The Relationship Between Parents’ Socio-Economic Status and Pre-schoolers’ Cognitive Development in Tanzania
Corresponding Author(s) : Magolanga Shagembe
Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS),
Vol. 10 No. 6 (2021)
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between parents’ socio-economic status and
cognitive development in pre-schoolers. Specifically, it explores the level of cognitive
skills as demonstrated by pre-schoolers in a home environment, and the relationship
between parents’ socio-economic status and pre-schoolers’ cognitive development. A
total of 390 participants—including 195 children aged between 4 and 5 years and their
parents (195)—from Msalala district in Shinyanga region completed a questionnaire
with items on parents’ socio-economic status and cognitive skills of pre-schoolers.
Findings indicated a significant positive relationship between parents’ level of
education and both communication and problem-solving skills among pre-schoolers.
There was a significant negative relationship between parents’ occupational status and
problem-solving skills in pre-schoolers. No relationship was found between parents’
income and both communication and problem-solving skills in pre-schoolers. It is
concluded that parents’ socio-economic status is significantly related to cognitive
functioning of pre-schoolers. Based on the findings, the study, recommends that current
efforts to improve the quality of pre-school and early childhood education should go
hand in hand with the promotion of parents’ socio-economic status.
Keywords
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- Alseraty, W.H. 2015. Parents’ Socio-economic Status and Health Literacy Domains Among Shokrof
- Preparatory School Students, Shokrof Village, Algarbia Governorate, Egypt. Journal of Education
- and Practice, 6(11): 1–8.
- Andrade, S. A., D. N. Santos, A. C. Bastos, M. R. Pedromonico, N. Almeida-Filho & M. L. Barreto.
- Family Environment and Child’s Cognitive Development: An Epidemiological Approach.
- Rev Saude Publica.
- Anene, G.U. 2005. Home Environment and the Academic Performance of a Child, Journal of Home
- Economics Research, 6(1): 99-100.
- Biedinger, N. 2011. The Influence of Education and Home Environment on the Cognitive Outcomes
- of Pre-School Children in Germany. Child Development Research. 2011. Retrieved May 25th. 2018,
- from http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/916303.
- Blau, D. 1999. The Effects of Income on Child Development. The Review of Economics and Statistics,
- (2): 261–276.
- Bradley, R. & B. Caldwell. 1984. The HOME Inventory and Family Demographics. Developmental
- Psychology, 20: 315–320.
- Bradley, R. & R. Corwyn. 2002. Socio-economic Status and Child Development. Annual Review of
- Psychology, 53: 371–399.
- Brooks-Gunn, J. & G. Duncan. 1997. The Effects of Poverty on Children. The Future of Children, 7(2):
- –71.
- Bwaya, C. 2015. A Comparison of the Home and Primary Boarding School Environment in Promoting Early
- Childhood Social and Cognitive Stimulation: Focus on the Rationale for Boarding Primary Schools for
- Children. Masters Degree dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam.
- Deflorio, L. 2011. The Influence of the Home Learning Environment on Pre-School Children’s
- Informal Mathematical Development: Variation by Age and Socio-economic Status. Doctor of
- Philosophy in Education thesis, University of California, Berkeley, California.
- Deflorio, L. 2013. The Influence of the Home Learning Environment on Pre-School Children’s Informal
- Mathematical Development: Variation by Age and Socio-economic Status. Berkeley, CA: University of
- California.
- Denzin, K. & Y. Lincoln. 2000. A Handbook of Qualitative Research (2nd Ed.). New Delhi: SAGE
- Publication.
- Dollagan, C., T. Campbell, J. Paradise, H. Feldman, J. Janosky, D. Pitcairn & M. Kurs-Lasky. 1999.
- Maternal Education and Measures of Early Speech and Language. Journal of Speech, Language &
- Hearing Research, 42: 1432–1443.
