, there is evidence that more can be done to ensure that children’s learning is nurtured from birth. For example, a recent national Jordanian ECD survey shows that “80% of mothers agreed that the role of formal pre-school is more important than the role of education at home, and 50% agreed that parental care at home has limited impact on a child’s learning outcomes” (Queen Rania Foundation, 2015). The survey indicated that parents are not aware of the impact of reading to children, having children’s books in the home, or play for learning. Evidence from international research shows that parents’ child rearing practices change when there are demographic shifts to smaller family sizes (Rogoff, 2003) but more still needs to be known about what practices change, and how.

In this traditional three-presentation panel, we will share information about the context, design, and results of a study to understand more about Jordanian parents’ behaviors related to their children’s early learning, the beliefs and motivators behind those behaviors, and the cultural context in which those behaviors exist. The first presentation proposed in this panel will situate this study within the cultural context of Jordan, Jordanian parenting behaviors, and the Jordanian ECD landscape. The second presentation will describe the process of designing a research study within the context outlined in the first presentation, including how it was adapted to meet new conditions required under the reality of COVID-19. This presentation will make visible the often invisible “behind the scenes” work of getting from proposal to results. The final presentation will share what the research team learned about parental behaviors and home learning conditions in Jordan, as well as what the results indicate are the best levers for promoting parental behaviors that lead to children's learning in early childhood. Not only will this information serve to inform scholars interested in comparative education policies, but it will also provide an example of cross-cultural work for practitioners. In addition, this panel is significant because it will not only share the endline results of the study, but also provide insight into the study approach, providing an all too rare glimpse into the internal processes and choices involved in the research process, which may be particularly useful to new scholars.

Sub Unit

• Early Childhood Development SIG

Chair

• Dima Masri, Queen Rania Foundation

Individual Presentations

• Jordanian ECD & Parenting Culture Context - Dana Del Vecchio, World Education, Inc.

• Developing a studying Jordanian parents’ behaviors during COVID-19 - Nell O'Donnell, Harvard Graduate School of Education

• Understanding Jordanian Parents’ Beliefs & Practice about Their Children’s Preparedness for Schools - Ghalia Ghawi, Queen Rania Foundation

Discussant

• Dima Masri, Queen Rania Foundation