Combining techniques from Solution-Oriented Therapy and Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development, this study examines young children's abilities to respond to certain solution-oriented techniques. Developmentally, young children (ages up to five years) may have difficulty responding to abstract questions,. such as questions designed to generate solutions. According to Vygotsky's theory of cognitive development, children can be aided to understand more developmentally complicated concepts through a process called "scaffolding" (Wood, Bruner, & Ross, 1976). Adults or peers can provide scaffolding in the form of questions, clues, prompts, or modeling. Supplementing complex ideas with concrete objects can also aid the scaffolding process. In this qualitative study, five five-year-olds were interviewed using solution-focused questions and scaling questions based upon solution-oriented techniques. These techniques aid the search for solutions and the person's awareness of resources. Concrete props and questions were the primary scaffolding techniques employed. Results of this study suggest that young children are able to respond to the solution-oriented techniques used in this study and are able to generate a variety of potential solutions. Common resources the children recognize include words, ways of sharing, adults, toys, and friends/siblings. An awareness of individual differences is naturally important when interacting with children, as they each have unique experiences and resources. Because of the individual differences and the small sample size, these results have limited generalizability. Suggestions for future research are included. In addition, recommendations for other developmentally appropriate methods of adapting solution-oriented techniques when working with young children, primarily through play and stories, are proposed. / Master of Science

Denna studie undersöker matematikångest ur ett lärarperspektiv och betonar dess påverkan på elevers lärande i grundskoleutbildningen. Studien strävar efter att fördjupa förståelsen för matematikångest genom att undersöka dess effekter och identifiera förebyggande åtgärder. Genom att identifiera dessa faktorer som bidrar till uppkomsten av matematikångest och dess inverkan på elevers förmåga att lära sig, erbjuder studien insikter för lärare, föräldrar och beslutsfattare. Metodiken inkluderar en enkätundersökning bland flera lärare på grundskolenivå, i syfte att samla in deras uppfattningar och strategier gällande matematikångest. Valet av metod i studien är en enkät med kvalitativa ansatser. Resultatet avslöjar en avsevärd påverkan av matematikångest på elevers engagemang, deltagande och prestationer i matematik. Lärarna framhävde vikten av positiv förstärkning, stödjande lärmiljöer och anpassade undervisningsmetoder som avgörande för att minska eller motverka matematikångest.  Slutsatserna från denna studie understryker behovet av att hantera matematikångest genom ett gemensamt engagemang från lärare, föräldrar och beslutfattare. Genom att skapa en lärandemiljö som prioriterar förståelse, tålamod och anpassade undervisningsmetoder, siktar studien på att skapa en mer gynnsam matematikundervisning. Ambitionen är att förbättra utbildningskvaliteten och främja elevers välbefinnande i matematikämnet.

Digital technologies such as televisions, touch screen tablets, smartphones, and smart speakers are now frequently encountered and used by young children even before the age of one. These devices facilitate modern parents in their care-giving of young children due to their prevalence in the home environment. The use of these devices is especially common by international student mothers of young children who subscribe to a multiplicity of roles such as being a productive student, efficient mother, and dutiful partner in a new country. This dissertation summarizes four studies exploring the role of technology in international student mothers' life as a parent of young children, and the implications of design and research of technologies for parents based on the transferable learning from these studies. The first and second studies employ auto ethnographic and collaborative approach to involve these mothers as equal stakeholders and collaborators to understand their context of use of technology. The third and fourth studies explore the various uses of technology by caregivers and young children, to obtain certain gratifications. By engaging primary caregivers in in-depth efforts of understanding of their motivations and perceptions about early childhood media exposure, I set forth the praxis between the professional recommendations and their actual lived experiences with technology and young children. Building on these insights, I present a conceptual framework for research which considers the dyadic use of technology due to the close relationship between primary caregivers and young children. Based on the various roles of technology in international student mothers' parenting, I present implications for designing technologies which can assist parents in their care giving duties. / Doctor of Philosophy / Digital technologies such as televisions, touch screen tablets, smartphones, and smart speakers are now frequently encountered and used by young children even before the age of one, and facilitate modern parents in their care-giving of young children due to their prevalence in the home environment. The use of these devices is especially common by international student mothers of young children who subscribe to a multiplicity of roles such as being a productive student, efficient mother, and dutiful partner in a new country. I employ auto ethnographic and collaborative asset-based approaches to involve these mothers as equal stakeholders and collaborators to have an in-depth understanding of their context of use of technology. I explore the various gratifications sought by caregivers and children through their uses of technology, and illustrate how current technologies succeed in delivering those gratifications, and where they do not come up to scratch due to their unique living circumstances. By engaging primary caregivers in in-depth efforts of understanding of their motivations and perceptions about early childhood media exposure, I set forth the praxis between the professional recommendations and their actual lived experiences with technology and young children. Building on these insights, I present a conceptual framework for research which considers the dyadic use of technology by primary caregivers and young children due to their close relationship. Based on the various roles of technology in international student mothers' lives, I then present implications for designing technologies including screen-based digital childcare assistants and interactive shows, conversational user interfaces as bilingual language learning partners, and mobile applications to support young children's incidental learning, which can assist parents in their care giving duties.

