Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2009. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Mar. 10, 2010). Thesis advisor: Priscilla Blanton. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

L'anémie de l'enfant reste un problème d'importance pour la santé mondiale, malgré les décennies de recherche visant à comprendre son étiologie et à développer des interventions efficaces pour réduire sa prévalence et ses conséquences. Bien que les facteurs de risque individuels de l'anémie soient connus, y compris les facteurs liés à la malnutrition et à la morbidité, l'interaction entre lesdits facteurs est moins documentée dans des contextes où les enfants sont fréquemment exposés à plusieurs facteurs en même temps. Cette étude vise à documenter les efforts de lutte contre l'anémie du programme MICAH qui a été mis en oeuvre au Ghana, au Malawi et en Tanzanie. Ensuite, en utilisant les données relatives à la fois au processus et à l'évaluation colligées au cours du programme, elle vise à mieux comprendre les facteurs de risque d'anémie chez les jeunes enfants dans ces contextes et à comprendre comment les relations entre ces facteurs peuvent avoir changé au fil du temps lors de l'intervention. Spécifiquement, cette étude vérifie s‘il y a des preuves d'une réduction de la vulnérabilité des enfants aux facteurs de risque associés à l'anémie dans chaque contexte. Un examen de la documentation a été réalisé afin de caractériser le contexte du programme et des interventions, leur l'intensité et étendue. Les données transversales sur la nutrition et l'état de santé des enfants âgés de 24 à 59 mois (N = 2405) obtenues en 2000 et 2004 à partir des enquêtes d'évaluation du programme MICAH au Ghana, au Malawi et en Tanzanie, ont été utilisées pour décrire la prévalence de l'anémie. Les modèles polynomiaux de régression logistique et linéaire ont été utilisés pour estimer les risques d'anémie légère et d'anémie modérée / sévère et les niveaux d‘hémoglobine associés à des groupes de variables. Les estimations du risque attribuable à une population (RAP) ont aussi été calculées. Une anémie (Hb <110 g/L) a touché au moins 60% des enfants dans les trois pays; l'anémie modérée / sévère (<100 g/L) constituait la majorité des cas. Une forte diminution de l'anémie a été observée entre 2000 et 2004 au Ghana, mais seulement une légère baisse au Malawi et en Tanzanie. Le risque d'anémie modérée / sévère était associé au retard de croissance chez les enfants du Ghana (OR 2,68, IC 95% 1,70-4,23) et du Malawi (OR 1,71; 1,29-2,27) mais pas de la Tanzanie (OR 1,29; 0,87- 1,92). Le paludisme et les maladies récentes étaient associées à une hémoglobine plus basse. Une atténuation de cette association en 2004 a été observée seulement au Malawi pour le paludisme et au Ghana pour les maladies récentes. Le risque d'anémie modérée / sévère était 44% moindre chez les enfants âgés de 48 à 59 mois comparativement aux enfants de 24 à 35 mois dans les trois pays et cela n'a pas changé entre 2000 et 2004. Les RAP estimés ont montré qu‘environ un cinquième des cas d‘anémie modérée à sévère était attribuable au retard de croissance au Ghana et Malawi, mais pas en Tanzanie. Des RAP moindres et dépendants des contextes ont été trouvés pour le paludisme et les maladies récentes. Dans ces zones d‘intervention intégrées de santé et de nutrition la relation de certains facteurs de risque à l'anémie se modifia avec le temps. Le retard de croissance est resté toutefois un facteur de risque indépendant et non mitigé de l'anémie. Une réduction efficace des causes de la malnutrition chronique est nécessaire afin de réduire la vulnérabilité des enfants et de garantir un impact maximum des programmes de lutte contre l'anémie. Une mitigation de l'impact du paludisme peut par contre être visée dans les régions endémiques. / Childhood anaemia remains a problem of global health importance, despite decades of research to understand its aetiology and develop effective interventions to reduce its prevalence and consequences. While the individual risk factors for anaemia in young children are known, including factors related to undernutrition and morbidity, much less is known about the interaction amongst these in contexts where children are frequently exposed to several at the same time. This study seeks to document the anaemia control efforts of the Micronutrient and Health (MICAH) program implemented in Ghana, Malawi and Tanzania and use both process and evaluation data collected during the program to better understand the risk factors for anaemia in young children in these contexts and how these risk relationships may have changed over time during the intervention. Specifically, this study tests whether there is evidence of a reduction in child vulnerability to the risk factors associated with anaemia in each context. A review of program documentation was conducted to characterize the program contexts and interventions, including estimates of intensity