ABSTRACT
The study aims to examine the readiness of Indian parents towards online classes at kindergarten and junior school levels, by identifying the perceived barriers, perceived effectiveness and health impact of online classes on young children. The study is based on data collected across a random sample of 750 parents of students studying at junior and kindergarten levels in urban private schools which offer online classes. The data was analyzed through exploratory factor analysis, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. Technological, infrastructural, and personal barriers related to students, and parents, were identified as perceived barriers by parents in availing online classes for their kids. Parents' attitude towards online classes at kindergarten and primary levels gets negatively influenced by the barriers they face, and the perceived negative impact of technology usage on their kids' health, while;perceived effectiveness was found to have a positive impact on the parents' attitude. The study is unique as it includes the interest of such young stakeholders of the education system. The study highlights the barriers faced by parents related to online classes and the health-related concerns which play a major role in the adoption of online mode of education for their kids. Research gives insights to school authorities and the government to work on these barriers and make the online education system effective which is the need of the hour during COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
This dissertation research study aimed to determine the predictors of early literacy skills in kindergarteners with dyslexia familial risk. The home literacy environment, preschool attendance, and parental self-efficacy are known predictors of early literacy skills, specifically letter naming knowledge, in typically developing children. Letter naming knowledge is an early literacy skill that is important to future reading achievement and outcomes. Letter naming knowledge is also a powerful pre-literacy predictor of dyslexia. Dyslexia commonly manifest as difficulties in acquiring basic reading skills and is highly heritable. The population for this study was primary caregivers of kindergarteners with a first degree relative with a diagnosis of dyslexia. Participants completed the Home Literacy Checklist, Tool to Measure Parenting Self-Efficacy via an online survey with questions regarding preschool attendance, letter naming knowledge skills, and the presence of a diagnosis of dyslexia among first degree relatives. SPSS Statistics (Version 28) was used to run descriptive statistics. The sample was comprised of 12 primary caregivers. This sample size was not appropriate for the chosen analysis of multiple regression. Using exploratory data analysis, the data was organized and summarized. Due to an inadequate sample size caused by a low response rate, no conclusions could be drawn from this data. The research questions were not answered and there were no findings. COVID-19 restrictions impacted research sites and the level of participation, with participants being less available, school closures, and mandatory quarantines, creating a difficult atmosphere for completion of this research study. As a result, the lack of data during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns led to several revisions of the research plan. The revisions involved eliminating the need for standardized test scores, using primary caregiver report to determine the level of difficulty of letter naming knowledge of the kindergarten student, and using social media to recruit participants. Recommendations for further research were comprised of ways to increase the pool of participants by expanding inclusion criteria, eliminating the use of standardized test scores, considering the length of the survey, and the use of social media along with an incentive. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This reflective inquiry will share how two early years educators addressed the unique challenges of teaching and learning during a pandemic situation. The major focus of this article will be within the context of full-day kindergarten in Ontario, Canada. Although teaching during a pandemic has encouraged educators to become innovative, early years educators must also engage in reflective practices. These distance learning opportunities must also hold true to play-based pedagogies and center the needs of students and families at their core. The uniqueness of the early years presents specific pedagogical considerations that educators need to explore and intentionally implement into their practice as they innovate in this new complicated reality. This chapter will be based on primary research as distance learning related to the early years is a new area of study. There is little to no research that has been conducted in this area as it does not align with early years pedagogy and practice. This chapter will explore the following topics: play-based learning in a culture of inquiry, the learning environment, assessment for and of learning, concerns and issues around equity, mental health and well-being, and teacher capacity. It will conclude with implications for early years teaching during possible future critical situations. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Black Lives Matter at School: Community Schools, COVID-19 and Freedom Dreams Edited by Denisha Jones and Jesse Hagopian, I Black Lives Matter at School: An Uprising for Educational Justice i is a must-read for all educators and organizers who are truly committed to centering Black lives in and outside of classrooms. It will be critical moving forward to demonstrate how the knowledge and skills necessary to bring about Black Lives Matter at School and similar Black liberatory curricular efforts can be implemented in teacher education programs, beyond ad-hoc professional development sessions. [Extracted from the article] Copyright of Urban Education is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on pregnant persons' mental health. Prepandemic data reports an impact of depression, anxiety, and stress on the emotional and behavioral development of the child. Objective(s): We aimed to evaluate the impact of gestational maternal depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic on the child's cognitive development at 18 months. Method(s): The CONCEPTION study is a prospective mother-child cohort, established since June 23, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Depression and anxiety were assessed during pregnancy using validated tools in French and English (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EPDS] and General Anxiety Disorder-7 [GAD-7]) as well as stress and antidepressant consumption. The child's cognitive development was reported by the mother using the third edition of Ages and stages questionnaires (ASQ-3) at 18 months of age. Data on other covariates were collected electronically. Multivariate linear regression models were built to assess the association between prenatal maternal depression, anxiety, stress, and child development across domains: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal-social domains while adjusting for covariates. In addition, sensitivity analyses have been added like COVID-19 diagnosis. Result(s): Overall, 445 mother-child dyads were included in analyses (mean gestational age at delivery 39.2 weeks +/-1.8). Mean gestational scores were, for depression (EDPS, 7.8+/-5.4), anxiety (GAD-7, 4.4+/-4.0), and stress (4.3+/-2.1). Adjusting for potential confounders, as well as for maternal depression and anxiety during pregnancy, maternal prenatal stress was associated with communication skills (adjusted beta = 1.5, CI 95 % (0.34, 2.7)) and fine motor skills (adjusted beta = 1.06, CI 95 % (0.02, 2.6)) at 18 months age. Gestational depression, anxiety, and antidepressants use were not associated with any of the ASQ-3's domains. In addition, no significant association was found in stratified analysis for COVID-19 diagnosis. Conclusion(s): During the COVID-19 pandemic, gestational maternal stress was associated with some aspects of childhood cognitive problems, including communication and fine motor skills. Our results highlight the need to continue following-up on children until kindergarten to better understand the impact of maternal mental health during pregnancy on the child's cognitive development in the era of COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
During the spring of 2020, Nebraska's 983 public schools sat vacant, and Nebraska's 329,290 Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 students were learning in environments other than school. Educators were expected to pivot quickly from traditional classroom instruction to remote experiences. Understanding the effects of the pandemic on educators is necessary to effectively meet their needs and the needs of students. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the experiences of Nebraska's urban and rural PreK-Grade 12 educators during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In surveys collected in July 2020, participants (i.e., superintendents, principals, and teachers) completed both fixed-response items and one open-ended question that assessed experiences during the initial pandemic-related school closings. The results indicate educators identified lack of family help and inability to engage students as a top concern about student academic progress. Educators reported dramatic increases in stress during school closures. Many reported coping only somewhat well or worse. Educators also reported personal challenges with remote instruction, including mental health issues and blurred work- and home-life boundaries. Significant differences were found between rural and urban educators, as well as between elementary and secondary educators. Direct quotes from participants vividly describe their lived experiences.
ABSTRACT
Background. Possession of motor skills from an early age by interacting with the outdoor environment has a long-term effect on physical activity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a restriction to interacting directly with it especially kindergarten students when doing online learning or learning from home due to pandemic health measures. There is a series of literature that reviews the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on several aspects of human life, but a lack of attention remains of the impact of the disease on motor skills development for kindergarten students. Objectives. To reveal the extent to which the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic of the motor skills of these kids. Methods. The method used in this research is described with a quantitative approach. 80 kindergarten students were included in the sample, consisting of 45 boys and 35 girl students in the city of Padang, Indonesia with an age range of 4 to 5 years. A motor skills test was conducted using TGMD-2. Results. After dealing with all data, findings showcased that the level of motor skills of these students was reduced during the pandemic when compared to before the outbreak. While before the pandemic, such a level of motor skills was in the average category whereas during the pandemic it shifted to the poor category. Conclusion. This study provides the actual state of the impact of the pandemic COVID-19 on kindergarten students on their motor skills development. © (2023). All Rights Reserved.