The purpose of this study was to gain understanding of how children learn when they are engaged in child initiated, teacher guided activities. Specifically, children's learning processes were documented and interpreted based on how they use their multiple intelligences. Multiple Intelligences refers to Howard Gardner's model of multiple intelligences and his view of how children have many cognitive strengths. Ethnographic methodologies were used to observe, document, and interpret children's behaviors and interactions in the classroom. Seven children were chosen to be focused on for this study out of 15 participants in one preschool classroom at a university Child Development Laboratory setting. The researcher has been the head teacher for these 7 children for two years, which allowed the researcher to gain a better understanding of children's different intelligences and different ways of learning. After collecting and analyzing the data, the researcher found that the children's propensities for learning remained fairly consistent over the course of two years. It became evident that the role of the teacher is very important, as the teacher must be an intimate observer and listener of the children. Teachers and educators should be in constant communication with parents and each other about the child's growth and development and tendencies for learning. By providing children with learning opportunities for the child to use their cognitive strengths, teachers are motivating children and encouraging them to learn. If children see that they can succeed, they may continuously have the motivation to learn. / Master of Science

Immigrant parents with young children face difficult dilemmas that stem from the challenges of navigating the different cultures of their home and of their adopting country (e.g., Hynie, 2018; Kim et al., 2001; Schwartz et al., 2010). Parents’ deliberations about how to raise their children are particularly challenging when their home and adopting cultures are very different (Fuentes-Balderrama et al., 2022; Lozano et al., 2022), as is the case for Chinese immigrants to the U.S. Chinese immigrants constitute the largest immigrant group in the U.S., and their parenting styles and strategies have tremendous consequences for the development of their children, the well-being of the parents and the children in their communities, the integration of the family in their new environment, and, consequently, the well-being of the larger American community.Research has often portrayed Chinese immigrant parents, and most often mothers, as negotiating a simple dichotomy of Western and Chinese parenting styles (e.g., Cheah et al., 2013; Ma, 2019; Wang et al., 2021). The literature commonly portrays these styles as discrepant on degrees of warmth, control, and discipline, with Chinese parenting viewed as cold, strict, and demanding compared with the warmer, relaxed, and lenient American way. More recent studies (Donald & Yi, 2008; Guo, 2013; Han & Chen, 2019; Liu et al., 2020) have begun to challenge this simple dichotomy and to highlight the diversity of their parenting beliefs and practices, uncovering nuanced approaches based on Chinese Confucianism and Guan, including their emphasis on learning and the establishment of high expectations, and their beliefs and practices related to children’s socio-emotional development, particularly related to parental expressions of warmth, socialization goals towards children, and beliefs about friendship and play. However, this research is in its infancy, and it lacks a theoretical framework to conceptualize the diversity of Chinese immigrant parenting approaches in the American context. In the multiple case study, therefore, I employed the Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity (DSMRI; Kaplan & Garner, 2017) to conceptualize and investigate the parenting approaches and strategies of three Chinese immigrant mothers of children aged 3 to 5 in Philadelphia, PA. DSMRI allows for a nuanced understanding of individuals by considering their unique experiences, perspectives, and parenting practices. It also considers various components of role identity, such as purpose and goals, worldviews, self-perceptions, action possibility, and emotions. Besides, it explains parenting practices from a bottom-up perspective. The DSMRI framework further places significant emphasis on the relational and cultural context in which parenting occurs, recognizing the continuous construction of a mother’s role identity in relation to various family members and networks. I aimed to answer the following research questions: (1) Who are the Chinese immigrant mothers (e.g., educational background, socioeconomic status, life experiences in China, life experiences in the U.S., and life experiences as a mother)?; (2) What are the mothers’ experiences with parental involvement with their children?; (3) What are their parent role identities, including purpose and goals, self-perceptions, worldviews, and action possibilities as a mother?; (4) How can their role identities explain their decisions on parental involvement with their children?; (5) How do contextual factors (e.g., Chinese immigrant communities, school, and technology) in their environments influence their parent role identities? Three Chinese immigrant mothers of children aged 3 to 5 participated in this study. The data included life-story interviews, as well as home observations, and stimulated recall interviews centering on parental involvement with the children. The interviews were recorded, and I utilized ethnographic tools such as observation, thick descriptions, and detailed field notes to describe these mothers’ parental involvement with their children. As about data analysis, I analyzed the collected data using inductive coding techniques first to identify emerging themes. Then I delved into each theme, applying the DSMRI framework deductively to explain how parents’ role identity influenced their actions and behaviors. Finally, I interpreted and synthesized the findings, integrating the inductive themes and the DSMRI framework. The research revealed critical insights into the parenting experiences of Chinese immigrant mothers. First, it showcased the diverse backgrounds and life experiences of three Chinese immigrant mothers. Their differences encompassed childhood experiences, educational histories, socioeconomic backgrounds both in their families of origin and their own status, as well as experiences related to immigration and child-rearing (e.g., the number of children and involvement of other family members such as their husband or parents-in-laws) and the communities they were part of. Second, regarding their parental involvement, they all emphasized the following key aspects of their children’s upbringing, including language learning, reading, math education, talent development, and socio-emotional growth. Third, this study examined the mothers’ negotiation of tensions within their mother role identity, their teacher role identity within their mother role identity, and the incorporation of multiple role identities and their tensions. Specifically, the three mothers’ parent role identities helped them navigate parenting in a cross-cultural context, balancing between the Chinese and the U.S. educational and cultural systems. They integrated teacher role identity into their mother role identity, autonomously imparting essential values and skills. Moreover, these mothers negotiated multiple role identities, dealing with the complexities of balancing self, mother, and other familial role identities. Fourth, their mother role identities influenced their decisions on parental involvement in adapting and forming new role identity components, navigating tensions, setting priorities, allocating time, integrating family members, building relationships with schools, and integrating community resources. Finally, the U.S. cultural environment and other contextual factors like community and technology influenced their parent role identities. The study contribute to knowledge about the important phenomenon of Chinese immigrants’ parenting practices, and investigate the utility of a framework of identity, motivation, and action for parenting research that is grounded in dynamic complexity theory, transcending conceptions of static, discrete parenting styles for conceptualizing and instead investigating parenting as a diverse, complex, dynamic, and relational phenomenon among Chinese immigrant mothers in America. / Educational Psychology

