published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Research indicates that preschool experience significantly influences child development and this study examined the influence of preschool learning experiences on children’s school readiness, self-regulation and academic achievement. Participants were 190 children from an impoverished county in Southwest China and their teachers. Classroom observations were conducted and children were assessed in individual and group sessions. There were three different types of preschool programs (kindergartens, pre-primary classes; Grade 1) available in the county. A total of 18 teaching episodes provided in either the kindergarten or primary schools to 164 children were videotaped and analyzed. Results indicated marked variations in preschool quality and pedagogical practices to support children’s self-regulation across programs. Kindergartens had the best physical environments, the most resources and highly qualified teachers. The teachers provided children with meaningful learning opportunities, adequate instructions, clear structure and predictability, and diversified instructional formats. Pre-primary classes had limited resources and unqualified teachers who emphasized academic learning. Compared to kindergarten teachers, pre-primary class teachers prepared fewer activities and frequently required children to simply sit still and listen. Preschool age children who merely “sat in” Grade 1 classrooms were typically neglected by teachers and only received attention from the teacher when they were disruptive. Grade 1 children (89 girls) who had attended kindergarten (n = 60), separate pre-primary classes (n = 55), merely “sat in” Grade 1 classes before being formally enrolled in school (n = 54) or had no preschool experience (n = 21) were assessed at the beginning of Grade 1 (Wave 1), at the end of Grade 1 (Wave 2), and at the end of Grade 2 (Wave 3). Their school readiness was assessed in Wave 1. Their self-regulation skills were assessed using the modified Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task in Waves 1 and 2, and seven cognitive regulation tests in Wave 3. Their literacy and mathematics achievement was evaluated using curriculum-based tests across the three waves. Results indicated that children with some form of preschool experience outperformed those with none in almost all the three outcomes across the three waves. Children from the kindergarten had better school readiness than the other three groups and better self-regulation than those attending separate pre-primary classes at the start of school. Children attending separate pre-primary classes had significantly better literacy and mathematics than those from the kindergarten at the start of school and literacy at the end of Grade 2. Children “sitting in” Grade 1 classes achieved lower scores than those from the kindergarten and pre-primary classes on almost all child outcome measures. The growth of self-regulation within the first primary school year was significant and Wave 1 behavioral regulation predicted Wave 3 cognitive regulation. School readiness and self-regulation significantly predicted academic achievement in all three waves and school readiness mediated the close relationship between self-regulation and academic achievement. Findings highlight the importance of (i) preschool experience for children from economically disadvantaged families in rural China; and (ii) self-regulation in school preparedness and early academic attainment. They also have implications for scaling up and enhancing the quality of preschool programs. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Kwok Man Ki. / Accompanying CD-ROM entitled: DRAGON program 2005. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 193-203). / Abstracts in English and Chinese; appendices also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Abstract (Chinese version) --- p.iii / Acknowledgement --- p.v / Table of contents --- p.vi / List of tables --- p.xi / List of figures --- p.xviii / Presentations --- p.xix / Chapter Chapter one: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Hong Kong preschoolers' nutritional health situation --- p.1 / Chapter (I) --- Breastfeeding & complementary feeding practices --- p.1 / Chapter (II) --- "Diet, mealtime and physical activity patterns" --- p.3 / Chapter (III) --- Weight status --- p.6 / Health risk factors accumulated up to preschool age --- p.8 / Childhood Obesity Prevention: School-based intervention --- p.12 / Chapter (I) --- Primary obesity prevention and health promoting schools --- p.12 / Chapter (II) --- Feasibility of health promotion initiatives in Hong Kong kindergartens --- p.14 / Chapter (III) --- Nutrition and physical activity intervention studies --- p.18 / Chapter (IV) --- Hong Kong kindergarten health initiative: DRAGON Program --- p.23 / Aim and scope of the DRAGON Program --- p.28 / Chapter Chapter two: --- Methodology --- p.30 / Kindergarten recruitment --- p.30 / Formative preparatory stage --- p.32 / Chapter (I) --- Teaching kit development --- p.32 / Chapter (II) --- Teaching kit pretesting --- p.33 / Chapter (III) --- Parents' focus group --- p.35 / Chapter (IV) --- Questionnaires development --- p.35 / Chapter (V) --- Ethics approval --- p.37 / Subject recruitment --- p.37 / Pre-intervention stage --- p.37 / Chapter (I) --- Anthropometric measurements --- p.37 / Chapter (II) --- Parental questionnaires --- p.38 / DRAGON Program implementation --- p.38 / Chapter (I) --- Preschoolers' health curriculum --- p.38 / Chapter (II) --- Pre-intervention data management and analysis --- p.39 / Chapter (III) --- Booster activities planning and implementation --- p.40 / Chapter (IV) --- Parents' newsletters --- p.42 / Post-intervention stage --- p.42 / Chapter Chapter three: --- Results --- p.46 / Enrollment and response rate --- p.46 / Between schools baseline comparison --- p.50 / Education vs. Control Schools baseline comparison --- p.53 / Chapter (I) --- Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics --- p.53 / Chapter (II) --- Children's dietary patterns --- p.60 / Chapter (III) --- "Regular meals, snack patterns and other mealtime behaviors" --- p.65 / Chapter (IV) --- Usual activity patterns --- p.67 / Chapter (V) --- Parents' health knowledge and preferred communication channels --- p.72 / Chapter (VI) --- Child's height and weight measurements --- p.77 / Chapter (VII) --- Factors associated with children's weight status --- p.79 / Chapter (VIII) --- "Associations between socioeconomic status (SES) and children's dietary, mealtime and activity patterns" --- p.81 / Process and outcome evaluations of the Dragon Program --- p.90 / Part a) 1st follow up after finishing all health curriculum --- p.90 / Chapter (I) --- Children's dietary patterns --- p.90 / Chapter (II) --- Mealtime behaviors --- p.95 / Chapter (III) --- Usual activity patterns --- p.99 / Chapter (IV) --- Health curriculum effectiveness evaluation by AM/PM sessions --- p.103 / Part b) 2nd follow up after finishing promotional activities --- p.107 / Chapter (I) --- Children's dietary patterns --- p.108 / Chapter (II) --- Mealtime behaviors --- p.116 / Chapter (III) --- Usual activity patterns --- p.122 / Between subgroups comparisons --- p.131 / Chapter (I) --- First follow up --- p.131 / Chapter (II) --- Second follow up --- p.132 / Parent Focus groups (baseline) --- p.136 / Chapter (I) --- Awareness of local adults' and preschoolers' health status --- p.136 / Chapter (II) --- Children's dietary habits and lifestyle --- p.137 / Chapter (III) --- Factors affecting their children's health behaviors --- p.139 / Parent Focus groups (booster activities) --- p.140 / Teachers´ةquestionnaires --- p.142 / Teachers after class assessment --- p.149 / Teachers´ة focus groups --- p.155 / Principals´ة Interviews --- p.157 / Chapter (I) --- Importance of creating healthy school environment --- p.157 / Chapter (II) --- Students' & teachers´ة performance in first half-year DRAGON Program --- p.158 / Chapter (III) --- Comments on implementing second half-year DRAGON Program --- p.160 / Chapter (IV) --- Recommendations for the development of the Program --- p.161 / Chapter Chapter four: --- Discussion --- p.163 / Implications of the findings --- p.164 / Chapter (I) --- Socioeconomic and demographic factors associated with preschoolers' diet and lifestyle at baseline --- p.164 / Chapter a) --- Association between SES and children´ةs dietary habits --- p.164 / Chapter b) --- Association between SES and children's weight status and their mealtime interactions with parents --- p.166 / Chapter c) --- "Association between children's weight status and their dietary mealtime, and activity patterns" --- p.167 / Chapter (II) --- Local preschool age children´ةs health situation --- p.170 / Chapter (III) --- Program Effectiveness assessment --- p.173 / Chapter a) --- After the implementation of the one-term health curriculum --- p.173 / Chapter b) --- After the implementation of health curriculum and promotional activities --- p.179 / Chapter (IV) --- Program acceptability and feasibility --- p.186 / Limitations --- p.189 / Recommendation for future preschool health program --- p.190 / Chapter Chapter five: --- Conclusion --- p.192 / References --- p.193 / Appendices --- p.204 / Chapter A1 --- School invitation letter with program briefing details (English version) --- p.204 / Chapter A2 --- School invitation letter with program briefing details (Chinese version) --- p.209 / Chapter B1 --- School background information (English version) --- p.213 / Chapter B2 --- School background information (Chinese version) --- p.217 / Chapter C1 --- DRAGON Program Teacher's Guide for nursery grade (Chinese version) --- p.221 / Chapter C2 --- DRAGON Program Teacher's Guide for lower level (Chinese version) --- p.244 / Chapter C3 --- DRAGON Program Teacher's Guide for upper level (Chinese version) --- p.269 / Chapter D1 --- Parents´ة focus group (Jan) (English version) --- p.297 / Chapter D2 --- Parents´ة focus group (Jan) (Chinese version) --- p.301 / Chapter E1 --- Teachers´ة self-administered questionnaires (English version) --- p.305 / Chapter E2 --- Teachers´ة self-administered questionnaires (Chinese version) --- p.324 / Chapter F1a --- Parents´ة self-administered questionnaires [baseline] (English version) --- p.344 / Chapter F1b --- Parents´ة self-administered questionnaires [1st follow up] (English version) --- p.349 / Chapter F1c --- Parents' self-administered questionnaires [2nd follow up] (English version) --- p.354 / Chapter F2a --- Parents´ة self-administered questionnaires [baseline] (Chinese version) --- p.359 / Chapter F2b --- Parents´ة'self-administered questionnaires [1st follow up] (Chinese version) --- p.364 / Chapter F2c --- Parents´ة self-administered questionnaires [2nd follow up] (Chinese version) --- p.369 / Chapter G1 --- Parents´ة consent form (English version) --- p.374 / Chapter G2 --- Parents´ة consent form (Chinese version) --- p.376 / Chapter H1a --- Sample health lesson worksheet for nursery grade (Chinese version) --- p.378 / Chapter H1b --- Sample health lesson worksheet for lower level (Chinese version) --- p.379 / Chapter H1c --- Sample health lesson worksheet for upper level (Chinese version) --- p.380 / Chapter 11 --- Sample parents´ة newsletter (English version) --- p.382 / Chapter 12 --- Sample parents´ة newsletter (Chinese version) --- p.387 / Chapter J1 --- Questions for pretest parents´ة newsletter (Chinese and English version) --- p.392 / Chapter K1 --- Principals´ة interview (English version) --- p.395 / Chapter K2 --- Principals´ة interview (Chinese version) --- p.397 / Table A_1 to A_17 --- p.399 / DiscAl DRAGON Program: teaching materials for health lessons --- p.414 / DiscA2 DRAGON Program: materials for three booster activities --- p.414 / DiscA3 DRAGON Program: health lesson worksheets --- p.414 / DiscA4 DRAGON Program: parents´ة newsletters --- p.414