- Eilertsen, T., A. Thorsen, S. Holm, T. Boc, L. Sorensen & A. Lndervold. 2016. Parental Socio-economic
- Status and Child Intellectual Functioning in a Norwegian Sample. Scandinavian Journal of
- Psychology, 57: 399–405.
- Ellington, A. S. 2011. The Role of Family Time on Young Child’s Overall Development. Master Degree
- thesis, University of Alabama, Human Development and Family Studies, Tuscaloosa.
- Gillham, B. 2000. Developing a Questionnaire. London: Continuum.
- Ginsborg, J. 2014. The Effects of Soco-Economic Status on Children’s Language Acquisition and Use.
- Researchgate.
- Gonzalez, L., R. Cortes-Sancho, M. Murcia, F. Ballerster, M. Rebagliato & C.L. Rodriguez-Bernal.
- The Role of Parental Social Class, Education and Unemployment on Child Cognitive
- Development. In Press.
- Grantham-Mcgregor, S., Y.B. Cheung, S. Cueto, P. Glewwe, L. Richter & B. Strupp. 2007. For the
- International Child Development Steering Group. Developmental Potential in the First 5 Years
- for Children in Developing Countries. The Lancet (pp. (369) 60-70). The Lancet.
- Gratz, J. 2006. The Impact of Parents’ Background on Their Children’s Education. Educational Studies
- Saving Our Nation, Saving Our Schools: Public Education for Public Good.
- Gross, R. 2010. Psychology. The Science of Mind and Behavior (6th Ed.). London: Hodda Education.
- Heinrich, C. 2014. Parents’ Employment and Children’s Wellbeing. The Future of Children, 24(1): 121–146.
- Hoff, E. 2003. Causes and Consequences of SES-Related Differences in Parent-to-Child Speech. Inm.
- Bornstein & R. Bradley, (Eds.), pp. 147–160.
- Linan-Thompson, S. 2014. Screening of School Readiness Skills: A Review of the Literature. USAID
- from the American People Final Report.
- Lugo-Gil, J. & C. Tamis-Lemonda. 2008. Family Resources and Parenting Quality: Links to Children’s
- Cognitive Development Across the First 3 Years. Child Development, 79: 1065–1085.
- Mbise, A. S. 2002. Early Childhood Stimulation and Learning Initiatives: Experiences from Tanzania. Dar
- es Salaam: UNICEF.
- Melhuish, E. 2010. Impact of the Home Learning Environment on Child Cognitive Development: Secondary
- Analysis of Data from ‘Growing Up in Scotland’. Scottish Government Social Research.
- Melhuish, E., M. Phan, K. Sylva, P. Sammons, L. Siraji-Blatchford & B. Taggart. 2008. Effects of the
- Home Learning Environment and Pre-School Center Experience Up on Literacy and Numeracy
- Development in Early Primary School. Journal of Social Issues, 64: 95–114.
- Miller, J. & D. Davis. 1997. Poverty History, Marital History & Quality of Children’s Home
- Environments. Journal of Marriage and Family, 59: 996–1007.
- Morrison, G. 1988. Early Childhood Education Today (4th Ed.). London: Merrill Publishing Company.
- Ndomondo, E. 2010. The Role of the Home and Pre-School Environment in Promoting Early Childhood
- Learning in Tanzania: The Study of Moshi Municipality. Masters Degree dissertation, University of
- Dar es Salaam.
- Ngorosho, D. 2010. The Role of Home Environment in Phonological Awareness and Reading and
- Writing Ability in Tanzanian Primary Schoolchildren. Education Inquiry, 1(3): 215–238.
- Ngorosho, D. 2011. Literacy Skills of Kiswahili Speaking Children in Rural Tanzania. Abo Akadem
- Universoty, Vasa.
- Obeta, A. 2014. Home Environmental Factors Affecting Students’ Academic Perfomance in Abia
- State, Nigeria. Fundamental Library of the Latvia University of Agriculture.