and reach. Cross-sectional data on the nutrition and health status of children 24-59 mo (N=2405) obtained in 2000 and 2004 from community-based program evaluation surveys in Ghana, Malawi and Tanzania, were used to describe the prevalence of anaemia. Multinomial logistic and linear regression models were used to estimate the risk of mild and moderate/severe anaemia and low haemoglobin, respectively, associated with groups of variables. Population attributable risk (PAR) estimates were also calculated. Anaemia (haemoglobin <110 g/L) affected at least 60% of children in all three countries; moderate/severe anaemia (<100 g/L) accounted for the majority of cases. A large decrease in anaemia was observed between 2000 and 2004 in Ghana, but only a small decrease in Malawi and Tanzania. The risk of moderate/severe anaemia was associated with stunting in children from Ghana (OR 2.68; 95% CI 1.70, 4.23) and Malawi (OR 1.71; 1.29, 2.27) but not Tanzania (OR 1.29; 0.87, 1.92). Malaria and recent illness was associated with lower Hb overall; attenuation of this association in 2004 was observed only in Malawi for malaria and Ghana for illness. Children 48-59 mo were at least 44% less likely than those 24-35 mo to have moderate/severe anaemia in all three countries and this did not change between 2000 and 2004. PAR estimates showed that roughly one fifth of moderate/severe anaemia cases were attributable to stunting in Ghana and Malawi but not Tanzania. Lower and context-variable PAR estimates were found for malaria and recent illness. Integrated health and nutrition interventions altered the relationship of some but not all risk factors for anaemia. Stunting remained an independent and non-buffered risk factor for anaemia. Effectively reducing the causes of chronic undernutrition is required in order to reduce child vulnerability and ensure maximum impact of anaemia control programs. Some buffering of malaria impact may be achieved in endemic settings.

This study was primarily intended to ascertain whether there was any test already in existence in South Africa which was entirely suitable as a test of school readiness for Indian children. If there were no such test, could an existing test not be modified to make it suitable for use with Indian children? Or would an entirely new test be indicated? As a secondary, though intimately related matter, it was decided to discover to what extent factors such as schooling, socio-economic status and sex affect an Indian child's readiness for school. An examination of the existing group tests of school readiness in this country, showed that the National Bureau Group Test for Five-and-Six-Year-Olds (N.B.G.T. 5/6) was the one which was most likely to be suitable for use with Indian children. This test was therefore chosen for a more detailed study. In pursuit of the secondary aim it was decided to use two additional tests - the Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices (1947) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test - so as to provide a broader basis for the conclusions than the N.B.G.T. 5/6 by itself would have provided. The total sample of 156 six-year-old children, chosen from the Western Area of Durban, comprised three groups: (a) Schoolers (N = 60) : At the time of testing this group had had about six months of formal schooling. (b) Preschoolers (N = 48) : At the time of testing these children were attending a play-centre. (c) Nonschoolers (N = 48) : At the time of testing these children had had no schooling, either formal or of the play-centre type. Each of these three groups consisted of an equal number of boys and girls. In each of these sub-groups there was an equal number of children of each sex from the high and the low socio-economic groups. A random selection procedure was used through- The study of the primary aim involved quantitative and qualitative analyses of the data. Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficients and z-tests were computed. In the case of the secondary aim the statistical procedures included the use of 2 x 2 and 3 x 2 x 2 analyses of variance in addition to t-tests and product-moment correlations. The results of the study were as follows: General Aim (a) : The N.B.G.T. 5/6, unmodified, is unsuitable as a test of school readiness for use with Indian children. General Aim (b) : (i) Experiences related to the classroom learning situation, formal or otherwise, exert an influence on a child's readiness for school. (ii) Socio-economic factors have a marked influence on a child's readiness for school. (iii) A child's sex does not have any influence on a his readiness (or unreadiness for school). It was recommended that every opportunity for the advancement of preschool education among Indian children should be seized. This would compensate to some extent for the missing stimulation of a good home, an important factor for the promotion of school readiness. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1972.

