The purpose of this study was to provide an intervention to Appalachian Head Start families that provided novel ways of thinking about their children\'s development, while also arming them with effective strategies and tools they could use to build engaging and enriched interactions. The intervention curriculum was developed based on a theory of mentoring in the zone of proximal development (Vygotsky, 1978; Wiles, 2008). This research effort sought to answer the following research questions: (a) Do adults\' descriptions of their children as mental beings and perceptions about their children as individuals with minds of their own change due to participation in the intervention condition as compared to those in the control condition?; (b) What are the effects of this intervention on adults\' use of scaffolding and guided participation strategies in the shared reading activity over time?; (c) Does participation in the intervention condition affect the child\'s outcomes on standardized tests?; and (d) What qualitative differences in the way adults and children interact in the shared reading activity can occur as a result of the intervention? A randomized controlled trial including 50 parent-child dyads, were videotaped answering a mind-mindedness interview question and reading with their children at three time points over the Head Start school year. A Mixed-methods approach was implemented in the study\'s design, implementation, data collection, and analyses. Quantitative analyses revealed significant differences in both mental descriptions of participants\' children and the type and frequency of scaffolding techniques as a result of participation in the intervention. Triangulation of the qualitative and quantitative analyses indicated the need for a new theoretical construct to explain what occurs in optimally functioning interactions. Mindful-mindedness describes and explains adults\' metastrategic scaffolding technique selection in a mindful and mind-minded style, and then their application of these techniques in a serial process creates a multiplier effect on the efficacy of scaffolding. Implications for policy and practice, limitations of the current study, and directions for future research are also provided. / Ph. D.

"At first it was a little provocative that we would teach at the leisure home" a study of different perceptions about the concept of teaching in leisure homes

This study focused on peer teaching and learning in preschool children's peer collaborative interactions. The research took place in the naturalistic setting of a preschool classroom at the Virginia Tech Child Development Laboratory, which is a university-based preschool in Blacksburg, Virginia. The children were videotaped in their collaborative interactions and the interactions were analyzed for moments of teaching and learning between the children. The study found that children use a variety of verbal and non-verbal teaching strategies when collaborating with each other. Children's learning from the interactions was exhibited through many forms of modeling, reciprocation, and exchange of ideas. / Master of Science

Abstract This study examined microgenetic changes in mother-child behaviors while they collaborated on a cognitive task that involved planning shopping routes around a table model of a grocery store across 4 trials. Sixty- eight mother-child dyads were randomly assigned to two conditions in which the goals of the task differed. In the experimental condition (n = 32) mothers were encouraged to help their child prepare for a solitary posttest and the dyad was informed they would be timed. In the control condition (n = 36), dyads were simply asked to work together. Research suggests that maternal instruction is most effective when matched to the child’s learning needs. While working with children on a collaborative planning task, it was expected that mothers would change their level or style of instruction as they became more aware of the child’s skill at the task. Specifically, mothers were expected to decrease their level of support behaviors and control across trials. For children, it was expected that they would become more engaged and more responsible for task completion across trials. Results suggested that as mothers and children became familiar with the task, mothers decreased their use of instructional behaviors. Also, that mothers in the experimental condition used more controlling behaviors across trials. Patterns of association emerged between mother’s control behaviors and child uncooperative behaviors, as did mother’s support behaviors and child engagement behaviors. These results suggest that mother-child behaviors may exhibit change due to factors other than the goals of the task itself, such as intersubjectivity (a shared understanding of the task at hand) and shared responsibility, which in turn may be influenced by shared social history (the extensive prior experience that the partners have had with one another in a social- historical context). Keywords: children, dyad, intersubjectivity, mothers, planning, sharing responsibility

