Journey of Data Collection: My Experience Narrative of Working with Destitute Children Residing at Children’s Home

This article represents a narrative description of my data collection journey and the experience of working with children residing at Child Care Institution (CCI) like children’s home. It outlines my experience in a creative language and also draws attention to the challenges I faced, be it seeking permission from the concerned authorities or visiting the children’s home to actually working with the children. The procedures to access these children are quite lengthy and strenuous. Overall, this article highlights my experiences as a researcher, working with the children, the lessons I learnt and dealing with challenges imposed by COVID-19. In conclusion, through this experience article, I intend to make my fellow researchers aware of the procedures and challenges involved in dealing with this population, data collection process, which could benefit them to prepare accordingly, and to recommend to the caretakers and stakeholders the need for research in this area and promote activities to enhance mental health conditions.

Predictors of foster father’s engagement in foster family homes

Research background: Foster fatherhood is undoubtedly a specific kind of fatherhood, since the man, often being a husband and father to his biological offspring, makes the decision to play the role of a foster father, the performance of which requires a high level of engagement in the realization of caring-rearing as well as compensatory activities, which – in turn – call for constant raising of the competences of working with an orphaned child.Research aim: To learn about the factors which condition the level of involvement of foster fathers in the realization of parenting activity in family-run children’s homes in both the global and partial dimensions.Research method: In the study, the method of diagnostic survey and that of assessment were applied.Obtained results: The analyses proved that the level of engagement of foster fathers in the realization of parenting activity in family-run children’s homes is to a large extent conditioned by foster fathers’ personality factors; to a smaller degree it is influenced by sociodemographic factors or those which are based in the system of social welfare.Conclusions: The specific nature of tasks set for a family-run children’s home demands that foster fathers should engage in the realization of parenting activity to the highest possible degree. It is thus not only important for men to be prepared to play the role of a foster father, but it is also vital to constantly support them in this role.

Impact of Parents’ Attitudes on Learning Ineffectiveness: The Mediating Role of Parental Self-Efficacy

Parents play a key role in children’s home-based online learning. This study constructed a mediating model to explore the mechanism of parents’ attitudes toward online learning (PATOL) and the perceived online learning ineffectiveness (POLI) of their children and to investigate the mediating effect of parents’ self-efficacy (PSE) on PATOL and POLI. Valid questionnaire data from 18,170 middle school parents were collected by snowball sampling. The hypotheses proposed in this study were verified by using Model 4 of PROCESS. The results showed that: when controlling parents’ gender, age, and children’s length of online learning in regression equations, (1) both PATOL and PSE were negatively related to POLI, while PATOL was positively related to PSE; (2) PSE played a mediating role in the relationship between PATOL and POLI. This study also discusses how to support parents to assist children’s home-based online learning. Schools should carry out some necessary training for parents. Parents can get guidance and advice on how to create an environment conducive to children’s online learning.

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Self-Instructional Module on Knowledge Regarding Home Care Management of Thalassemia Children among the Parents in A.V.B.R. Hospital, Wardha

Background of Study: Thalassemia is a genetic condition in which the production of globin chains is reduced or non-existent. Beta-thalassemia is caused by mutations in the beta-globin gene, which impede the formation of beta-globin chains. Based on clinical severity, beta thalassemia is categorised as follows. The most severe form of beta thalassemia is characterised by severe anaemia and the requirement for blood transfusions. Anaemia caused by beta thalassemia intermedia can be treated with medication or transfusions. Beta thalassemia minima- Also known as beta thalassemia trait, this type is typically asymptomatic. Children with beta-thalassemia major require regular blood transfusions, which can result in issues such as iron overload and the transfer of illnesses such as HIV, HCV, and HBsAg, all of which can shorten their life. Inadequate transfusions, on the other hand, result in severe anaemia as well as fatigue and debility. Objectives: To measure parents' existing knowledge of thalassemia children's home care management. To analyses the efficiency of a self-instructional module on thalassemia children's home care management expertise. To link the post-test knowledge score to the demographic factors chosen. Materials and Methods: A descriptive research design study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of a self-instructional module on parental understanding of thalassemia children's home care management. The total number of samples in this study was 30. All of them were parents of thalassemia children from A.V.B.R. Hospital in Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha. The study employed a non-probability convenient sampling strategy, with the instrument being designed questionnaires on parental understanding of their children's medical conditions and knowledge of home care management of thalassemia. Based on the aims and hypothesis, the data was statistically analysed using various tests such as descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Results: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficiency of a self-instructional module on parental understanding of thalassemia children's home care management. Following the installation of the seif-instructional module, 63.33 percent of Thalassemia parents had a poor level of knowledge and 36.67 percent had an average level of knowledge prior to the exam, according to analysis. The lowest knowledge score on the pre-test was 2 and the highest knowledge score was 7. The pre-test mean percentage of knowledge score was 33.559.17, and the pre-test mean knowledge score was 5.031.37. Post-test knowledge scores were average for 23.33 percent of Thalassemia parents and excellent for 76.67 percent of Thalassemia parents. The minimum post-test knowledge score was 8 and the maximum post-test knowledge score was 14. The mean post-test knowledge score was 11.901.84, and the mean percentage of knowledge score was 79.3312.29. Conclusion: The current study's pre-test results reveal that parents of thalassemia children had insufficient information about thalassemia home care management. Following the self-instructional module, it was a modest attempt to develop understanding of thalassemia home care management. Based on their pre-test scores, 19% of subjects had low knowledge, 11% had moderate knowledge, and 0% had strong knowledge, according to the findings. However, according to post-test results, 0% of subjects had low knowledge, 7% of subjects had average knowledge, and 23% of subjects had strong knowledge. As a result, the post-test knowledge score was statistically interpreted to be greater than the pre-test knowledge score.

