A RESEARCH PROPOSAL ON THE INFLUENCE OF LITERACY OF PARENTS ON THE LEARNING OF ECDE CHILDREN INNYILIMA ZONE RARIEDADISTRICT SIAYA COUNTY

Despite several efforts which has been made by teachers and other stakeholders to improve the academic perfomance of ECDE Children. It is still quite common to find a child transist to primary school and aquired skills like communication and basic problem solving skills effectively. The population will comprise of all children in ECDE centres in Nyilima Zone, their parents and teachers.

The reseacher intends to use servey methord, questionaire, interviews and observation to collect usefull data for analysis. The reseacher intends to use puposive sampling methord to get the desired sample. The data will be analyzed statistically to determine the correctin between parents education level and child learning.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction

Education for young children requires a combined effort of the three very important partners, that is the teachers, the pupils and the parent. Laxity or non-participation of any one of these partners will lead to poor learning or literacy acquisition.

Since parents are not directly involved in the school setting, their influence on the learning of children in school cannot be underestimated.

· The chapter highlights

· Statement of the problem

· Purpose of the study

· Objectives of the study

· Research question and hypothesis

· Significance of the study

· Scope of the study

· Limitations and dilimitations of the study

1.1 Literature review

Why children succeed or fail in their academic perfomance has one of the most enduring questions for educational researchers and proffesionals. Traditional research findings has shown that the mothers level of education grealy affect the children acquisition of skills and reading levels (stitch and Mc Donald 1990). The national assesment of education proficiency (NAEP) data (1998) provide evidence that the mothers education level trully influence childrens learning.

(Tzard, schofield and Hewison 1882) found out that children who read to parents and being read to by parents often made greater gains to literacy than those who read to prffessionals like teachers.

Leithwood (1994) found out that the parents attitude and belief towards education highly affect child learning and acquisition of literacy.

James (2004) observed that literate parents have little or no time to discuss career with their children which negatively influence childrens effort to achieve high levels in learning, however some reseachers argue that how parents bring up their children is more important than their (parents) literacy level Health (1983) taylor and donsey Games (1988), Teale (1986) snw, barnes, Chandler, goodman and Henphil (1991). The argue that home environment matters most. Chall and snow (1982) carried out the home literacy studies of low perfomance and high perfomance. The study however found no direct relationship between parents literacy level and childrens achievements in school.

Averbachs (1989) work show that indirect factors including:- outing with parents, home environment, amount of time parents take to interact with children, economic status, stimulating activities, parental invilvement with school had stronger effects on many aspects of acquisition of reading and writing than did direct academic activities like helping with homework.

It is against this background that the reseacher intends to carry out intensive research to acertain the influence of parental literacy on children learning in ECDE Centre.

Research findings has also shown that because of low education level of parents they may not be able to provide even non academic assistance to their achievement in school.

1.2 Background of the study

Research show that children have a better chance of becoming fully literate when reading is encouraged at the (Daily Nation Journal) even before they join pre-school.

Studies also show that children achievement in school improves with parent involvement in education of the child (Henderson 1998). Involvement includes attenidng school functions like class meetings, school events i.e sports, drama and education days:- discussing your child with his/her t eachers and generaly showing concern on the child progress. This motivates and creates confidence in chld connections between parents level of education and child’s academic scores have benn established in a number of studies. The connection have also beeen made between socio-economic status, education and literacy level of parents and their children (Literary skills for the knowledge society 1997) Cambridge P.P 30-31

Quality of life including income levels and employment status is directly related to literacy level of parents.

Study also shows that children raised in literate households are likely to enter pre-school with some pre-reading and pre-writing skills (MOEST 2004).

Research has also shown that reading aloud to children by parents increased the child’s level of attachment. This enhanced a sense of security and the trust in children that their parents value and love them (How to raise a reader 1987) Oxford University Press.

