Educational Analysis of Young EFL Learners during COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: Rooting Its Effect

This study was undertaken to pave the way for an enlightened understanding of the effects and reflections of COVID-19 with respect to the educational landscape in terms of distance and online learning set up/learning resources, professional development, management and parental involvement. The researcher employs a mixed-methods approach by utilizing Creswell's [1] explanatory sequential design. There are 100 respondents selected for purposive sampling, which included teachers, students, parents, and school admin staff. The data was collected from 5 cities located in different regions of Saudi Arabia. Based on the results, the study shows that distance and online learning set-up really have a positive impact on students in the Saudi Community. These kind of educational endeavors develop skills for independent learning and they become well-equipped with online learning techniques and styles. It is quite obvious that students hold positive views towards online classes. However, teachers need to enhance their skills when it comes to instructional tools, especially in using computers which is necessary in an online class. Though the school management provides a relevant answer to the queries of students, parents and teachers, the school management should provide support to authorized bodies or the community. In this study, parental intervention was not significant and useful for the students’ assessments. However, parents expect a high standard of performance from their children. It can be revealed in this part that parental intervention is not useful for students’ assessment. In doing so, parents should also limit setting a standard of performance for their children. This might affect the emotional performance of a child. Aside from material support, parents should continue to provide emotional support to their children, especially in these trying times.

Parental Attitude and Parental Intervention Strategies on Digital Media Usage Among Young Children

Technology-focused parenting has evolved to provide a constantly updated digital experience for the new digital populations while parents mitigate the risks of digital media exposure in this modern society. This study explores parental attitude on the impact of digital media and their respective parental intervention strategies. There were five parents recruited through purposive sampling technique and they participated in in-depth interview. Parents generally hold positive attitude towards digital media. They apply different parental strategies for children’s media activities and its contents. This study addressed relationships pertinent to current parental strategies, media and child’s factors. Considerable possibilities and patterns to nurture young children with digital media has been elucidated through uncovering parents’ perspectives and challenges.

Effectiveness of a WeChat group-based parental intervention in preventing unintentional injuries among children aged 0–3 years in China: A randomized controlled trial (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Unintentional injuries are a major public health problem to children worldwide. With the widespread use of smartphones in China, social networking mobile applications, such as WeChat, are potential ways to implement parent-based interventions. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of WeChat group-based parental intervention programs in preventing unintentional injuries in children aged 0–3 years in China. METHODS We conducted a randomized controlled trial from March 2019 to March 2020. A total of 365 parents of children aged 0–3 years in Shanghai were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups, and 276 participants completed the follow-up. We used generalized estimation equations to assess intervention effectiveness at baseline and after one year. Outcome measures included children’s unintentional injury incidences, parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. RESULTS During the one year follow-up, unintentional injury incidences increased from 9.00% to 11.70% in the intervention group and from 9.90% to 22.90% in the control group. The changes did not differ between the groups (odds ratio [OR] 0.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.13-3.48). Changes in the parents’ attitudes toward injury attribution (b 0.10, 95% CI 0.09-0.21) and preventability (b 0.16, 95% CI 0.01-0.33) did not differ between the two groups. Changes in parents’ attitudes toward responsibility in the intervention group were greater than those in the control group (b 0.33, 95% CI 0.15, 0.51). Changes in parents' daily supervision behavior in the intervention group was greater than those in the control group (b 0.43, 95% CI 0.02-0.84), and changes in behaviors of preventing specific injuries were significantly different between the groups (b 1.60, 95% CI 1.05-2.16). CONCLUSIONS Although WeChat group-based parental intervention cannot directly reduce the occurrence of children’s unintentional injuries, it can improve parents’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors pertaining to prevention of unintentional injuries. CLINICALTRIAL China Clinical Trials Registry ChiCTR1900020753; http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx

Effective Parental intervention strategies to reduce screen time among preschool-aged children: A systematic review (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The increasing screen time exposure among young children in general and the reported negative consequences associated with excessive ST, calls for focused strategies to reduce ST, especially among young children. OBJECTIVE This systematic review aimed to identify effective parental intervention strategies to reduce ST among preschool children. METHODS A total of five databases, namely Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, Medline Complete, PubMed, and Scopus, were searched for randomised controlled trials that involved intervention strategies in ST reduction among preschool children. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines were used. RESULTS A total of nine studies were assessed. The results showed that besides providing knowledge and awareness regarding ST, having restrictive practices, offering alternative activities to parents, and removal of screen from child’s bedroom were the most common strategies used by studies that reported successful intervention. Intervention duration of between six to eight weeks was sufficient to produce ST reduction. Face-to-face method was the commonest mode of delivery. Theoretical constructs that aimed at increasing parental self-efficacy, listing outcome expectations, and offering reinforcement of strategies that targeted both the parents and home environment were beneficial in reducing ST. CONCLUSIONS By offering appropriate strategies to parents, a reduction in the amount of ST was observed among the children. Future intervention studies could benefit in exploring culturally adapted strategies, especially in developing countries. Trials of higher quality would also facilitate the drawing of conclusions in future research. CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO No: CRD42020199398

Parents’ Role in Addressing Children’s Racial Bias: The Case of Speculation Without Evidence

Children begin displaying racial biases early in development, which has led many authors of popular-press articles to generate suggestions for preventing and decreasing such biases. One common theme in the popular press is that parents should play a role in addressing children’s biases. In the present article, we analyze the current recommendations parents receive about addressing their children’s biases and consider their utility. We conclude that the evidence base supporting the effectiveness of parental intervention to reduce children’s biases is scant. Next, we offer suggestions for how to construct a useful evidence base from which good recommendations could be drawn. In so doing, we issue a call to action for researchers to conduct research that will yield empirically supported, specific, shareable suggestions for parents who are seeking advice about how to engage with their children in this important domain. We also suggest that researchers become actively involved in the dissemination of the research findings so as to improve the lives of those who receive and express biases.

Theorizing parental intervention and young adults' career development: a social influence perspective

PurposeDrawing on the social influence literature and proposing parental intervention as a social influence process, this study seeks to theorize why parental intervention occurs and how it affects young adults' career development.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts a conceptual design, offering a conceptual model based on social influence research and career development research.FindingsIt is proposed that parental intervention is a result of incongruence between parental expectations and young adults' interested occupations and between parents' assessments of young adults' qualities and job demands. Parents' traditionality moderates these relationships, while the success of parental intervention depends on young adults' traditionality and career maturity. Parents' position, referent and expert powers affect young adults' compliance, identification and internalization, respectively, which impact their occupational commitment and career satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsLooking at parental intervention over time would help researchers understand this phenomenon more comprehensively than focusing only on its short-term effects as identified in the literature. The motivational processes of parental intervention triggered by power bases play a key role in determining young adults' long-term career consequences.Practical implicationsCareer advisors should consider parents as a source of potential intervention in young adults' career choice. They may also provide parent-oriented services in addition to young adult-oriented services.Originality/valueThis framework contributes to the career development literature by adopting social influence approach to explain parental intervention in young adults' career choice and also providing implications for career counselors.