The purpose of the present study was to determine if African American and Caucasian preschool children displayed similar patterns of performance among the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) factors measured by the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (KABC-II). Specifically, a profile analysis was conducted to determine if African Americans and Caucasians displayed the same patterns of highs and low and scored at the same level on the KABC-II composites and subtests. Forty-nine African American (mean age = 59.14 months) and 49 Caucasian (mean age = 59.39) preschool children from a Midwestern City were included in the study and were matched on age, sex, and level of parental education. Results of a profile analysis found African American and Caucasian preschool children had a similar pattern of highs and lows and performed at the same level on the CHC broad abilities as measured by the KABC-II. Comparison of the overall mean IQ indicated no significant differences between the two groups. The overall mean difference between groups was 1.47 points, the smallest gap seen in the literature. This finding was inconsistent with previous research indicating a one standard deviation difference in IQ between African Americans and Caucasians. A profile analysis of the KABC-II subtests found the African American and Caucasian groups performed at an overall similar level, but did not show the same pattern of highs and lows. Specifically, Caucasians scored significantly higher than African Americans on the Expressive Vocabulary subtest which measures the CHC narrow ability of Lexical Knowledge. Results of this study supported the KABC-II’s authors’ recommendation to make interpretations at the composite level. When developing hypotheses of an individual’s strengths and weaknesses in narrow abilities, clinicians should be cautious when interpreting the Expressive Vocabulary subtest with African Americans. Overall, results of this study supported the use of the KABC-II with African American preschool children. When making assessment decisions, clinicians can be more confident in an unbiased assessment with the KABC-II. Future research could further explore the CHC narrow abilities in ethnically diverse populations. Additionally, more research should be conducted with other measures of cognitive ability designed to adhere to the CHC theory, and the appropriateness of those tests with an African American population. Furthermore, future research with the KABC-II could determine if the results of the present study were replicated in other age groups. / Department of Educational Psychology

Preschool children play an active role in their own development through their interaction with the environment that takes place in the form of unstructured play. Unstructured play is a creative expression of preschool children’s physical, cognitive, social and emotional self and creates opportunities to learn important skills and values necessary for the mastery of their world. The researcher became aware, from practical experience as a social worker in private practice, of more and more preschool children who are exposed to structured play with the aim to promote their development. This aspect can contribute towards preschool children not developing in a natural manner that will lead to the devaluation of unstructured play. The overall objective of this study was to explore and describe parents’ perceptions of the value of unstructured play for their preschool children in order to make recommendations to professionals offering parental guidance to parents, with regards to the value of unstructured play for preschool children. A qualitative phenomenological research design was adopted to explore and describe parents’ perceptions and experiences of unstructured play. Two focus group discussions were conducted and two main themes were identified by analysing the data. The main themes are participants’ perception of the value of unstructured play and participants’ choice in respect of unstructured versus structured play. The conclusion drawn by the researcher is that parents are aware of the valuable contribution of unstructured play towards their preschool children’s development. However, participants argue that certain external factors contribute to their choice of structured play over unstructured play to promote their preschool children’s development. / Thesis (MSW)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Preschool children play an active role in their own development through their interaction with the environment that takes place in the form of unstructured play. Unstructured play is a creative expression of preschool children’s physical, cognitive, social and emotional self and creates opportunities to learn important skills and values necessary for the mastery of their world. The researcher became aware, from practical experience as a social worker in private practice, of more and more preschool children who are exposed to structured play with the aim to promote their development. This aspect can contribute towards preschool children not developing in a natural manner that will lead to the devaluation of unstructured play. The overall objective of this study was to explore and describe parents’ perceptions of the value of unstructured play for their preschool children in order to make recommendations to professionals offering parental guidance to parents, with regards to the value of unstructured play for preschool children. A qualitative phenomenological research design was adopted to explore and describe parents’ perceptions and experiences of unstructured play. Two focus group discussions were conducted and two main themes were identified by analysing the data. The main themes are participants’ perception of the value of unstructured play and participants’ choice in respect of unstructured versus structured play. The conclusion drawn by the researcher is that parents are aware of the valuable contribution of unstructured play towards their preschool children’s development. However, participants argue that certain external factors contribute to their choice of structured play over unstructured play to promote their preschool children’s development. / Thesis (MSW)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

This multiple case study examined the self-regulation strategies used by 6 preschool-aged boys. The participants in this study were selected based on criterion of an undercontrolled behavior style. The researcher gained this description of the children via parental perceptions and naturalistic videotaped observations. Using these videotaped observations of natural play in the preschool environment, the researcher gained insights into the self-regulatory behaviors of these boys within their solitary play, and their peer and adult interactions. The across-case patterns revealed that the boys' behavior included a large proportion of prosocial and constructive coping responses. The data also suggested that the boys demonstrated deficits in their language strategies, especially within distressing or challenging peer situations where their negative emotion seemed to disrupt their use of skilled responses. Similarly, the boys were only observed using aggressive and negatively emotional responses subsequent to their failed attempts at peer interactions. The findings of this study can assist educators and parents in providing early education practices and play experiences that promote the development of socially competent language, emotional regulation, and peer initiation strategies.

