A01: Research into the effects of day care on social development
Social development: Involves the growth of a child’s abilities to interact with others and behave in a prosocial manner, such as comforting, helping and sharing.
Quality of care can vary along a number of dimensions- number ratio to staff to children, staff turnover, training of staff etc.
Leech (1994) found that children who were looked after by their parents do significantly better developmentally than those cared for in nurseries.
Quality of care can vary along a number of dimensions- number ratio to staff to children, staff turnover, training of staff etc.
Leech (1994) found that children who were looked after by their parents do significantly better developmentally than those cared for in nurseries.
A01: Research into the effects of day care on aggression
Day care has been found to be associated with aggression in young children and children who spend longertime are more likely to become anti-social.
Sylva et al (2003)
The Effective Proviison of Pre-school Education (EPPE) Project.
Aim: The EPPE project studied the impact of pre-school on young children's intellectual and social/behavioural difficulties. Particularly assessing whether it reduced social inequalities.
The study further examined whether the type of preschool affected children's development and the factors that make an effective pre-school.
Procedure:
Findings:
Preschool has an important positive impact upon children's intellectual and social development. It can help to overcome the effects of social disadvantage and can provide children with a better start to school.
The quality of care was an influential factor. Higher quality pre-school appears to offer both intellectual and social advantages.
Sylva et al (2003)
The Effective Proviison of Pre-school Education (EPPE) Project.
Aim: The EPPE project studied the impact of pre-school on young children's intellectual and social/behavioural difficulties. Particularly assessing whether it reduced social inequalities.
The study further examined whether the type of preschool affected children's development and the factors that make an effective pre-school.
Procedure:
- Participants were 3000 children from 141 different pre-school centers.
- From a range of ethnicities and social disadvantages.
- The settings the children attended included: Playgroups, day nurseries (both voluntary and local authority), private day nurseries, nursery schools,nursery classes and centers combining education and care.
- Children were assessed at the 3/4 years and then again at the start of school.
- Assessed value added.
Findings:
- Pre-school attendance improved cognitive development for all children.
- Disadvantaged children are more likely to have adverse social profiles both at age 3 and school entry.
- The EPPE suggests that aggression can be reduced by high quality pre-school care.
- Integrate centers (combined education with care) promote better intellectual and social development.
- Disadvantaged children improved more when the childcare setting was mixed with children from different backgrounds.
Preschool has an important positive impact upon children's intellectual and social development. It can help to overcome the effects of social disadvantage and can provide children with a better start to school.
The quality of care was an influential factor. Higher quality pre-school appears to offer both intellectual and social advantages.
A02: Evaluation of research into aggression
The EPPE project has become well known for its contribution to evidence based policy.
Its findings are reliable because they are based on well planned research methods. As a result, the conclusions from this study have affected policy both at a local and national level.
However some people would argue that the implementations are not wide spread enough as 1.3 million people are unable to find a childcare place.
Its findings are reliable because they are based on well planned research methods. As a result, the conclusions from this study have affected policy both at a local and national level.
However some people would argue that the implementations are not wide spread enough as 1.3 million people are unable to find a childcare place.
Time and aggression
Sammons et al (2003) demonstrates that if a child spends more than 20 hours a week then it increases anti-social behaviour.
This increases significantly if the amount of time increases to 40 hours. This demonstrates that the longer a child spends in day care the more likely they are to become aggressive.
This increases significantly if the amount of time increases to 40 hours. This demonstrates that the longer a child spends in day care the more likely they are to become aggressive.
A01: Research into the effects of day care on peer relations
Day care can increase sociability and independence in children.
The EPPE project findings also tell us about the positive effect day care can have upon peer relations, explain that preschool was associated with greater independence, cooperation, conformity and sociability with children.
High quality care was most effective where staff who have qualifications and an equal value is placed on social and educational development.
Harvey (1999) further demonstrated that children who attend day care becuase their Mum's work suffered no permanent damage. However further research conducted suggested that any problems that children did suffer would disappear by the age of 12 years.
Other factors besides Mothers employment affect children's development such as the quality of the mother-child relationship and day care quality. He concluded that both Mum's at home and working Mum's can produce healthy well-developed children.
The EPPE project findings also tell us about the positive effect day care can have upon peer relations, explain that preschool was associated with greater independence, cooperation, conformity and sociability with children.
High quality care was most effective where staff who have qualifications and an equal value is placed on social and educational development.
Harvey (1999) further demonstrated that children who attend day care becuase their Mum's work suffered no permanent damage. However further research conducted suggested that any problems that children did suffer would disappear by the age of 12 years.
Other factors besides Mothers employment affect children's development such as the quality of the mother-child relationship and day care quality. He concluded that both Mum's at home and working Mum's can produce healthy well-developed children.
Time and peer relations
Field (1991) further examined the amount of time spent in day care and the quality of care received.
It was found that the more time a child spends in day care the more friends they have and the more extracurricular activities they are involved in. Children who experience high quality day care are more likely to engage in physical affection during peer relations.
It was found that
A02: Evaluation of day care research
- One weakness of research into day care is there is inconsistent research regarding the length of time. The findings of Sammons and Field demonstrate that there are mixed effects that suggest time spent in day care is detrimental to anti-social behaviour and positive to peer relations. This makes it difficult to interpret whether day care has a positive or negative effect.
- A second weakness of research into day care is that the data is only correlational. Therefore cause and effect cannot be inferred, we cannot say that day care causes aggression.
- A third limitation is that day care is not the only factor to influence development. There are other factors that affect social development, aggression and peer relations besides day care.
- A final limitation of day care research is that the data does not consider individual differences in the ability to cope with day care. The research does not explain how some children can cope with day care better than others.