Human Development & Quantitative Methodology

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2248

The departments within the College of Education were reorganized and renamed as of July 1, 2011. This department incorporates the former departments of Measurement, Statistics & Evaluation; Human Development; and the Institute for Child Study.

Browse

Subject: search.filters.subject.African American

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Trauma, Depression, Early Attachment, and Neonatal Health Outcomes among African American Mothers and their Infants
    (2016) Morrison, Colleen Isabel; Jones Harden, Brenda; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Young children whose mothers are depressed are vulnerable to a range of negative developmental outcomes beginning during the prenatal period and persisting throughout childhood. There is a large and growing need for evidence-informed pre-and postnatal services for pregnant women, especially in high-risk populations. More research is needed to inform practices relative to identifying pregnant women at risk for depression, providing treatment of depression and its concomitants during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and promoting positive developmental outcomes in infants who have been exposed to perinatal depression. The goal of this study was to enhance our knowledge of perinatal depression (i.e., depression that occurs during pregnancy or within the first 12 months following delivery) as well as its impact on maternal functioning in low-income, African American women and the health and developmental outcomes of their young infants. Participants were low-income African American women (N = 70), recruited during their third trimester of pregnancy, and their newborns. Data collection took place over two time periods: during the third trimester of pregnancy and at one month postpartum. Prenatal data collected include information on a range of risk and protective factors, including prenatal depression, health behaviors, and maternal-fetal attachment (i.e., mother’s feelings of attachment to her unborn child). Postnatal data collected include information on depression, neonatal outcomes (e.g., birth weight), and maternal feelings of attachment to her infant. Multiple regression, logistic regression, and measured variable path analysis were used to test the relationships between risk factors, maternal functioning, and neonatal outcomes. Although his study relied on a small convenience sample of pregnant women, and is not generalizable to a broader population, there are still several findings of note. Marital status and trauma exposure significantly contributed to prenatal depressive symptoms. Also, maternal-fetal attachment mediated the relationship between prenatal depressive symptoms and health practices, but only for participants who were not married or cohabitating. Finally, maternal-fetal attachment significantly predicted maternal-infant attachment. Implications for policy and practice are presented.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Teacher Competence Support for Reading in Middle School
    (2012) McRae, Angela; Guthrie, John T.; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between student perceptions of teacher competence support, self-efficacy for reading, and reading achievement for African American and European American students. Previous studies of teacher support have emphasized emotional support and have found considerable evidence for positive effects on motivation and achievement (Wentzel, 2009). Over time, support for competence has increasingly emerged as a distinct dimension of teacher support (Beghetto, 2007; Wentzel et al., 2010) and there is a need for the extension of this empirical research on the association between teacher competence support, motivation, and achievement. This study seeks to narrow this focus to student perceptions of teacher competence support, student self-efficacy, and reading achievement in middle school. The study sample consisted of 366 seventh- grade students in an ethnically and economically diverse school district. Students completed measures of their perceptions of teacher competence support, which included encouragement and instrumental help in reading. Students also completed a reading self-efficacy questionnaire and an assessment of information text comprehension. While controlling for socioeconomic status, hierarchical multiple regressions and MANOVA were conducted. African American students perceived statistically significantly higher levels of teacher competence support for reading compared to their European American peers. European American students performed at a higher level on the reading achievement measure, and there was no significant difference between groups in self-efficacy. Teacher competence support was significantly associated with self-efficacy regardless of ethnicity, and was also significantly associated with reading achievement, but only for African American students. Self-efficacy was significantly correlated with reading achievement for both ethnic groups; however, this correlation was statistically significantly higher for European American students. Post hoc analyses revealed that the correlation between self-efficacy and reading achievement was significant for European American students regardless of perceived level of teacher competence support, and the self-efficacy and reading achievement relationship was significant for African American students only if they perceived high levels of teacher competence support.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Literate Behaviors in African American Head Start Families: A Multiple Literacies Perspective
    (2004-04-30) Daniels, Janese Kerr; Jones-Harden, Brenda; Human Development
    Low literacy and illiteracy have been documented among low-income African American children. The problems associated with low literacy and illiteracy often extend into adulthood, with potentially devastating consequences. Low-income African American caregivers are frequently portrayed as devoid of any interest in their children's literacy development and achievement. Additionally, it has been suggested that these caregivers provide homes that are literacy impoverished, often without any literacy activities (e.g. shared book reading, visits to the library) occurring on a routine basis. Qualitative researchers have documented specific literacy practices in which low-income families engage. Frequently, these literacy practices are a function of the context in which the family is currently embedded. Although a qualitative literature exists regarding these literacy practices, its utility is limited due to small sample sizes and lack of quantitative documentation on their contribution to children's language and literacy development. This study attempted to bridge the gap between the qualitative and quantitative literatures. Fifty-one low-income African American mother-child dyads participated in this exploratory family literacy study. The contribution of multiple literacy practices, both traditional and non-traditional, was examined in relation to child language and literacy outcomes. It was found that most low-income African American families engaged in multiple literacy practices. Analyses revealed that although the quality of the home literacy environment contributed to children's language and literacy development, child receptive language explained most of the variance in children's preschool literacy development. Recommended areas for future research directions included standardization of an instrument to capture literacy practices that have been highlighted in both the qualitative and quantitative literatures. Additional recommendations for practitioners included providing parent training that encouraged families to use non-traditional literacy practices to help facilitate their children's literacy development.