Η εργασία που αναπτύσσεται έχει ως αντικείμενο το φως - σκιά. Στα πλαίσια αυτής δημιουργήθηκε ένα Project, που περιλαμβάνει δραστηριότητες σχετικές με τα φαινόμενο του φωτός ως αυτόνομη φυσική οντότητα και το σχηματισμό των σκιών. Σκοπός της έρευνας είναι να διδαχθούν τα παιδιά προσχολικής ηλικίας, με τη χρήση του υπολογιστή, την έννοια του φωτός και το φαινόμενο του σχηματισμού των σκιών. Αρχικά, δημιουργήθηκε ένα σενάριο που τα παιδιά δραματοποίησαν και το οποίο στη συνέχεια παρουσιάστηκε με powerpoint, ώστε να εισαχθούν στο θέμα. Η καταγραφή των ιδεών των παιδιών, πριν τη διδακτική παρέμβαση, έγινε με το πρόγραμμα ζωγραφικής “drawing for children” και με επιλεγμένες ερωτήσεις του κλειστού λογισμικού “I love science”. Έπειτα από συζήτηση, τα νήπια αναζήτησαν πληροφορίες στο internet, μέσω της μηχανής αναζήτησης google, από την ηλεκτρονική εγκυκλοπαίδεια “encarta kids” και το κλειστό λογισμικό «Εξερευνώ την επιστήμη». Για τη διδακτική παρέμβαση έγινε χρήση του κλειστού λογισμικού “I love science”, του λογισμικού από το διαδίκτυο “light and dark” και του λογισμικού “light and shadows”. Τέλος, η αξιολόγηση της διδακτικής παρέμβασης έγινε με το ανοιχτό λογισμικό “kidspiration” και το κλειστό λογισμικό “I love science”. Σκοπός των δραστηριοτήτων, που πραγματοποιήθηκαν με τα παραπάνω λογισμικά, ήταν να εξακριβωθεί η επιρροή της διδασκαλίας με τη βοήθεια του Η/Υ στα παιδιά της προσχολικής ηλικίας. Για τον σχεδιασμό των δραστηριοτήτων αυτών χρησιμοποιήθηκε η μέθοδος του στόχου- εμποδίου, που σε συνδυασμό με τη βιβλιογραφική έρευνα, έδωσε χρήσιμες κατευθύνσεις για την οργάνωση διδακτικών παρεμβάσεων στο θέμα φως-σκιά. Με τη μέθοδο αυτή προσαρμόστηκε το αντικείμενο διδασκαλίας στις γνωστικές δυσκολίες και τις ιδιαιτερότητες των παιδιών της προσχολικής ηλικίας. Η σύγκριση προελέγχων και μετα- ελέγχων τόσο για το φαινόμενο του φωτός όσο και της σκιάς έδειξε πως, οι διδακτικές παρεμβάσεις με τη χρήση του υπολογιστή είναι επιτυχείς, τόσο για τα νήπια, όσο και για τα προνήπια. Τέλος, διαπιστώθηκε ότι τα παιδιά ανταποκρίθηκαν σε όλες τις δραστηριότητες που αναπτύχθηκαν με τη βοήθεια του υπολογιστή, έχοντας καλλιεργήσει σημαντικές δεξιότητες επικοινωνίας και μεταξύ τους συνεργασίας, με αποτέλεσμα να μη στηρίζονται αποκλειστικά στις γνώσεις και τις επιταγές του εκπαιδευτικού. / The main subject of this project is “light and shadow”.This project includes activities that are relevant with the phenomenon of light as a natural individual entity and the phenomenon of formation of shadows.. Purpose of this research was for the kids to be taught ,using the computer, the significance of light and also the phenomenon of formation of shadows. At first, to enter the children to the theme, a script created, where they acted and which, continously is presented with powerpoint. The recording of the children’s ideas, before the teaching intervetion, is done with a drawing program “drawing for children” and with selected questions of the software “I love science. After discussion, the children looked for information in the internet, through the search machine, google, from the electronic encyclopedia “encarta kids” and the software “Exploring science”. The software “I love science”, the network software “light and dark” and the software “light and shadows”, are used for the teaching intervetion. Finally,the software “kidspiration” and the software “I love science” were used to evaluate the teaching methods. The purpose of the activities, that the above softwares created, was to verifuy the influence of teaching science to preschool children, using computers. In order to design these activities was used the method of goal-barrier, that combined to the bibliographic research, gave useful directions to organise teaching methods for the light-shadow concept. Using this method, the teaching object adjusted to the cognitive difficulties and particularities of preschool children. The comparison of pre-tests and post-tests showed for both, the phenomenon of light and shadow that,the teaching methods using the computer were succesful, for all the children.Finally, the results showed that, all the children responded positevely to the activities that were designed with the help of computers, having developed important communication and cooperation skills, in order not to depend on teachers.