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More than play: The impact of playgroup participation on culturally and linguistically diverse parents’ and carers’ degree of social support, connectedness and self-efficacy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2020

Lauren Deadman  and
Vicki L. McKenzie Open the ORCID record for Vicki L. McKenzie [Opens in a new window]
Lauren Deadman*
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Vicki L. McKenzie
Affiliation:
Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Lauren Deadman, Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Supported playgroups are a common form of intervention offered in Australian early childhood education. This study used interviews and quantitative measures to examine whether attending supported playgroups benefits culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) parents’ or carers’ social support, connectedness, and parental self-efficacy (PSE). Thirty-five playgroup attendees completed three validated measures assessing social support, isolation, and PSE. Seven mothers, two carers, and two playgroup staff participated in semistructured interviews. The quantitative and qualitative data indicated that CALD parents and carers show high levels of isolation and low social support. The qualitative data indicated that most parents or carers felt more supported and connected as a result of attending the playgroup, and just over half stated that the playgroup had improved their confidence. This study highlights the need to consider the social resources of CALD families when planning and delivering services, and calls for future longitudinal studies of the benefits of playgroups.

Keywords

supported playgroupsocial supportconnectednessisolationparental self-efficacyCALD
Type
Articles
Information
The Educational and Developmental Psychologist , Volume 37 , Issue 1 , July 2020 , pp. 75 - 82
Copyright
© Australian Psychological Society Ltd 2020

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