ABSTRACT
Objective To identify the pathogen and track the genetic source of a cluster of cases with fever in a kindergarten in Fengtai district during the normalization of COVID-19 prevention and control in Beijing.Methods A descriptive analysis method was used to investigate this cluster of cases with fever in April 2021.Pharyngeal swabs were collected and viral nucleic acid was extracted, real-time PCR was performed to identify SARS-CoV-2 and other common respiratory virus. G gene of human metapneumovirus（hMPV） was amplified by RT-PCR and was then sequenced. BioEdit was used for G gene sequence analysis and the Neighbor-Joining model in MEGA 5. 0 software was used to construct the phylogenic tree of G gene. Results A total of 16 cases were reported in one class with the incidence of 53. 3%（16/30） during 8 days of a cluster outbreak. All pharyngeal swabs collected from 12 cases were tested SARS-CoV-2 negative, six were found to be hMPV positive by multiplex-PCR, and one was positive for both human adenovirus and hMPV. Full-length sequences of G genes were obtained from 2 strains of hMPV. Sequence analysis showed that both strains were hMPV B2 and the nucleic acid homology of G gene was 96. 73%-98. 01% with strains from Japan（LC337940, LC337935, LC1922349） in 2016 and over 98. 40%with strains from Shandong（OL625642, OL625644） in 2019, Henan MN944096 in 2019.Compared with the amino acid sequence of hMPV-B2 reference strain（AY297748）, six amino acid insertions containing EKEKEK were identified between 161-166 amino acid location and N-glycosylation of G protein analysis showed that the two strains had four N-glycosylation sites. Conclusions The leading pathogen for this cluster outbreak is found to be hMPV-B2, which are highly homologous with strains from Japan, Shandong and Henan. Therefore, a non-stop surveillance of hMPV is necessary during the normalization control and prevention period for COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Knowledge on the impact of the temporary kindergarten closure policy under COVID-19 in 2020 on childhood overweight and obesity is inadequate. We aimed to examine differences in rates of overweight and obesity from 2018 to 2021 among kindergarten children aged 3-7 years. METHODS: Overweight was defined as body mass index (BMI) > 1 standard deviation (SD) for age and sex, and obesity was defined as BMI > 2 SD for age and sex. Generalized linear mixed modeling was used for analysis. RESULTS: A total of 44,884 children and 71,216 growth data points from all 57 public kindergartens in Jiading District, Shanghai, China were analyzed. The rates of obesity from 2018 to 2021 were 6.9%, 6.6%, 9.5%, and 7.3% in boys and 2.8%, 2.8%, 4.5%, and 3.1% in girls, respectively. The rates of overweight from 2018 to 2021 were 14.3%, 14.3%, 18.2%, and 15.3% in boys and 10.6%, 10.9%, 13.9%, and 11.6% in girls. The rates of obesity and overweight among kindergarten children in 2020 were significantly higher than those in 2018, 2019, and 2021. Compared to 2020, the odds ratios of the obesity rate in 2018, 2019, and 2021 were 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.58-0.77, P < 0.001], 0.72 (95% CI = 0.64-0.80, P < 0.001) and 0.81 (95% CI = 0.72-0.92, P = 0.001), respectively. The odds ratios of the overweight rate in 2018, 2019, and 2021 were 0.75 (95% CI = 0.69-0.82, P < 0.001), 0.78 (95% CI = 0.72-0.84, P < 0.001), and 0.89 (95% CI = 0.81-0.97, P = 0.008), respectively, compared to 2020. CONCLUSIONS: The rates of overweight and obesity significantly increased among kindergarten children in 2020 after the 5-month kindergarten closure. It was critical to provide guidance to caregivers on fostering a healthy lifestyle for children at home under public health emergencies.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Pediatric Obesity , Male , Female , Child , Humans , Child, Preschool , Overweight/epidemiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Prevalence , China/epidemiology , Pediatric Obesity/epidemiology , Body Mass IndexABSTRACT
Introduction: Research to date has established that the COVID-19 pandemic has not impacted everyone equitably. Whether this unequitable impact was seen educationally with regards to educator reported barriers to distance learning, concerns and mental health is less clear. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the association between the neighbourhood composition of the school and kindergarten educator-reported barriers and concerns regarding children's learning during the first wave of COVID-19 related school closures in Ontario, Canada. Methods: In the spring of 2020, we collected data from Ontario kindergarten educators (n = 2569; 74.2% kindergarten teachers, 25.8% early childhood educators; 97.6% female) using an online survey asking them about their experiences and challenges with online learning during the first round of school closures. We linked the educator responses to 2016 Canadian Census variables based on schools' postal codes. Bivariate correlations and Poisson regression analyses were used to determine if there was an association between neighbourhood composition and educator mental health, and the number of barriers and concerns reported by kindergarten educators. Results: There were no significant findings with educator mental health and school neighbourhood