Date of Award

5-11-2025

Date Published

June 2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Human Development and Family Science

Advisor(s)

Jaipaul Roopnarine

Keywords

Cognitive Development;Latent Class Analysis;Parent Engagement;Parenting Patterns;Social Development;Suriname

Subject Categories

Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

Despite the fact that different aspects of parent engagement with preschool aged children have a significant impact on children’s social and cognitive development, this area of research is still emerging in global majority contexts, such as the Caribbean. This study identified parenting engagement patterns in a Surinamese sample and examined the relationship between parent engagement patterns and child social and cognitive development. Propositions within sociocultural theory, parenting and literacy models, and the developmental niche model guided the formulation of research questions and hypotheses. A sample of 1765 mothers/caregivers of 3- and 4-year-olds interviewed in the UNICEF Multiple Indicators Cluster Surveys (MICS) were included in the study. A latent class analysis was used to identify parent engagement patterns, predictors of engagement patterns and associations between parent engagement patterns, and children’s social and literacy skills. Four parent engagement patterns were identified for both mothers and fathers marked by low, high, and moderate social and literacy activities. Significant predictors of mother’s class memberships were the number of children’s books in the home, child age, and maternal education level whereas significant predictors of father’s class membership were child age, wealth index, and maternal education level. Maternal engagement patterns significantly predicted children identifying at least 10 letters of the alphabet, reading words, recognizing numbers, and following directions. Paternal engagement patterns significantly predicted children identifying at least 10 letters of the alphabet, reading words, recognizing numbers, and following directions. Findings are discussed in terms of their meaning for the development of family intervention and prevention programs for families in Caribbean cultural contexts. Keywords: Parenting patterns, Parent engagement, Suriname, Caribbean, Social Development, Cognitive development, Literacy Materials, Preschool, Latent Class Analysis

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Open Access

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