Well-Being–Based Early Childhood Education for Trauma Recovery: A Phenomenological Study of Parental Perceptions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66291/qr-ece.v1i1.1Keywords:
early childhood education, well-being, social–emotional learning, parental perceptions, trauma recoveryAbstract
Student well-being and social–emotional learning (SEL) have become central issues in contemporary education, particularly in post-crisis contexts that affect children’s mental health. Early childhood education (ECE) plays a critical role in supporting children’s emotional well-being from an early age. This study aims to explore parents’ perceptions of well-being–based early childhood education in the context of post-crisis trauma recovery. A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed. Ten parents of kindergarten children living in disaster-affected areas in Aceh were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed four themes: ECE as a foundation for children’s emotional well-being, a shift from academic orientation to mental health, teachers as facilitators of social–emotional learning, and education as a space for family psychosocial recovery. The study shows that parents prioritize children’s emotional safety and well-being over early academic achievement. These findings highlight the importance of implementing well-being–based and trauma-sensitive approaches in early childhood education.
References
Betancourt, T. S., Meyers-Ohki, S. E., Charrow, A., & Tol, W. A. (2020). Interventions for children affected by adversity and conflict. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 29(2), 205–226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2019.11.003
Bhamani, S., Makhdoom, A. Z., Bharuchi, V., Ali, N., Kaleem, S., & Ahmed, D. (2020). Home learning in times of COVID-19: Experiences of parents. Journal of Education and Educational Development, 7(1), 9–26.
Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P. A. (2006). The bioecological model of human development. In R. M. Lerner (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology (6th ed.). Wiley.
Bryan, C., Williams, M., & Baker, C. (2023). Trauma-informed practices in early childhood education: A systematic review. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 63, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2022.11.002
Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C., Barron, B., & Osher, D. (2020). Implications for educational practice of the science of learning and development. Applied Developmental Science, 24(2), 97–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791
Domitrovich, C. E., Durlak, J. A., Staley, K. C., & Weissberg, R. P. (2021). Social–emotional learning: A framework for promoting mental health and academic success. American Psychologist, 76(7), 1086–1099. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000753
Durlak, J. A., Mahoney, J. L., & Boyle, A. E. (2022). What we know and what we need to find out about SEL programs. Educational Psychologist, 57(3), 222–240. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2022.2054382
Garvis, S., & Phillipson, S. (2022). Parenting and early childhood education in times of uncertainty. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50(6), 965–975. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01245-6
Kim, J., & Sankey, D. (2021). Parental engagement and child well-being in early childhood education. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 19(3), 257–271. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X21996542
Masten, A. S. (2021). Multisystem resilience: Pathways to an integrated framework. Annual Review of Psychology, 72, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-081619-094923
Masten, A. S., & Barnes, A. J. (2021). Resilience in children: Developmental perspectives. Annual Review of Psychology, 72, 1–28.
OECD. (2021). Beyond academic learning: First results from the survey of social and emotional skills. OECD Publishing.
Overstreet, S., & Chafouleas, S. M. (2021). Trauma-informed schools: Introduction to the special issue. School Mental Health, 13(3), 463–468. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-021-09475-4
Rimm-Kaufman, S. E., & Hulleman, C. S. (2021). SEL and classroom processes. Educational Psychologist, 56(2), 1–15.
Shonkoff, J. P., Slopen, N., & Williams, D. R. (2021). Early childhood adversity, toxic stress, and the foundations of health. Annual Review of Public Health, 42, 61–82. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-090419-101940
Taylor, R. D., Oberle, E., Durlak, J. A., & Weissberg, R. P. (2020). Promoting positive youth development through social and emotional learning. Child Development, 91(1), 1–20.
Ungar, M. (2021). Multisystemic resilience: Adaptation and transformation. Child Abuse & Neglect, 121, 105241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105241
UNICEF. (2022). The state of the world’s children 2022: On my mind. UNICEF.
Yoshikawa, H., Wuermli, A. J., Britto, P. R., et al. (2020). Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on early childhood development. The Journal of Pediatrics, 223, 188–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.05.020
Zinsser, K. M., Bailey, C. S., Curby, T. W., Denham, S. A., & Bassett, H. H. (2021). Exploring teachers’ roles in early childhood social–emotional learning. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 54, 1–13.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Qualitative Research in Early Childhood Education work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