characteristics. Educators who taught at schools in neighbourhoods with lower median income reported a greater number of barriers to online learning (e.g., parents/guardians not submitting assignments/providing updates on their child's learning) and concerns regarding the return to school in the fall of 2020 (e.g., students' readjustment to routines). There were no significant associations with educator reported barriers or concerns and any of the other Census neighbourhood variables (proportion of lone parent families, average household size, proportion of population that do no speak official language, proportion of population that are recent immigrants, or proportion of population ages 0-4). Conclusions: Overall, our study suggests that the neighbourhood composition of the children's school location did not exacerbate the potential negative learning experiences of kindergarten students and educators during the COVID-19 pandemic, although we did find that educators teaching in schools in lower-SES neighbourhoods reported more barriers to online learning during this time. Taken together, our study suggests that remediation efforts should be focused on individual kindergarten children and their families as opposed to school location.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Education, Distance , Child , Humans , Child, Preschool , Female , Male , Ontario/epidemiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Pandemics , Return to School , SchoolsABSTRACT
The health, economic and social crisis caused by COVID-19 has forced many preschool educators and kindergarten directors to define and redefine the limits of their professional identities repeatedly. However, to date there is not enough evidence on how reflective activities that seek to help these professionals to negotiate their identities should be articulated, especially in virtual contexts. Nor do we have examples that show us the deployment of this type of activities in practice. For these reasons, in this article we analyze the design and implementation of a training activity aimed at a broad group of preschool educators and kindergarten directors assigned to a local public education ser vice (hereinafter, SLEP) in Chile. The objective of this activity was to develop a reflective activity in such a way that it effectively promoted the construction and reconstruction of the participants' subjective learning experiences, a key issue for them to be able to negotiate and renegotiate their professional identities. Our analysis allows us to conclude that these types of activities must have a series of characteristics to be useful and, at the same time, that there are a series of key aspects that must be considered to adequately assess the quality of the reflective processes. This information is key to promoting the negotiation of the professional identity of preschool educators and kindergarten directors.
ABSTRACT
Background: Emerging evidence suggests that children are at greater risk of COVID-19 infection than initially predicted. Although studies show a slight evolution in pediatric patients, there is an increased risk in newborns and infants, as immaturity of the respiratory tract and immune system contributes to the development of severe forms in this age group. There is also insufficient information on the role of children in the transmission of the virus, which is important in making public health decisions. Aim(s): To identify the clinical and epidemiological characteristics and transmission patterns of pediatric patients with the Covid-19. Method(s): The study includes 417 children hospitalized in the COVID-19 section of the IMSP Mother and Child Institute in 2021. The mean age was 3.96 +/- 3.97 years. Confirmation of the diagnosis was based on the detection of SARS-CoV- 2 virus by the application of molecular biology tests or rapid tests for the detection of SARS-CoV- 2 antigen. Result(s): More than half of the children were under the age of 5 (58.27%: 95% CI, 65.3-74.3), of which newborns accounted for 10.79%: 95% CI, 8.1-14.3, and infants up to one year -28.29%: 95% CI, 24.1-32.9. Boys prevailed slightly, accounting for 56.83%: 95% CI, 51.9-61.6, and 60.67%: 95% CI, 55.8-65.4 of children with COVID-19 infection were from urban areas. From the anamnestic data, the mean time from the onset of SARS-CoV- 2 infection to the time of diagnostic was 3.88 +/- 1.98 days. The conditions of transmission of the virus to children included in the study were: family contact in 46.04%: 95% CI, 41.2-51.0 cases, import cases 6.95%: 95% CI, 4.8-9.9, participation in public events in 5.7%: 95% CI, 3.8-8.6, contact in children's communities (schools/kindergartens) in 4.31%: 95% CI, 2.1-6.9. Also, there were 1.67%: 95% CI, 0.7-3.6 newborns of COVID-19 positive mothers with symptomatic forms. The number of hospitalizations was obviously increased in march-april and august-september, confirming the evolution in waves of the SARS-CoV- 2 pandemic. Conclusion(s): Frequent affecting to children up to one year of age is a cause for concern, as infants have a developing immune system and are at risk for bronchopulmonary damage. Family contact is the main source of infection for the pediatric population, so interventions targeting children could have a relatively small impact on reducing the transmission of SARS-CoV- 2 infection.