The purpose of this study was to examine what kind of knowledge and thoughts pre-school children have on water – and sewage systems. The most interesting part will be to examine which components, of the water – and sewage systems, the children have knowledge about. Another interesting part to look into is whether the children’s age, gender and the pre-schools geographical position affects what the children knows about the systems. The study was implemented through qualitative semi-structured interviews, with 15 children in the ages of 4-6. The investigational method was chosen because I wanted to hear the children’s view on the sewage system. The children were interviewed separately, and all the interviews were started with a discussion about toilets. Questions about water – and sewage systems were then asked, to elicit what each individual child knew about the systems. The result shows that the knowledge about water – and sewage systems differs a lot between the children. Some could only name one component, while others could up to six different parts. The age of the children didn´t affect the results, but it´s clear that the boys had more knowledge about the different systems, than the girls had. The children that go to a pre-school in an urban area generally had more knowledge about Sewage treatment, than the children in the rural area. / Syftet med examensarbetet är att undersöka hur barn ser på vatten och avloppssystemet. Intresset ligger i att undersöka vilka komponenter i vatten och avloppssystemen barnen har kunskaper om. Att jämföra vad som har betydelse för barnens kunskaper är också intressant för att se om barnens ålder, kön och förskolans geografiska läge har betydelse för vilka kunskaper de har. I studien ingick 15 förskolebarn åldern 4-6 år. Kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer användes för att ta reda på barnens uppfattningar om avloppssystemet. Barnen intervjuades var för sig och varje intervju inleddes med att prata om toaletten. Frågor om vatten och avloppssystemet ställdes för att få fram vad varje barn hade för kunskaper. Resultatet visar att kunskaper om vatten och avloppssystemet skiljer sig väldigt mycket mellan barnen, de kunde nämna mellan 1-6st olika komponenter. Ålder har inte betydelse, men pojkarna hade överlag mer koll på de olika systemen än flickorna. Barnen som går på en förskola i tätorten hade generellt mer kunskaper om avloppsreningen än barnen på landsbygden.