- Parcel, T. & E. Menaghan. 1994. Early Parental Work, Family Social Capital & Early Childhood
- Outcomes. American Journal of Sociology, 99(4): 972–1009.
- Paulhus, D. 2002. Social Desirable Responding: The Evolution of a Construct. In H. Braun, D. Jackson
- & D. Wiley, the Role of Constructs in Psychological and Educational Measurement (pp. 49-69).
- Mahwah NJ: Erlbaum.
- Plotnik, R. & H. Kouyoumdjian. 2011. Introduction to Psychology (9th Ed.). Wadsworth: CENGAGE
- Learning.
- Rani, S. & M. Siddiqui. 2015. A Study of Home Environment, Academic Achievement and Teaching
- Aptitude on Training Success of Pre-Service Elementary Teachers of India. Journal of Education
- and Practice, 6(28): 91–96.
- Ribe, I., E. Svensen, B. Lyngmo, E. Mduma & S. Hinderaker. 2018. Determinants of Early Child
- Development in Rural Tanzania. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health. Retrieved April
- 2018, from https://capmh.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s13034–018–0224–5.
- Sanders, M. R. & Morawska, A. 2014. Can Changing Parental Knowledge, Dysfunctional Expectatons
- and Attributions & Emotional Regulation Improve Outcomes for Children? Encyclopedia on Early
- Childhood Development. Retrieved on 20th May. 2019 from www.excellence. earlychildhood.ca.
- Santos, D., A. Assis, A. Bastos, L. Santos, C. Santos & A. E. Strina. 2008. Determinants of Cognitive
- Function in Childhood: A Cohort Study in a Middle Income Context. BMC Public Health, 9. 202.
- Doi:10.1186/1471–2458–8–202.
- Siegler, R. 2017. Cognitive Development in Childhood. In R.Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds). Champaign,
- IL: Noba Textbook Series: Psychology. DEF Publishers.
- Souza, R. 1997. The Child in the Family in Transformation: A Little Reflection and an Invitation to
- Research. Pscic Rev, 5: 33–51.
- Squires & Bricker. 2009. Ages & Stages Questionnaires; Third Edition (ASQ-3). Paul H. Brookes
- Publishing Co.
- Walker, C., L. Walker & P. Ganea. 2012. The Role of Symbol-Based Experience in Early Learning and
- Transfer from Pictures: Evidence from Tanzania. Developmental Psychology. Doi:10.1037/
- A0029483.
- Yeung, W., M. Linver & J. Brooks-Gunn. 2002. How Money Matters for Young Children’s
- Development: Parental Investment and Family Processes. Child Development, 73: 1861–1879.
- Zamberlan, M. & Z. Biasoli-Alves. 1996. Family Interactions: Theory, Research and Intervention Subsidies.
- Publisher of the State University of Lodrina.
References
Alseraty, W.H. 2015. Parents’ Socio-economic Status and Health Literacy Domains Among Shokrof
Preparatory School Students, Shokrof Village, Algarbia Governorate, Egypt. Journal of Education
and Practice, 6(11): 1–8.
Andrade, S. A., D. N. Santos, A. C. Bastos, M. R. Pedromonico, N. Almeida-Filho & M. L. Barreto.
Family Environment and Child’s Cognitive Development: An Epidemiological Approach.
Rev Saude Publica.
Anene, G.U. 2005. Home Environment and the Academic Performance of a Child, Journal of Home
Economics Research, 6(1): 99-100.
Biedinger, N. 2011. The Influence of Education and Home Environment on the Cognitive Outcomes
of Pre-School Children in Germany. Child Development Research. 2011. Retrieved May 25th. 2018,
from http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/916303.
Blau, D. 1999. The Effects of Income on Child Development. The Review of Economics and Statistics,
(2): 261–276.
Bradley, R. & B. Caldwell. 1984. The HOME Inventory and Family Demographics. Developmental
Psychology, 20: 315–320.
Bradley, R. & R. Corwyn. 2002. Socio-economic Status and Child Development. Annual Review of
Psychology, 53: 371–399.
