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Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. , yazdi@um.ac.ir
Abstract: (48 Views)
Background: Neglecting the sensitive childhood period and not properly guiding the developmental process leads to behavioral maladjustments and environmental incompatibility. A sensitive care environment is essential for the healthy development of the brain, and, the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive abilities of the child. Parental reflective functioning forms the basis of sensitive care.
Aims: The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the comprehensive educational program for integrated child development on the reflective functioning of mothers and developmental areas of children under 3 years of age.
Methods: Due to the limited access to larger sample sizes and the constraints on using an experimental design, this approach was chosen in the first part as a quasi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test pattern with a waiting list and in the second part as a case study. The study population includes all mothers and children under three years of age in Mashhad city in 2023. The sample was selected conveniently through an invitation and registration process for voluntary participation in this program, with 28 participants chosen. The Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (Levitan et al., 2017) and the Developmental Expectations Questionnaire (Amin Yazdi, 2019) were used to collect data. The program training (Amin Yazdi, 2019) was provided to mothers in the experimental group in 8 90-minute sessions, and based on the children's pre-test, mothers were given activities to do with their children at home. The collected data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance with SPSS.27 software and Reliable Change Index and clinical significance with EXCEL.2016 software.
Results: The results of multivariate analysis of covariance showed that teaching the program to mothers improved their reflective functioning (P≥0.05) and the index of sustained change regarding developmental domains and developmental sub-goals of each domain was greater than RCI<2.58, and clinically significant improvement was observed in the subscales of children's developmental domains.
Conclusion: The comprehensive integrated child development educational program affects maternal characteristics such as reflective functioning and children's devel pmental domains by familiarizing the mother with the child's characteristics, activities that are selected based on the child's age and developmental profile, and the mother's mediating interactions with the child.
Aims: The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the comprehensive educational program for integrated child development on the reflective functioning of mothers and developmental areas of children under 3 years of age.
Methods: Due to the limited access to larger sample sizes and the constraints on using an experimental design, this approach was chosen in the first part as a quasi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test pattern with a waiting list and in the second part as a case study. The study population includes all mothers and children under three years of age in Mashhad city in 2023. The sample was selected conveniently through an invitation and registration process for voluntary participation in this program, with 28 participants chosen. The Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (Levitan et al., 2017) and the Developmental Expectations Questionnaire (Amin Yazdi, 2019) were used to collect data. The program training (Amin Yazdi, 2019) was provided to mothers in the experimental group in 8 90-minute sessions, and based on the children's pre-test, mothers were given activities to do with their children at home. The collected data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance with SPSS.27 software and Reliable Change Index and clinical significance with EXCEL.2016 software.
Results: The results of multivariate analysis of covariance showed that teaching the program to mothers improved their reflective functioning (P≥0.05) and the index of sustained change regarding developmental domains and developmental sub-goals of each domain was greater than RCI<2.58, and clinically significant improvement was observed in the subscales of children's developmental domains.
Conclusion: The comprehensive integrated child development educational program affects maternal characteristics such as reflective functioning and children's devel pmental domains by familiarizing the mother with the child's characteristics, activities that are selected based on the child's age and developmental profile, and the mother's mediating interactions with the child.
Keywords: the comprehensive educational program of integrated child development, parental reflective functioning, children's developmental domains.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/04/22 | Accepted: 2025/08/11 | Published: 2026/04/21
Received: 2025/04/22 | Accepted: 2025/08/11 | Published: 2026/04/21
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This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)