A subject didactic analysis of the development of the spatial knowledge of young children through a problem-centred approach to mathematics teaching and learning Researchers and educators are in agreement that it is very important that the spatial knowledge of the young child should be developed from the first years of school. In order to develop these skills the appropriate materials and activities need to be designed. This can only be realised through proper research methods that not only acknowledge the cognitive abilities of the young child, but also the social and cultural backgrounds of the children. This implies that due attention should be given to language, beliefs, cognitive skills, socio-economic background, schooling and teaching systems. The immediate worlds of the children should be used in developing the spatial skills of these children. The work that is described in this document is an effort to describe the complexity of such a research endeavour. The development of the spatial skills of young children were investigated through three different instructional/executional media namely language, drawing/writing and physical constructions. The three major variables that were described as influencing the spatial development in the different media were the task that was given to the children, the objects that the children worked with and the dimension and viewpoints of the objects and situations. It was clear from the research that in the development of the spatial skills of children, attention should. be given to: the real-world of the children, hands-on-experiences of the children, the cultural background, the language of instruction, the socio-economic background the classroom culture, the media of instruction and the cognitive skills of the children. / Proefskrif (PhD (Didaktiese Opvoedkunde))--PU vir CHO, 1997

A subject didactic analysis of the development of the spatial knowledge of young children through a problem-centred approach to mathematics teaching and learning Researchers and educators are in agreement that it is very important that the spatial knowledge of the young child should be developed from the first years of school. In order to develop these skills the appropriate materials and activities need to be designed. This can only be realised through proper research methods that not only acknowledge the cognitive abilities of the young child, but also the social and cultural backgrounds of the children. This implies that due attention should be given to language, beliefs, cognitive skills, socio-economic background, schooling and teaching systems. The immediate worlds of the children should be used in developing the spatial skills of these children. The work that is described in this document is an effort to describe the complexity of such a research endeavour. The development of the spatial skills of young children were investigated through three different instructional/executional media namely language, drawing/writing and physical constructions. The three major variables that were described as influencing the spatial development in the different media were the task that was given to the children, the objects that the children worked with and the dimension and viewpoints of the objects and situations. It was clear from the research that in the development of the spatial skills of children, attention should. be given to: the real-world of the children, hands-on-experiences of the children, the cultural background, the language of instruction, the socio-economic background the classroom culture, the media of instruction and the cognitive skills of the children. / Proefskrif (PhD (Didaktiese Opvoedkunde))--PU vir CHO, 1997

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT : The present study is a first follow-up assessment by means of parent and teacher reports in a cohort study conducted by Wege (2014). The study examined the long-term relationship between anxiety symptoms and behavioural inhibition in young South African children with the inclusion of parental overprotection as a moderator variable. The aims of the study were to determine whether the relationship between the anxiety symptoms and behavioural inhibition profiles of the 2012 cohort of young South African children changed within a one year follow-up period, while simultaneously assessing the role of parental overprotection. Parent and teacher reports included a Biographical Questionnaire for Parents, the Behavioural Inhibition Questionnaire, the Revised Preschool Anxiety Scale, and, the Parental Overprotection Measure. A total of 59 children of who 25 were female and 34 male were reported on. They were 3 years old (n = 3), 4 years old (n = 16), 5 years old (n = 22), 6 years old (n = 14) and 7 years old (n = 4). In keeping with previous findings, a positive correlation remained between anxiety symptoms and behavioural inhibition, even after one year. The moderating effect of parental overprotection was less strong than predicted. Nonetheless, a non-significant trend in the hypothesised direction was found: the relationship between behavioural inhibition and anxiety was strongest when simultaneously there were high levels of parental overprotection. The only significant difference found between scores of the initial study and that of the present research was that parents reported significantly lower levels of behavioural inhibition at the one year follow-up. Although at a non-significant level, both parent and teacher reports of anxiety indicated higher levels of anxiety at the year follow-up. Results need to be interpreted with caution in view of the smaller number of participants in the cohort study. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die huidige studie is deur middel van ouer- en onderwyserverslae gedoen en is ʼn eerste opvolgassessering van ʼn kohortstudie deur Wege (2014). Die langtermynverband tussen angssimptome en gedraginhibisie by jong Suid-Afrikaanse kinders is ondersoek en oorbeskerming deur ouers is ingesluit as moderatorveranderlike. Die doelwitte van die studie was om deur middel van ouer- en onderwyserverslae te bepaal of die verband tussen die angssimptome en gedraginhibisieprofiele van die 2012-kohort jong Suid-Afrikaanse kinders verander het oor die verloop van een jaar. Terselfdertyd is die rol van oorbeskerming deur ouers bepaal. Die ouer- en onderwyserverslae wat gebruik is, was die Biographical Questionnaire for Parents, die Behavioural Inhibition Questionnaire, die Revised Preschool Anxiety Scale, en die Parental Overprotection Measure. Altesaam 59 kinders van wie 25 meisies en 34 seuns was, het aan die studie deelgeneem. Hulle was 3 jaar oud (n = 3), 4 jaar oud (n = 16), 5 jaar oud (n = 22), 6 jaar oud (n = 14) en 7 jaar oud (n = 4). In ooreenstemming met vorige bevindings was daar selfs ’n jaar later ʼn positiewe korrelasie tussen angssimptome en gedraginhibisie. Die temperende effek van oorbeskerming deur ouers was minder as wat voorspel is. Nogtans is ʼn onbeduidende neiging in die rigting van die gestelde hipotese gevind: die verhouding tussen gedraginhibisie en angs was die sterkste wanneer daar terselfdertyd ʼn hoë vlak van oorbeskerming deur die ouers was. Die enigste beduidende verskil tussen tellings van die aanvanklike studie en dié van die huidige studie was dat die ouers met die opvolg ʼn jaar later beduidend laer vlakke van gedraginhibisie gerapporteer het. Hoewel onbeduidend, het beide die ouers en die onderwysers hoër vlakke van angs gerapporteer tydens die opvolgondersoek. Weens die klein aantal deelnemers behoort die resultate met omsigtigheid geïnterpreteer te word.