Study has also shown that doing simple things like reading and telling stories for an 18month child are powerfull stimuli for brain developemnet (Early Years report – Reversing the Real Brain (1999)

1.3 Statement of the problem

In recent times there was been deplorable level of academic performance of ECDE children in Nyilima Zone especially in the acquisiton of basic skills of reading, writing and speaking. It is embarassing to notice a child leaving ECDE center and transit to primary and cannto communicate effectively the skills learnt to a reasonable degree of proficincy and effectiveness. It has been assumed by researchers that parents level of education influnce this. Valencia and Ronald (1991). They further concluded that the parents educationa achievemnt has positive values to their children, this provides a model to emulate.

Bamisaye and Williams (1971) confirmed this when carrying out a study on two families, one elite and the other a traditional family.

Nisbet (1977) attributed academic perforamance at school to parents’ attitude and educational attainment with the child. According to Smart (1992) parents who are literate follow their childrens achievement by giving practice, going to school to find out the progress of their children.

According to good and Brophy (1997) educated parents show interest in their childrens achievement and choose subjects, they meet and collaborate with teachers to ensure their childs seriousness.

Durojaiye (1997) established that educated parents provide the following:- showing pictures, telling stories and providing play materials, send children to better schools and give children incentives for better perfomance.

The reseacher believes that the poor perfomance in ECDE centres has been coused mosly by the parents low education indepth investigations on this samples will be selected and parents educations level estblished, their participation in school activities, participation in school activities, participation in child learning, provision of stimulating environmematal and soci-economic status, attitude towards education and other related areas.

The data will be analysed and appropriate recommenadtions made.

The outcome of the research intends to come up with solutions to enable parents to particpate fully inn the education achievemnt of their children in ECDE despite their literacy level.

1.4 Purpose of the study

The researcher intends to asses the parents participation in the academic achievement of their children in ECDE centers.

The findings will help in the achievemnt of basic literacy skills of ECDE children in the ECDE centers in Nyilima Zone.

The study will be beneficial to parents, teachers, and other stakeholders in education.

1.5 Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study are:-

- To determine literacy level of parents with Children in ECDE.

- To find out the literacy achievement of children in ECDE

- To investigate parents participation in the following areas:-

i) Reading to children

ii) Participation in school activities i.e meetings and sports

iii) Provide play materials

iv) Collaborate with teachers

v) Discuss career with children

vi) Take children out/trip

vii) Provide reading/writing materials

- To determine soci-economic status of parents

- To establish the parents’ attitude towards education

1.6 Research questions/hypothesis

Illeterate parents negatively influence the learning of their children in ECDE

1.7 Significance of the Study

The researcher hopes that the research findings will be beneficial to the following:-

- Managers and administrators of ECDE centers

- Ministry of Education

- Parents of ECDE centers

- Teachers of ECDE centers

- Philanthropists who are interested in promotion of learning of young children.

- Children who are enrolled in pre-school

1.8 Scope of the study

The study will only collect data from parents with children in ECDE classes in Nyilima Zone, Rarieda District.

The study will also collect data on the academic achievemnt of children in ECDE centres; this will be gathered from the progress records kept by ECDE teachers

1.9 Limitations and delimitations

Limitations

i) The reseacher anticipates the following to hinder his work

ii) Limited time allocated from the research

iii) Financial constraints

iv) Illitrate parents who will need atmosphere for the questionaire

Parents unwilingness to give information especially on education level and income.

Delimitations

There are factors which are advantagious to the reseacher and will make his work successful.

The reseacher knows the area and can access the centres with ease.

Good relationship between the reseacher and other teachers.

Good terain/ roads will easen movement

1.10 Definition of operational terms

Attitude: An expression of favour or disfavour towards thing or event.

Behaviour :- The aggregate response to internal and external stimuli

Early Literacy:- Behaviours that show a childs understanding of pictures and events in a book ie imitating an action seen.

Environment: Is the interactions a child make with his/her sorrounding.

Interacton:- Action that accurs when two people have an effect upon one another.

Literacy:- The ability to read and write

Imbibe:- To receive in mind and retain

Parent:- A caretaker of the child

Perfomance:- The accomplishment of a given task which is measurable against known standards of accuracy.

Scafolding:- An instructional technique where a teacher provide invidualized support by incrementaly improving a learner’s ability to build on prior knowledge.

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Introduction

In this chapter the reseacher renews related litrature in relation to early childhood education and how their learning is influenced by the literacy or education level of their parents.

