Dr. Michal Perlman

Professor, University of Toronto and Director, Dr. R.G.N. Laidlaw Research Centre, University of Toronto

Curriculum vitae

416-978-0596

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)

University of Toronto

252 Bloor Street West
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5S 1V6

How Moroccan mothers and fathers view child development and their role in their children\textquotesingles education

Journal article

Gail L. Zellman, Michal Perlman, Rita Karam
International Journal of Early Years Education, vol. 22, Informa {UK} Limited, 2014 Apr, pp. 197--209

DOI: 10.1080/09669760.2014.909307

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Cite

APA Click to copy
Zellman, G. L., Perlman, M., & Karam, R. (2014). How Moroccan mothers and fathers view child development and their role in their children{\textquotesingle}s education. International Journal of Early Years Education, 22, 197–209. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2014.909307

Chicago/Turabian Click to copy
Zellman, Gail L., Michal Perlman, and Rita Karam. “How Moroccan Mothers and Fathers View Child Development and Their Role in Their Children{\Textquotesingle}s Education.” International Journal of Early Years Education 22 (April 2014): 197–209.

MLA Click to copy
Zellman, Gail L., et al. “How Moroccan Mothers and Fathers View Child Development and Their Role in Their Children{\Textquotesingle}s Education.” International Journal of Early Years Education, vol. 22, Informa {UK} Limited, Apr. 2014, pp. 197–209, doi:10.1080/09669760.2014.909307.

BibTeX Click to copy

@article{zellman2014a,
  title = {How Moroccan mothers and fathers view child development and their role in their children{\textquotesingle}s education},
  year = {2014},
  month = apr,
  journal = {International Journal of Early Years Education},
  pages = {197--209},
  publisher = {Informa {UK} Limited},
  volume = {22},
  doi = {10.1080/09669760.2014.909307},
  author = {Zellman, Gail L. and Perlman, Michal and Karam, Rita},
  month_numeric = {4}
}

Abstract

Despite the documented importance of parental engagement in early learning, little is known about how parents in the Middle East and North Africa understand child development. To inform the literature, a small-scale study involving four focus groups was conducted with parents of children aged six years and under living in Casablanca. The purpose of this study was to explore parents' understanding of and support for their children's early development. Results reveal that parents see a vital role for themselves in their children's upbringing as supporters and nurturers, but little role as teachers. Across different education and income levels, parents in this small-scale qualitative study believe that children's experiences in their first years of life do not affect their longer-term intellectual development or school success and see little value in early intellectual stimulation or formal preschool education. Our results suggest that parents need to understand their role as their child's first educators. Also, it is essential that parents are taught how to promote their children's early cognitive development without undermining their nurturing roles.