Les nouveau-nés prématurés sont à risque de développer des séquelles neurodéveloppementales pouvant se manifester de la petite enfance jusqu’à l’âge adulte. La relation mère-enfant précoce figure parmi les facteurs pouvant améliorer leur neurodéveloppement. La principale composante de cette relation est la sensibilité maternelle, soit la capacité de détecter, d’interpréter et de répondre rapidement aux besoins du nouveau-né. Cependant, en raison de l’immaturité des nouveau-nés prématurés ainsi que du stress et de l’anxiété vécus par les mères pendant l’hospitalisation, celles-ci sont à risque de développer une sensibilité maternelle sous-optimale. De par leurs compétences, leurs valeurs et leurs activités réservées, les infirmières à l’unité de soins intensifs néonatals (USIN) jouent un rôle de premier plan pour favoriser la sensibilité maternelle dès l’hospitalisation des nouveau-nés prématurés. Les données scientifiques actuelles ne sont suffisantes ni en quantité ni en qualité afin d’orienter les interventions que pourraient concrètement réaliser les infirmières auprès de la dyade mère-nouveau-né prématuré afin de favoriser de façon très précoce, soit dès l’hospitalisation, la sensibilité maternelle. Le but de la thèse comportait deux volets : 1- développer une intervention infirmière très précoce selon une approche combinant la théorie et les données empiriques pour favoriser la sensibilité maternelle et le neurodéveloppement des nouveau-nés prématurés à l’USIN; et 2- mettre à l’essai et évaluer la faisabilité, l’acceptabilité et estimer les effets préliminaires de l’intervention infirmière sur la sensibilité maternelle et le neurodéveloppement des nouveau-nés prématurés à l’USIN. Une intervention infirmière novatrice multifactorielle nommée GP_Posit a été développée. GP_Posit est une intervention individuelle hebdomadaire durant laquelle l’infirmière crée une relation de participation guidée avec la mère, dans un contexte de participation aux soins et au positionnement du nouveau-né prématuré. Basée sur la Théorie de l’Attachement, la Théorie de la Participation Guidée et la Théorie Synactive du Développement, GP_Posit est principalement conçue afin de favoriser la sensibilité maternelle et le neurodéveloppement du nouveau-né prématuré. Ensuite, une étude pilote randomisée à deux groupes a été menée dans une USIN de niveau III d’un centre hospitalier universitaire mère-enfant. Au total, 20 dyades composées de mères et de leur nouveau-né prématuré ont été recrutées et randomisées au groupe expérimental (GP_Posit; n=10) ou au groupe contrôle (soins standards; n=10). Les résultats montrent que GP_Posit est faisable et acceptable pour les mères de nouveau-nés prématurés ainsi que pour l’équipe de recherche. Toutefois, au niveau de la faisabilité et l’acceptabilité du devis relatif à l’essai clinique randomisé, des difficultés ont été rencontrées au niveau du recrutement et la collecte de données au post-test. Les effets préliminaires estimés montrent une tendance vers un effet large indiquant une augmentation de la sensibilité maternelle chez les mères du groupe expérimental. Quant à l’effet préliminaire sur le neurodéveloppement, les nouveau-nés prématurés du groupe contrôle étaient légèrement favorisés. Une seconde étude pilote permettrait de mettre à l’essai des procédures modifiées de recrutement et collecte de données au post-test. Éventuellement, un essai contrôlé randomisé multicentrique à grande échelle permettra d’apprécier davantage les effets de GP_Posit sur la sensibilité maternelle et le neurodéveloppement des nouveau-nés prématurés. / Preterm infants are at risk of neurodevelopmental impairments which can manifest from infancy through adulthood. The early mother-infant relationship is one of the factors that can improve their neurodevelopment. The main component of this relationship is maternal sensitivity, that is the mother’s ability detect, interpret and respond in an appropriate and timely manner to her infant’s needs. However, due to the immaturity of preterm infants as well as the stress and anxiety experienced by mothers during hospitalization, they are at risk of developing suboptimal maternal sensitivity. Neonatal nurses play a key role and have the necessary skills to promote maternal sensitivity in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). However, the current evidence is neither sufficient nor of sufficiently good quality to guide the interventions that could be implemented by neonatal nurses to promote maternal sensitivity in the NICU. The aim of the thesis was twofold: 1- develop an innovative very early nursing intervention using an approach combining theory and empirical data to promote maternal sensitivity and neurodevelopment of preterm infants in the NICU; and 2- to implement and assess the feasibility, acceptability and estimate of the preliminary effects of this nursing intervention on maternal sensitivity and neurodevelopment of preterm infants in the NICU. A very early multifaceted nursing intervention named GP_Posit was developed. GP_Posit is a weekly individual intervention where nurses create a guided participation relationship with mothers, in a context of participation in care and positioning of the preterm infant. Based on Attachment Theory, Guided Participation Theory and Synactive Theory of Development, GP_Posit is primarily designed to promote maternal sensitivity and neurodevelopment of the preterm infant. A two-group randomized pilot study was conducted in a level III NICU of a mother-infant teaching hospital. A total of 20 dyads composed of mothers and preterm infants were recruited and randomized to the experimental group (GP_Posit; n = 10) or control group (standard care; n = 10). Results show that GP_Posit is feasible and acceptable for mothers of preterm infants as well as for the research team. Regarding the feasibility and acceptability of the randomized controlled trial study design, challenges were encountered in the recruitment and post-test data collection procedures. The preliminary effects showed a trend towards a large effect in increasing maternal sensitivity in experimental group mothers. As for the preliminary effect on neurodevelopment, preterm infants in the control group had an advantage. A second pilot study would be the opportunity to test modified recruitment and post-test data collection procedures. Eventually, a large-scale, multicenter randomized controlled trial would allow a better understanding of the effectiveness of GP_Posit on maternal sensitivity and preterm infant neurodevelopment.