Most of these reviews will be based on previous research findings existing theories and journals and publications of relevance.

The following areas will be reviewed:-

- Parental education level and interaction with the child

- Parents provision of play materials and learning resourses

- Parents reading story books to children and telling oral stories

- Parents attitude towards education

- Home environment and socio economic status

- Parents involvement in school activities

- Summary

2.1 Parental Education level and interaction with the child

Most of the time it’s the parents who influence children how they feel about themselves. They are all products of the “self fulfiling prophecy,” what we expect from our child is what we get. Constant input of sincere positive reignforcement helps children feel good about themselves and enables them to function well (S. Goldbeg April 2014).

Constant criticism causes children to feel bad about themselves and hinder their learning at school.

It is therefore important for parents to employ effective ways of interacting with their children. Parents who are ilitrate find it difficult to get positive responses from their children. Parents who are illiterate find it difficult to get positive responses from their children bacause of poor aproaches they use.

For example taking the child to the church or temple or mosque concert can train the child to sit listen and concentrate for long. Clear and specific directions should be given to the children.

Make the children feel they are needed by the seeking their help ie ‘help me with the baby’s bottle, bring me the towel, and in the process use the magic words like please, thank you. John bowly (1907-1990) was the first to intrduce the attatched theory. He observed that early relationship with parents play a major role in child development. The cild feel secure enough to explain the world.

2.2 Provisions of play materials

The importance of play to child development cannot be over emphasized. Play is essensial to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical social and emotional well being of children.

Play also offers Ideal oppotunity for the parents to engage fully with their children.

Despite these benefits derived fro play to both childre and their parents, most parents ignore this to lack of knowledge which is mostly caused by low or lack of education. Illiteate parents fail to do the folowing:

· Give time for free play

· Provide play materials

· Spare time to play with the child

· Lack of knowledge in the importance of play

Illiterate parents view play as a waste of time and would prefer intensive academic work most of the time

2.3 Parents reading to children and narrating stories

Several research findings has shown that children who are being read to by parents mature early and gain school readiness above those who are not read to.they are likely to enter pre-school with some pre-reading skills. (BBC report on literacy 1998)

Acording to cognitive theorists (Piaget, vygotsky) the children (1969) they view children as active participants in learning therefore parents should engage children in reading.

Environmentalists’ theorists (john Watson, B.F. skimmer, A. Bandura) believed that school readiness is when a child can respond appropriately to the environment of school and classroom which include rules and regulations, curriculum activities, positive behavior in group, follow direction and instructions from teachers and other adults in school. Success in this is dependent on the parents to initiate them from infancy through reciting alphabets, copying letters and tracing numbers at home. Parents should provide workbooks containing activities such as colouring, tracing letters.

2.4 Parents atitude towards education

Parental beliefs, values, aspirations, and attitude (cognition) are very important, as is parental well beingparentals skills interms of warmth, discipline, And educational behavior are all major factors in the formation of school success. The parents’ atittude determines what parents pass to children.

Better-educated parents are often seen to be interested with their childrens studies and are focuused to see their children succeed in their academic perfomance. To achieve this they provide facilities at home and at school, they often pay extra fees to teachers to teach their children at home when they have no time.

They also strive to enrol their children in better perfoming schools

Acording to smart (1992) parents who have interest in science subjects or persue careers that are science oriented tend to embibe some positive atittude to the children towards their profesional occupations.

2.5 Home enironment/ socio economic status

Children whose psycological needs are provided acquire more skills than those whose needs are not met. Illitrate parents have low income and this can hinder the leaning of the children from theses families.

Research findings also show that children from poor families are less read to than children from economicaly stable families. (From a child and family statistics 2004)

Quality for life for families include income levels and employemet status is directly related to literacy level of parents (IALS 1995-1997) this implies that children from parents with low education level are also likely to be from fromow income families.

Low economic status also hinders provision of books, play materials, learning materials, full perticipation of school activities, poor health, and nutrion, low self-esteem among others.

2.6 Parents involvement in school activities

Involvement of parents may take the following dimensions

· Frequency of teacher parent contact

· Quality of teacher child interuction

· Participation in educational activities at home and at school.

