Childrens transition to school Voices of Bangladeshi parents in SydneyAustralia.docx

1、Childrens transition to school Voices of Bangladeshi parents in Sydney AustraliaChildrens transition to school: Voices of Bangladeshi parents in Sydney, AustraliaPrathyusha SanagavarapuUniversity of Western SydneyThe study on which this paper is based explored Bangladeshi parents perceptions of chil

2、drens transition to school. The paper reports on the data obtained from interviews with 10 parents living in Sydney, Australia, on their childrens experiences when beginning school. According to the parents, friendships with peers who share a similar cultural or linguistic background and support fro

3、m school teachers facilitated their childrens positive adjustments to school, whereas limited or lack of proficiency in English conversational skills hampered a few of their childrens adjustments to school. Parents also outlined the role of families, school teachers, and educators in childcare setti

4、ngs in enabling Bangladeshi childrens smooth transition to school.A noteworthy finding of this study was that language barriers precluded many Bangladeshi parents from accessing information on school curriculum and transition to school and from collaborating with school teachers. The language barrie

5、rs also hindered a few childrens smooth transition to school. The implications of this study are that educators need to be sensitive to and address the linguistic issues that impact on Bangladeshi children and their families in making a smooth transition to school.IntroductionTransition to school is

6、 a major event in the lives of children and their families. It is one of the life-changing experiences for children, with significant implications for their identity development (Ecclestone, Biesta & Hughes, 2010; Woods, Boyle & Hubbard, 1999, as cited in Brooker, 2002). Further, childrens first exp

7、eriences with formal schooling have implications for their wellbeing, lifelong learning and educational achievements (Alexander & Entwisle, 1988; Brooker, 2008; Hamre & Pianta, 2001; McClelland, Morrison & Holmes, 2000; West, Sweeting & Young, 2008). Therefore, it is important to explore and underst

8、and the transitional experiences of children and their families if we are to provide for their present and future wellbeing.Transition to school involves many adjustments on the part of children and their families (Briggs & Potter, 1999). These are emphasised in the literature on transition to schoo

9、l (for example, Chun, 2003; Ecclestone et al., 2010; Margetts, 2007). The foremost adjustments that children need to make relate to separation from parents and adaptations to school and classroom programs (Woods et al., 1999, cited in Brooker, 2002). Children also need to get to know people and plac

10、es at school, such as classrooms and teachers, peers and playground, and school facilities like the canteen, library and so on. An awareness and understanding of people and places is needed to settle into school and to engage in learningin other words, to become pupils in classrooms (Brooker, 2002).

11、 The other adjustments that children need to make upon beginning school involve learning how to operate as individuals in group contexts, communicating their needs and requirements in socially appropriate ways, understanding rules and making new friendships with peers (Perry, Dockett & Howard, 2000)

12、.The contextual model of transition to school (Rimm-Kaufman & Pianta, 1999) emphasises the role of various contexts in childrens transition to school. According to this model, childrens and families adjustments to school are contingent upon the situational and cultural factors of home, community and

13、 school. Bronfenbrenners (1979) ecological theory suggests the need for continuity between home and school settings as children make educational transitions. A lack of continuity between homes and schools can impact on childrens adjustment to school (Vidali & Adams, 2007).Transition to school is a v

14、ery complex process for children in general. It can be even more complex for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) children as, in most cases, it involves adopting the role of a student based on an anglicized model which fails to take their own background cultures fully into account (Woods et

15、 al., 1999, p. 11, cited in Brooker, 2002). Children can face difficulties in adjusting to school if they do not have the knowledge of language, others cultures and communication codes needed to operate in microsystems or early childhood contexts (Vidali & Adams, 2007, p. 124). They can also be anxi

16、ous and confused if they perceive school to be different from their home cultural context (Perry, Dockett & Nicholson, 2002). In brief, language or cultural differences between home and educational settings can compound childrens difficulties with adjusting to school (for example, Woods et al., 1999