Brooks-Gunn, J. & G. Duncan. 1997. The Effects of Poverty on Children. The Future of Children, 7(2):
–71.
Bwaya, C. 2015. A Comparison of the Home and Primary Boarding School Environment in Promoting Early
Childhood Social and Cognitive Stimulation: Focus on the Rationale for Boarding Primary Schools for
Children. Masters Degree dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam.
Deflorio, L. 2011. The Influence of the Home Learning Environment on Pre-School Children’s
Informal Mathematical Development: Variation by Age and Socio-economic Status. Doctor of
Philosophy in Education thesis, University of California, Berkeley, California.
Deflorio, L. 2013. The Influence of the Home Learning Environment on Pre-School Children’s Informal
Mathematical Development: Variation by Age and Socio-economic Status. Berkeley, CA: University of
California.
Denzin, K. & Y. Lincoln. 2000. A Handbook of Qualitative Research (2nd Ed.). New Delhi: SAGE
Publication.
Dollagan, C., T. Campbell, J. Paradise, H. Feldman, J. Janosky, D. Pitcairn & M. Kurs-Lasky. 1999.
Maternal Education and Measures of Early Speech and Language. Journal of Speech, Language &
Hearing Research, 42: 1432–1443.
Eilertsen, T., A. Thorsen, S. Holm, T. Boc, L. Sorensen & A. Lndervold. 2016. Parental Socio-economic
Status and Child Intellectual Functioning in a Norwegian Sample. Scandinavian Journal of
Psychology, 57: 399–405.
Ellington, A. S. 2011. The Role of Family Time on Young Child’s Overall Development. Master Degree
thesis, University of Alabama, Human Development and Family Studies, Tuscaloosa.
Gillham, B. 2000. Developing a Questionnaire. London: Continuum.
Ginsborg, J. 2014. The Effects of Soco-Economic Status on Children’s Language Acquisition and Use.
Researchgate.
Gonzalez, L., R. Cortes-Sancho, M. Murcia, F. Ballerster, M. Rebagliato & C.L. Rodriguez-Bernal.
The Role of Parental Social Class, Education and Unemployment on Child Cognitive
Development. In Press.
Grantham-Mcgregor, S., Y.B. Cheung, S. Cueto, P. Glewwe, L. Richter & B. Strupp. 2007. For the
International Child Development Steering Group. Developmental Potential in the First 5 Years
for Children in Developing Countries. The Lancet (pp. (369) 60-70). The Lancet.
Gratz, J. 2006. The Impact of Parents’ Background on Their Children’s Education. Educational Studies
Saving Our Nation, Saving Our Schools: Public Education for Public Good.
Gross, R. 2010. Psychology. The Science of Mind and Behavior (6th Ed.). London: Hodda Education.
Heinrich, C. 2014. Parents’ Employment and Children’s Wellbeing. The Future of Children, 24(1): 121–146.
Hoff, E. 2003. Causes and Consequences of SES-Related Differences in Parent-to-Child Speech. Inm.
Bornstein & R. Bradley, (Eds.), pp. 147–160.
Linan-Thompson, S. 2014. Screening of School Readiness Skills: A Review of the Literature. USAID
from the American People Final Report.
Lugo-Gil, J. & C. Tamis-Lemonda. 2008. Family Resources and Parenting Quality: Links to Children’s
Cognitive Development Across the First 3 Years. Child Development, 79: 1065–1085.
Mbise, A. S. 2002. Early Childhood Stimulation and Learning Initiatives: Experiences from Tanzania. Dar
es Salaam: UNICEF.
Melhuish, E. 2010. Impact of the Home Learning Environment on Child Cognitive Development: Secondary
Analysis of Data from ‘Growing Up in Scotland’. Scottish Government Social Research.
