Fathers’ and grandmothers’ involvement in child-rearing activities and their influence on the cognitive development in children of Kasama and Mungwi districts in Zambia.
Date
2025
Authors
Kabungo, John Clement
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
Fathers and grandmothers are important in child development. They promote inner growth and strength among their children and grandchildren. This study sought to assess the fathers’ and grandmothers’ involvement in child-rearing activities and their influence on the cognitive development skills of children in Kasama and Mungwi districts in Zambia. The study ascertained child-rearing activities that the Zambian fathers and grandmothers were involved in. to establish the levels of fathers’ and grandmothers’ involvement in child-rearing activities; to determine fathers’ and grandmothers’ involvement levels in early childhood education practices as a childrearing activity and how this affected cognitive development skills of children; to establish activities in child rearing activities which influenced cognitive development skills of children as well as to establish the challenges faced by fathers and grandmothers by being involved in childrearing activities. A concurrent embedded research design utilising both quantitative and
qualitative techniques was used. Structured questionnaires and child assessment tools were used to collect data including the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF), Pencil Tapping, Digit Span, Rapid Neuro Developmental Assessment tool (RNDA) and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT). Ten Pre-School teachers, 100 grandmothers, 100 fathers and 100 children aged from 5 to 6 years old were drawn from ten public Pre-Schools. Inferential statistics such as linear regression, t-test and Pearson were used to analyse quantitative data while qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. It was established that fathers and grandmothers provided nutritional food, childcare and early childhood education activities as child-rearing activities. Grandmothers were moderately involved in activities nutritional food and child care practices compared to fathers who were highly involved in early childhood education and child care practices. Further, there was a strong positive correlation between fathers’ and grandmothers’ involvement in early childhood education practices and the cognitive development skills of children. The provision of toys (.83) and playing games (.81) with children had a more positive effect size on the cognitive development skills of children. Fathers felt that long working hours and child gender impeded their full participation in child-rearing activities while grandmothers faced challenges of long working hours and lack of money to buy nutritious food. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that families should utilise the locally available cognitive stimulating activities to enhance cognitive development skills of children
Description
Thesis of Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology.