A child’s first teacher: An examination of observed and self-reported parenting activities within Syrian refugee and host communities in Jordan

• In Event: Arab parents’ involvement in their children’s education from childhood to young adulthood

Proposal

As we seek to expand the number and quality of early childhood development opportunities within the Syrian refugee response, much remains to be understood around parents and parenting within refugee and host communities. This study uses data from a measurement pilot conducted in Mafraq, Jordan to examine the parenting practices and beliefs of Jordanian and Syrian Refugee caretakers.
Our sample includes 171 households: 84% Syrian Refugees and 16% Jordanian. In each household we interviewed the child’s primary caregiver (93% female, 14 – 65 years old), and observed, play-based caregiver-child interactions for ten minutes using the Parenting Interactions with Children Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes (PICCOLO). Children were 16 to 34 months old. Households were sampled from the monitoring and evaluation roster of a home visiting program adapted from the Jamaica model (Reach Up and Learn) by the International Rescue Committee for use in the Syrian Refugee response in Jordan (Grantham-McGregor et al., 1991).
We examine observed and reported parenting activities across the full sample and with regards to ethnic background, socioeconomic status, and child age.
Using the PICCOLO, we find that caregivers score highest on affection (e.g., speaks in warm tone of voice). This is followed by responsiveness (e.g., changes pace or activity to meet child’s interest), encouragement (e.g., shows enthusiasm about what child is doing), and then teaching (e.g., talks to child about characteristics of objects). We also find that caregivers of older children are more likely to engage in teaching tasks and that caregivers with greater household and community resources score higher when interacting with a book (though not when interacting with a toy).
Turning to self-reported activities, we find low levels (71% or more say never or rarely) of involvement in reading (picture) books, telling stories, or playing pretend games and relatively low (42-67% say never or rarely) involvement on a range of other activities (e.g., singing songs, listening or dancing to music, playing games that do not involve toys such as peek-a-boo). The four items that greater than 60% of caregivers report doing more than rarely (often or always) were: sitting and watching videos or television with (81%), talking about what is being watched (68%), turning the child upside down or tossing the child in the air (64%), and taking the child to visit family/friends (80%). Three quarters of respondents also report that the child’s father plays with building and stacking toys with the child often or always. Jordanian moms report doing more activities with their children than Syrian refugee moms. Caregivers of younger children are more likely to report singing songs, playing games that do not involve toys, and horse-playing with their children. Caregivers of older children are more likely to report that the child’s father tells stories to the child. Families with more household and community resources also report higher levels of activities.
Findings will be compared with baseline data collection in Jordan, not yet collected, and discussed in relation to caregivers’ self-reported efficacy, qualitative findings, cultural considerations, and implications for child development.

Authors

• Kate Schwartz, New York University Steinhardt

• Alice Wuermli, New York University

• Hirokazu Yoshikawa, New York University

• Dennis Hilgendorf, New York University

• Mark Innocenti, Utah Sate University

• Andres Molano, Universidad de los Andes

• Joyce Rafla, New York University

• Lori Roggman, Utah Sate University

• Tareq Sharawi, International Rescue Committee

• Phoebe Sloane, International Rescue Committee

• Kendra Strouf, New York University Abu Dhabi