Preschoolers’ Emotional and Behavioural Wellbeing in a Pandemic and the Home Learning Environment's Role

• In Event: Young Children’s Home Learning Environment During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction
Studies consistently show that stressful events such as economic hardship, diseases of family members, and maternal depressive symptoms might harm children’s academic and socio-emotional development (e.g. Duncan & Brooks-Gunn, 2000). However, most families usually have social support systems such as preschools, neighbourhoods, and friends. How stressful events influence children’s development without such informal support systems is not clear. Thus, the manifold consequences for children of strategies implemented by governments to fight the current COVID-19 pandemic have yet to be seen.

Further, research shows that the home learning environment (HLE) plays a major role in shaping children’s academic and socio-emotional development (e.g. Lehrl et al., 2020; Niklas & Schneider, 2017, Rose et al., 2018; Wirth et al., 2020). Given that in the past months, most children spend more time than usual at home, the quality of the HLE they experienced in their families may have had an even greater impact.

Hypotheses
The aim of the present study is to identify factors that prevent children from possible harms caused by the current extraordinary situation. We assume that a high quality HLE may function as a protective factor and that children who experience a responsive, stimulating, and sensitive home learning environment may fare better than children who live in poorer HLEs.

Methods
To answer our research questions, we conduct an online survey with parents of children in the age range of 3 to 6 years in a longitudinal design with 3 measurements points starting in September 2020, and follow-up assessments in December 2020, and March 2021 (n = 500). We assess family background characteristics considering variations in the living conditions of families, e.g. parental education, family income, family structure. To assess social resources, preschool use and contact during the pandemic, and support by relatives and friends was measured. The HLE was assessed via questions regarding formal and informal numeracy and literacy activities at home, and digital HLE, e.g. frequency of reading to the child, the usage of learning apps (e.g. Lehrl et al., 2020). The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well Being Scale (Tennant et al., 2006) was used to assess parent’s mental health.

Corona-specific questions were assessed with the COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Survey to capture anxiety, COVID-19 experience, and specific lock-down strategies.
Children’s emotional and behavioural well-being was assessed with parental ratings of an adapted version of the California Child Q-Sort (Rose et al., 2018), and the KIDSCREEN-10 Index (The KIDSCREEN Group Europe, 2006).

Results
Cross-sectional results will be available in November 2020. These results will give us hints about the status of children’s emotional and behavioural well-being aged 3 to 6 years. Here, we will explore how family stress and individual COVID-19 experiences are associated with children’s well-being using structural equation modelling. Further, we will explore whether the HLE and the cultural background may moderate these associations. This study is one of the first that will give insights in how a pandemic and social restrictions may affect children’s emotional and behavioural well-being at preschool age in Germany.

Authors

• Simone Lehrl, University of Bamberg
  Presenting Author

• Frank Niklas, LMU Munich
  Non-Presenting Author