17、, cited in Vidali & Adams, 2007). Gaining an insight into CALD childrens and their families experiences with transition to school may help us provide better support for children in this situation.Home and cultural contexts of children attending Australian schools are varied, with nearly 25 per cent

18、of school children representing a language other than English (Hoddinott, 2006). CALD children and their families have added cultural and linguistic concerns and needs, including those related to transition to school (Sanagavarapu & Perry, 2005). As school children become more diverse, educators nee

19、d to devise individualised and culturally and linguistically appropriate transition programs for promoting academic success in all students. To this end, it is believed that this study on Bangladeshi childrens transition to school, a selected CALD group, provides valuable insights into CALD children

20、s and their families experiences with transition to school.Attendance in formal childcare settings, such as long day care or preschool, is believed to prepare children adequately for school by providing them with knowledge relating to discourses, rules and expectations in school contexts (Brooker, 2

21、002; Brooker, 2008). The importance of childcare attendance in childrens transition to school is also documented in the literature on transition to school (for example, Kreider, 2002). For this reason, Iwas interested in exploring the transitional experiences and adjustments of Bangladeshi children

22、and their families who attended formal care settings before starting school. The focus in this study on understanding parents perceptions of childrens transitions to school is justified, as parents tend to influence childrens attitudes to school and their transitions (Vidali & Adams, 2007).Bengali-s

23、peaking Bangladeshi families and their children living in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia, were selected for this study. Bengali is one of the languages spoken in India and the Indian sub-continent, such as Bangladesh. Bengali-speaking families are a newly emerging minority group, with 0.2 per cent

24、 of population in New South Wales (NSW) representing people of Bangladeshi descent (Community Relations Commission for a Multicultural NSW, 2006). The cultural or language needs of this group of families and their children in relation to transition to school have not been extensively studied in Aust

25、ralia (Sanagavarapu & Perry, 2005).The specific questions that were addressed in the research were: 1. What are the views of Bangladeshi parents on their childrens adjustments to beginning school? Specifically, what factors do they perceive have contributed to or hindered their childrens adjustments

26、 to school?2. What do Bangladeshi parents believe is the role of adult stakeholders (for exampel, parents, school teachers, and educators in formal care settings) in childrens transition to school? This paper reports on the data obtained from interviews with Bangladeshi parents on their childrens ex

27、periences and adjustments to beginning school. Given the importance of including childrens voices in studies on school transition (for example, Dockett & Perry, 2004), this study also attempted to collect childrens perspectives of transition to school. However, the data collected on childrens transi

28、tional experiences was limited. Hence, the data from children was not considered for analysis.MethodologyThe study utilised a phenomenological (qualitative) approach, with a focus on exploring parents experiences and perspectives of their childrens transition to school (Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 200

29、0; Gay, Mills & Airasian, 2009). Interviews with parents were used as the main data collection method for this study. The benefit of interviews is they enable the researcher to get an insight into participants personal views and experiences on any chosen topic (Cohen et al., 2000; Freebody, 2003; Wi

30、llis, 2008).Sample descriptionThe sample for this study comprised 10 Bangladeshi parents. All of their children were born in Sydney, Australia, and attended formal child care settings before starting school. The childrens age at the time of starting school ranged between four-and-a-half to six years

31、. Seven mothers and three fathers participated in the interviews. The majority of the selected parents had been living in Sydney as permanent residents for more than five years.Bangladeshi parents and their children were recruited in the study using purposive and snowball (word-of-mouth) sampling te

32、chniques (Cohen et al., 2000). The families were recruited initially through a selected Migrant Resource Centre (MRCin NSW, MRCs offer advice, support and referral services relating to education, employment and so on to CALD and all community members in local government areas). They were then used a

33、s sources to identify other Bangladeshi families.Data collection and analysisLetters soliciting voluntary participation of families in the study and interviews, along with translated information about the project and consent forms, were mailed to families through the selected MRC. Arrangements for parent intervie