本研究之目的在於評量中文與英文之「聲韻覺識」（phonological awareness）能力，以探討幼兒在不同英語教學法下的學習效果。「年齡」與「教學法」對「聲韻覺識」能力影響的差異。研究對象，為接受不同英語教學法的學前幼兒（大班生與中班生），一者採固定時間進行英語教學，定位英語為語言學習教材之一，稱之為M系統；一為採全時間教英語的機構，且定位英語為學習其他科目的媒介，稱之為W系統。測驗工具乃參酌胡潔芳教授提供之「聲韻覺識測驗」，經改編後共分八項分測驗--「中文音節刪除、英文音節刪除、中文音素刪除、英文音素刪除、中文音節替代、英文音節替代、中文音素替代與英文音素替代」。研究資料除了測驗成績之外，尚有教學現場之觀察資料，及兩系統之主管與教師之訪談文本，以了解不同英語教學法在教學內涵上之實質差異。 研究結果顯示，中文聲韻覺識能力，有「年齡」的差異，大班生表現優於中班生；「教學法」的差異，發生在中文「音素覺識」，M系統幼兒優於W系統。英文聲韻覺識能力，有「年齡」上的差異，大班生優於中班生，但無教學法上的差異。加測「注音符號」測驗，結果顯示有「年齡」與「教學法」上的差異，大班生比中班生好，M系統幼兒比W系統幼兒好，比較兩系統教學內涵的差異後，顯示M系統幼兒中文聲韻覺識能力表現較佳與「注音符號」教學有關；英文聲韻覺識能力無教學法上的差異，英文教學時間長短不影響聲韻覺識能力。研究結果似乎指出，真正影響中文與英文聲韻覺識能力發展的是年齡。 由於「聲韻覺識能力」的重要性，幼兒英語教學與學習，以培養「聲韻覺識」能力為出發點的教學內容應該要被參考，但基於年齡的限制，聲韻覺識教學，並不急於小班時期或中班初期開始。關於聲韻覺識的教學，文中另有討論。 關鍵詞：英語教學法，學前幼兒，聲韻覺識 / The purpose of this study is to investigate English learning effect of young children in Taiwan by means of examining the influence of age and English teaching approaches on young children’s phonological awareness in Chinese and in English. The participants consisted of the age of preschool (average five years old) and kindergarten (average six years old) children who are accepted different English language teaching approach in two schools. One school was called M school where young children were taught English partial time and English was one kind of language teaching materials. The other was called W school where young children were taught all time and learn everything in English. The results indicate that the age significantly affects on young children’s phonological awareness in Chinese and the teaching approach significantly affects on young children’s phonemic awareness in Chinese. The age significantly affects on young children’s phonological awareness in English. These results of this study seem to reveal that the main factor affecting on the development of young children’s phonological awareness in Chinese and in English is age. Due to the importance of phonological awareness, it should be to consider that English language teaching for young children could begin by training phonological awareness. However, based on the development of young children, it is not instant to train the capacity of phonological awareness in English language teaching. About the teaching of phonological awareness was discussed in the text. Keyword: English teaching approaches, young children, phonological awareness