Melhuish, E., M. Phan, K. Sylva, P. Sammons, L. Siraji-Blatchford & B. Taggart. 2008. Effects of the
Home Learning Environment and Pre-School Center Experience Up on Literacy and Numeracy
Development in Early Primary School. Journal of Social Issues, 64: 95–114.
Miller, J. & D. Davis. 1997. Poverty History, Marital History & Quality of Children’s Home
Environments. Journal of Marriage and Family, 59: 996–1007.
Morrison, G. 1988. Early Childhood Education Today (4th Ed.). London: Merrill Publishing Company.
Ndomondo, E. 2010. The Role of the Home and Pre-School Environment in Promoting Early Childhood
Learning in Tanzania: The Study of Moshi Municipality. Masters Degree dissertation, University of
Dar es Salaam.
Ngorosho, D. 2010. The Role of Home Environment in Phonological Awareness and Reading and
Writing Ability in Tanzanian Primary Schoolchildren. Education Inquiry, 1(3): 215–238.
Ngorosho, D. 2011. Literacy Skills of Kiswahili Speaking Children in Rural Tanzania. Abo Akadem
Universoty, Vasa.
Obeta, A. 2014. Home Environmental Factors Affecting Students’ Academic Perfomance in Abia
State, Nigeria. Fundamental Library of the Latvia University of Agriculture.
Parcel, T. & E. Menaghan. 1994. Early Parental Work, Family Social Capital & Early Childhood
Outcomes. American Journal of Sociology, 99(4): 972–1009.
Paulhus, D. 2002. Social Desirable Responding: The Evolution of a Construct. In H. Braun, D. Jackson
& D. Wiley, the Role of Constructs in Psychological and Educational Measurement (pp. 49-69).
Mahwah NJ: Erlbaum.
Plotnik, R. & H. Kouyoumdjian. 2011. Introduction to Psychology (9th Ed.). Wadsworth: CENGAGE
Learning.
Rani, S. & M. Siddiqui. 2015. A Study of Home Environment, Academic Achievement and Teaching
Aptitude on Training Success of Pre-Service Elementary Teachers of India. Journal of Education
and Practice, 6(28): 91–96.
Ribe, I., E. Svensen, B. Lyngmo, E. Mduma & S. Hinderaker. 2018. Determinants of Early Child
Development in Rural Tanzania. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health. Retrieved April
2018, from https://capmh.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s13034–018–0224–5.
Sanders, M. R. & Morawska, A. 2014. Can Changing Parental Knowledge, Dysfunctional Expectatons
and Attributions & Emotional Regulation Improve Outcomes for Children? Encyclopedia on Early
Childhood Development. Retrieved on 20th May. 2019 from www.excellence. earlychildhood.ca.
Santos, D., A. Assis, A. Bastos, L. Santos, C. Santos & A. E. Strina. 2008. Determinants of Cognitive
Function in Childhood: A Cohort Study in a Middle Income Context. BMC Public Health, 9. 202.
Doi:10.1186/1471–2458–8–202.
Siegler, R. 2017. Cognitive Development in Childhood. In R.Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds). Champaign,
IL: Noba Textbook Series: Psychology. DEF Publishers.
Souza, R. 1997. The Child in the Family in Transformation: A Little Reflection and an Invitation to
Research. Pscic Rev, 5: 33–51.
Squires & Bricker. 2009. Ages & Stages Questionnaires; Third Edition (ASQ-3). Paul H. Brookes
Publishing Co.
Walker, C., L. Walker & P. Ganea. 2012. The Role of Symbol-Based Experience in Early Learning and
Transfer from Pictures: Evidence from Tanzania. Developmental Psychology. Doi:10.1037/
A0029483.
Yeung, W., M. Linver & J. Brooks-Gunn. 2002. How Money Matters for Young Children’s
Development: Parental Investment and Family Processes. Child Development, 73: 1861–1879.
Zamberlan, M. & Z. Biasoli-Alves. 1996. Family Interactions: Theory, Research and Intervention Subsidies.
Publisher of the State University of Lodrina.