Recent findings suggest that enhancing parental involvement in childs schooling relates to improvement in school functioning and achievement of the child (American journal of community psychology. December 1999 vol 27 issue no. 6 pages 817-839. By Charles V. Izzo, Rodger P. Weissberg, Wesley J. Kasprow and Michael Fendrich)

Study has also shown that children whose parents are fully involved in school develop positive atittude towards learning, they feel motivated as they see their parents more concerned with their learning.

Summary

For a long time in the history, children often viewed simply as small adults and little attention was paid to the many advances children made in cognitive ability, langage usage and physical and social growth that occurs during childhood.

It is only in the 20^th century that interest began to learn how children acquire knowledge. Philosophers, reseachers and other people who were interested in finding how children acquire knowledge and skills came up with theories and research findings.

Behavioural theories (J.B Warson etal), social child development theorists (J. Bowlby), Albert Bandura (Social learning theory), Lev. Vygotsky (socio cultural theory), J. Piaget congnitive thories and other reseachers like Wilton (1975) Nisbet (1977) and many others, journals and reports both agree that learning of young children are influenced by a number of factors which includes environment, parenting and heriditary. Most of these factors focuses on the greater role which parens play to influence the learning of children. It is for this purpose that the reseacher intends to establish how literacy level of parents influences the acquisition of skills and knowledge among young children.

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Introduction

The chapter deals with the following:-

3.1 The research design

The reseacher will employ correlation research design, this will help to determine the relationship between the literacy of parent and child learning.

3.2 Location of the study

The study will be conducted in Nyilima Zone, Rarieda District, Siaya County. Nyilima zone boders lake Victoria to the south, Kisumu County to the east, Nyayiera Zone to the West and Kambare Zone to the west. It is adminstered as East Asembo Location and is devided into three sublocations. The main economic activity of the residents is fishing and peasant farming.

3.3 Target population

The population of this study comprise of 96 ECDE childrenwhich comprise of 48 high achievers and 48 low achievers and their parents/caregivers.

3.4 Sample and sampling procedures

Nyilima Zone comprise of 24 ECDE Centres with a population of 1920 children and about 1900 parents/caregivers.

The reseacher intends to use puposive sampling method by picking two (2) high achievers and two (2) low achievers from each ECDE Centre giving a total of 96 children whose parents will be invilved in an intensive research to collect data for comprehensive analysis. Therefore the sample will consist of 96 participants.

3.5 Research Instruments

The reseacher intends to use quaetionaire, which will be sent to sample parents, interview schedules and observation.

3.6 Data collection techniques

The reseacher will send questionaires to the sample, population, the reseacher will also use existing data about the perfomance of the children in ECDE centres. From their progress records.

The reseacher expects to receive 100% response and return of the questionaires. Children will also be observed in their school/classroom setting.

3.7 Data analysis methods

The data will be analysed statistically using tables and graphs, analyzed from the raw data collected from the field.

References

Admas MJ. (1990) beginning to read.

Chal J.S. and Snow C. (1982) families and literacy; the contribution of out of school experiences to childrens acquisition of literacy.

Fossen, S. V. and Stitch T G (1991) teach the Mother and reach the child.

Good and Nsibet C (1997) education research action London Press.

Gadsden V. (Unpublished draft)

Nathenen Centre for family literacy (1993), Discrimination process submission to the program effectiveness panel of the U.S. education department Lousville, Kentuck.

Patton M. Q (1990) Qualitative Evaluation and Research methods. Newbarry Park Califonia sage publications.

Snow, C.E. Barness W.S. Chamdlen (1991) home and school influences on literacy Cambridge , Havard University Press.

Tizard J. (1982) Reading symposium. “Collaboration Between Teachers and Parents in assisting childrens reading” British Journal of Educational psychology. 52 (Part 1) 1 -15 30.

Thursday, February 6, 2020

A RESEARCH PROPOSAL ON THE INFLUENCE OF LITERACY OF PARENTS ON THE LEARNING OF ECDE CHILDREN INNYILIMA ZONE RARIEDADISTRICT SIAYA COUNTY

LIST OF ACCRONYMS

CHAPTER TWO

No comments:

Post a Comment