ABSTRACT
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, more than 85% of U.S. children under the age of five attend pre-Kindergarten programs. When COVID-19 quickly caused much of the nation to close preschool programs with very little notice, the structure of education changed dramatically. The purpose of the present study was to explore two specific aims: First, the study examines the role of self-efficacy in educational involvement during COVID-19;and second, the study examines the impact of perceived resources on parental efficacy and involvement during COVID-19. Parents of pre-K students reported on their perception of the educational program's resources and their own involvement and feelings of self-efficacy toward their child's education. Results indicate that resources, self-efficacy, and involvement were challenged by the pandemic. Taken together, these results strengthen existing research on educational efficacy, parental engagement, and perceptions of resources during times of adversity. © The Author(s) 2023.
ABSTRACT
Scholars have argued against a post-COVID return to normality on the grounds that the pandemic offers an opportunity to break with the past and imagine a different, more just future. In this analysis of pre-kindergarten teachers' reflections on teaching during COVID-19 in the state of Michigan, we take up the notion of the pandemic as a portal to consider how practices that emerged during the pandemic might be carried forward post-pandemic. Through a qualitative interview study with 25 public pre-K teachers in Michigan, we sought to understand how the pandemic altered the nature of family-teacher engagement. Our analysis led us to conceptualize teaching as an improvisational practice that was highly responsive to the circumstances and needs of families. We identified three central themes that animated pre-K teachers' work during the pandemic: supporting families through new types of "offers" (a term from improv theory), making learning accessible, and fostering collectivity by partnering with families. Teachers' practices during the pandemic reveal new avenues for conceptualizing family engagement as an improvisational practice. We draw on the principles of improv theory to outline a framework for this approach.
ABSTRACT
Across the world COVID-19 has impacted teachers' lives both professionally and personally. In many parts of the world kindergarten teachers have been able to adapt practices to ensure that children's education and care is provided. However some countries have not responded adequately to support kindergarten teachers' ongoing employment. Bangladesh is one such country. The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of 16 Bangaldeshi kindergarten teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study used an interpretive social constructionist approach, with semi-structured interviews of the 16 kindergarten teachers. Findings revealed the 16 participants experienced significant disruption to their professional and personal lives during COVID-19. With the long-term closures of schools and early childhood services, the teachers were found to be significantly impacted resulting in hardship to their personal, physical, human and social lives. Governments are called on to demonstrate value and support kindergarten teachers at all times, not only during the pandemic. Such support will sustain the early childhood profession, and ensure the rights of young children to access consistent education and care are met. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Early Years Education is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
ABSTRACT
The teachers' perceptions of the curriculum or their beliefs about how children learn can influence the quality of the teaching activity and its final outcome. Furthermore, the importance of an extended cooperation and mutual understanding between the actors involved (kindergarten teachers – parents) seems to be a crucial issue in order to establish a supportive framework. The research is structured in two dimensions. We seek the beliefs of kindergarten teachers (K-teachers) and parents, as well as their mutual perceptions of each other's beliefs, i.e., K-teachers for parents and parents for K-teachers, about the importance of kindergarten goals. The study was conducted in Greece, specifically in the region of Central Macedonia, in June 2021, after the re-opening of schools due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A sample of 330 K-teachers and 419 parents from public and private schools responded to closed-ended questionnaires, rating –on a 5-point Likert scale-the importance of 14 Kindergarten goals. We found that K-teachers generally underestimated parents' beliefs about kindergarten goals relative to their own beliefs and overestimated parents' beliefs about the ‘academic' curriculum goals;a trend that was not confirmed by the parallel survey of parents' beliefs. In contrast, parents appeared to express a more balanced perception between their own beliefs and those they perceived K-teachers to hold. We also found evidence of differentiation between private and public schools. According to the findings, a harmonized perception of kindergarten goals by K-teachers and parents in private versus public schools is apparent. © 2023 Journal of Childhood, Education & Society. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To understand the awereness and health needs of parents in regards to infectious diseases in kindergartens in Chengdu, and to provide a reference for carrying out targeted health education on infectious diseases. Methods: The parents of kindergarten children in Chenghua District of Chengdu was selected by convenient sampling, and a self-designed questionnaire was used. Results: The rate of awareness among parents regarding pediatric infectious diseases was 42.0%, among which the awareness rate of "treatment measures following a dog bite" was the highest (99.6%), and "the awareness rate of infectious disease classifications in China" was the lowest (26.7%). The awareness rate was related to family role, education level, occupation and income level (X2=10.81, 71.81, 93.78, 25.17, P < 0.05). The survey examined the demand for knowledge regarding pediatric infectious disease prevention and control, and revealed that parents primarily obtained such information from the school class group (85.5%). The most desirable way of obtaining relevant information was from information provided by professional institutions (96.6%), the infectious disease that parents most wanted to know about was the 2019 novel coronavirus (91.9%), and the most desirable time to acquire knowledge about infectious diseases depended on the seasonal arrangement of infectious diseases (67.5%). Conclusion: The awareness rate of parents about children's infectious diseases is in the middle level, and the channels for acquiring the knowledge about infectious diseases are relatively limited. Schools can carry out targeted health education in order to raise the awareness rate of parents of preschool children about children's infectious diseases.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in wide disruptions to in-person schooling which have exacerbated conditions in the public-school system. While creating chaos in general, these disruptions have also affected the assessment of children and the delivery of instructional interventions, processes which are crucial to the implementation of Response to Intervention, in which children receive increased academic support at progressive tiers of intervention.The current study used a qualitative design aligned to the classic cultural-historical methods used by Vygotsky. Specifically, this study examined the experiences of Birth to 3-years-old and Kindergarten to Grade Three interventionists, who provided intervention to children during the pandemic.Nine participants, four Birth to 3-years-old interventionists and five Kindergarten to Grade Three interventionists, participated in a series of focus groups in which research questions were presented as tools for analysis. All sessions were audio and video recorded. The data were transcribed and analyzed using in-vivo codes, subcategories, dominant categories and themes.Five themes emerged from the data analysis. The first two themes related to alterations of service but remained distinct on the basis of whether the alteration was in relationship to a social need or of material necessity. The next two themes were primarily characterized by verbal responses that indicated emotions or feelings. The final theme was a distinct set of verbal responses about future orientation and characterized by concerns about educational practice and children's experiences. The study's findings capture how interventionists altered services for children during the pandemic, the experience of providing intervention during the pandemic and expectations about intervention in subsequent school years.The methodology developed for this study suggests the potential to align modern methods to classical cultural-historical methods. The data also reveal specific alterations that interventionists implemented, perspectives on their experience and concerns. These verbal responses serve as rich vignettes of the COVID-19 pandemic and have implications for District-level, and other public policy decisions. These findings underscore the importance of conducting studies within a methodological framework that emerges on a clear theoretical basis and may inform future research of Response to Intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This dissertation includes three papers that examine the role of child care policy in promoting early childhood education and care and parental labor supply. Paper one investigates the effects of universal pre-kindergarten on center-based early education and care enrollment and child care expenditures by household income with a focus on middle-income children. Paper two considers how the generosity of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) benefits is associated with child care utilization and maternal labor supply. Paper three assesses the role of co-resident grandparents in parental labor supply during the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo map the risk of work-related SARS-CoV-2 across occupations and pandemic waves and investigate its impact on morbidity and partner-risk.MethodsThe cohort includes 2,4 million employees aged 20–69 with follow-up from 2020 through 2021. During this period, 261,203 employees had a positive SARS-CoV-2 test and 4416 were admitted to hospital with Covid-19 (HA). At-risk occupations defined at the 4-digit DISCO-08 level were identified using a reference population of mainly office-workers defined a priory by a job-exposure matrix (JEM). Incidence rate ratios (IRR) and effect modification by pandemic wave were computed by Poisson regression. We adjusted for demographic, social and health characteristics including household size, completed Covid-19 vaccination and occupation-specific frequency of testing.ResultsIn addition to eight specific occupations in the healthcare sector, we found increased risk of Covid-19 related HA in bus drivers, kindergarten teachers, domestic helpers, and operators in food production (IRR from 1.5–3) and modestly increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in numerous occupations outside the healthcare sector including police and security guards, supermarket attendants, receptionists, cooks, and waiters. After the first year of the pandemic, the risk fell to background levels among healthcare workers but not in other occupations. The risk of Covid-19 related HA was increased in spouses with partners in high-risk occupations (IRR 1.54, 95% CI 1.1–2.2). Employees born in low-income countries and male employees from Eastern Europe more often worked in at-risk occupations. Being foreign-born modified the risk of PCR test positivity, primarily because of higher risk among men born in Eastern Europe working in at-risk occupations (IRR 2.39, 95% CI 2.09–2.72 versus IRR 1.19 (95% CI 1.14–1.23) in native-born men).ConclusionSARS-Cov2 transmission at the workplace was common during the Covid-pandemic in spite of temporary lock-downs which emphasizes the need for improved safety measures during future epidemics.