Coaching home visitors: A thematic review with an emphasis on research and practice needs.

There is wide recognition in early childhood fields that coaching is important to a professional's development and growth in general, but little is known about coaching home visiting professionals in particular. An early childhood home visiting professional works with families to encourage positive parent-child interactions, family goal setting, and family well-being and health. Determining the essential components of coaching home visitors will help advance this field. Because coaching in the home visiting field is emergent, this article draws on literature from the early childhood field with an emphasis on applications for home visiting. We gleaned six themes that may represent common features of coaching. This article presents a compilation of common themes identified in literature reviews on coaching professionals across the early childhood field that warrant further development and evaluation by home visiting practitioners and researchers regardless of the home visiting model. The discussion concludes with recommendations to stimulate research and practice on coaching home visitors.

Se reconoce ampliamente en los campos de la temprana niñez que el entrenamiento es importante para el desarrollo y crecimiento en general de todo profesional, pero poco se conoce acerca del entrenamiento de profesionales que hacen visitas a casa, en particular. Un profesional del campo de visitas a casa en la temprana niñez trabaja con familias para motivar las positivas interacciones entre progenitores y niños, el proceso de establecer metas familiares, así como el bienestar y salud de la familia. Determinar los componentes esenciales del entrenamiento a visitantes a casa ayudará en el progreso de este campo profesional. Dado que el entrenamiento en el campo de visitas a casa es algo que está surgiendo, este artículo toma aspectos de la literatura en el campo de la temprana niñez con énfasis en lo que es aplicable a las visitas a casa. Recogimos seis temas que pudieran representar características comunes del entrenamiento. Este artículo presenta una compilación de temas comunes identificados en las revisiones de la literatura sobre el entrenamiento de profesionales en todo el campo de la temprana niñez que garantizan el fomento del desarrollo y la evaluación por parte de quienes practican e investigan sobre el campo de las visitas a casa, independientemente del modelo de visitas a casa. La discusión concluye con recomendaciones para estimular la investigación y la práctica acerca del entrenamiento a quienes hacen las visitas a casa.

On reconnaît dans les domaines de la petite enfance que le coaching est très important pour le développement d'un professionnel et sa progression en général, mais on sait peu de choses sur les professionnels qui font du coaching en visite à domicile. Un professionnel visiteur à domicile de l'enfance travaille avec des familles afin d'encourager des interactions parent-enfant positives, la fixation d'objectifs pour la famille, et le bien-être et la santé de la famille. Déterminer les composantes essentielles des visiteurs à domiciles qui coachent nous aidera à faire avancer le domaine. Parce que le coaching dans le domaine de la visite à domicile est émergent cet article s'appuie sur des recherches ayant trait au domaine de la petite enfance mettant l'accent sur les applications pour la visite à domicile. Nous avons glané six thèmes qui pourraient représenter les traits principaux du coaching. Cet article présente une compilation de thèmes communs identifiés dans des analyses documentaires sur les professionnels du coaching au travers du domaine de la petite enfance qui méritent des développements ultérieurs et une évaluation par les professionnels de la visite à domicile et les chercheurs, quel que soit le modèle de visite à domicile. La discussion se termine avec des recommandations afin de stimuler les recherches et la pratique sur les visiteurs à domicile qui font du coaching.

Exploring Changes in Home Visitors' Perspectives in the Context of a Professional Development Activity.

Research-based professional development opportunities for early childhood home visitors are valuable to the Early Head Start-Home-Based Option (EHS-HBO) and to the home visiting field broadly to strengthen effective practice. We explored EHS-HBO home visitors' (N = 5) perspectives on effective practice through a professional development activity that included viewing videos of their own practice, analyzing the video and assessment data of their practice and parent-child interactions, and reflection. A convergent mixed methods multiple-case study was used. A variety of skills were noted within each case as indicators of effective practice, suggesting that a plethora of complex skills are needed to work with families. Across-case analytic strategies were used to compare subthemes, codes, and substantial statements across cases to generate themes. Two major themes emerged from our data analysis across cases: practicing self-reflective consciousness and building foundations for parent-child interactions. The findings have implications for professional development activities. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10643-021-01249-3.

Historically Underrepresented Graduate Students' Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of historically underrepresented graduate students, more than half of whom were enrolled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This focus group study represents an initial stage in developing an intervention for historically underrepresented graduate students and their families. Background: Underrepresentation of graduate students of color in STEM has been attributed to a myriad of factors, including a lack of support systems. Familial support is an endorsed reason for persisting in graduate school. It is unclear what historically underrepresented graduate students' experiences are during uncertain times, such as a pandemic. Method: Focus groups were conducted online using a videoconferencing platform during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five focus groups included: historically underrepresented doctoral students (n = 5), historically underrepresented master's students (n = 6), academic faculty (n = 7), administrator, administrative faculty, and academic faculty (n = 6), and families of historically underrepresented doctoral students (n = 6). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Historically underrepresented graduate students experienced difficulties in accessing resources, adjustments to home and family life, amplification of existing nonfinancial issues, and expressed both fears of and hopes for the future. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities in access to resources as well as nonfinancial family support. Implications: This study may help normalize historically underrepresented graduate students' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings include ideas for informing families about graduate school that can enlighten family support efforts for historically underrepresented graduate students and their families.