Portrait of early science education in majority dual language learner classrooms: Where do we start?

Despite the growing interest in early science education, there is much left to be explored, particularly in majority Dual Language Learning (DLL) classrooms. The current study examined 1) early science opportunities across classroom contexts in majority Spanish-English DLL Head Start classrooms, 2) the languages (i.e., English and Spanish) that teachers used to engage DLL children in science, 3) and how teachers’ discussion of scientific and engineering practices and disciplinary core ideas related to children’s academic outcomes. In a sample of 411 children (ages 3-5) from 34 Head Start classrooms, the current study found that teachers discussed and encouraged more practices during science lessons than circle time, dramatic play, and story time. There were no differences in teachers’ discussion of core ideas across contexts. Teachers used the same amount of English and Spanish to discuss practices and core ideas. Teaching physical science was associated with children’s science outcomes. Making observations and discussing life science were associated with children’s math outcomes. Teaching math, making observations, and developing and using models were related to children’s executive functioning. Findings from this study demonstrate that science opportunities occur across preschool classroom settings. Additionally, it provides evidence that teachers may be supporting DLL children’s home language while discussing science. Finally, results indicate that teaching science supports children’s academic performance in several outcomes. These findings have implications for DLL education policy as science may be a domain where teachers can support children’s home language and their learning across multiple domains.

The impact of school strategies and the home environment on home learning experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in children with and without developmental disorders

Using the Opportunity-Propensity Model (Byrnes, 2020; Byrnes & Miller, 2007), the current study investigated which factors helped predicting children’s home learning experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby examining differences between children with (DD; n = 779) and without (TD; n = 1443) developmental disorders. MANCOVA results indicated more negative experiences for DD children and their parents. SEM-results revealed the alignment between different teachers and autonomous motivation in children as the most important predictors for the outcome variables. Less predictors were significant for DD as compared to TD children which suggests other factors are at play in the DD group. Limitations, strengths and suggestions for future research are being discussed, together with some implications for classroom practices and remote learning approaches.

Parental Social Comparison Related to Tutoring Anxiety, and Guided Approaches to Assisting Their Children's Home Online Learning During the COVID-19 Lockdown

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused great disruption in education systems around the world. Schools have in some cases ended or limited on-site teaching, and have shifted toward home online teaching. This situation is likely to cause increased uncertainty and anxiety for parents who on one hand may question the quality of home online learning yet, on the other, may not feel sufficiently confident or competent to guide their children's home online learning. Resulting anxiety is expected to be most evident in competitive educational contexts, such as those found throughout much of East Asia. Therefore, using China as the setting, and social comparison theory as the framework, this study examined how variation in parent social comparison relates to parent tutoring anxiety and, in turn, to the types of guided strategies parents use to promote their children's home online learning. The results indicated a positive relationship between parental upward social comparison and parental tutoring anxiety, but a negative relationship between parent downward social comparison and parental anxiety. Parental tutoring anxiety is positively related to the confirmation and structure types, but negatively related to the discovery type of guided approaches. The implication of this study is that parents who resist tendencies of competitive upward social comparison are likely to adopt more effective approaches to guiding their children's home online learning.