Publication - Research and analysis

Positive behaviour in the early years: research report

Published: 12 September 2008
Directorate: Children and Families Directorate
Topic: Education
ISBN: 9780755918102

Report of research into perceptions of staff, service providers and parents in managing and promoting positive behaviour in early years and early primary settings.

Supporting documents

ANNEX 1 ELABORATION OF RESEARCH METHODS

1 (i) Participants - sample description
1 (ii) Response rate

1 (i) Participants - sample description

Most of the analysis has been based on the 603 cases for which complete data is held. The tables below show the actual sample numbers and these are reflected in certain returns, for example in the Strengths and Difficulties questionnaires and the Well-Being and Involvement Scales.

1.1.1. Number of children identified for participation

	Number of Children
	0-3	3-4	4-5	P1
City of Edinburgh	124	212	288	240	864
North Lanarkshire	122	324	325	334	1105
Total	246	536	613	574	1969

The initial design of the project proposed to recruit 1,000 child cases in each local authority. Care was taken to bring in 100 children in the 0-3 strata, 300 strata in 3-4, 300 strata in 4-5 and 300 in 5-6 strata. The figures here show the numbers achieved in the sample by age strata and by local authority. Although there was a discrepancy in the sample sizes by local authority, returns from Edinburgh exceeded returns from North Lanarkshire.

1.1.2. Number of participating parents

Local Authority	Number of Children	Number of Parental Returns	Percentage Parental Returns
City of Edinburgh	864	360	42%
North Lanarkshire	1105	369	33%
Overall Total	1969	729	37%
Average Return Rate per Setting	45%
Number of parent cases with complete data	Although there were 729 parental returns overall , our merged parent file on which our analyses have been based has 603 cases.

As with the number of children there is a difference between actual families recruited, returns and the final number of cases with complete data. Some measures can be reported by the actual total per measure, eg the Parenting Daily Hassles which achieved 724 returns - 603 of which matched up with other data from measures completed.

In the 603 cases used across measures, characteristics of the cohort emerge.

1.1.3. Relationship to child

Most returns were completed by mothers (n=544), a small number (n=39) completed by fathers only, and a very few being completed by both parents (n=7). Of the families represented in the sample, 77% were living as a two-parent family; 26% of these were living in reconstituted families.

		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Mother	544	90.2	91.0	91.0
	Father	39	6.5	6.5	97.5
	Guardian	3	.5	.5	98.0
	Grandparent	5	.8	.8	98.8
	Both Parents	7	1.2	1.2	100.0
	Total	598	99.2	100.0
Missing	0	5	.8
Total		603	100.0

1.1.4. Child's gender

The sample of children was very evenly divided in terms of gender - the 603 cases was made up of 306 boys and 297 girls.

		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Male	306	50.7	50.7	50.7
	Female	297	49.3	49.3	100.0
	Total	603	100.0	100.0

1.1.5. Child's Additional Needs

In response to our question about whether additional needs were present, 108 parents responded. The categories were very broad and parents reported that 14% of the total sample of 603 had sensory or physical difficulties - this included children with allergies, however we did not ask for these needs to be specified. Only 7 children were reported by parents as having been diagnosed with additional support needs - this figure is much lower than would be expected, and conflicts with the reporting of service providers/heads of centres - where, for example, one centre alone reported 10 cases of children with ASN. This suggests that few parents of children with ASN responded to the questionnaires.

1 (ii) Response rate
Final Overview - June 2006
(Excludes 2nd round of well-being & involvement screening)

Strata	Children identified for involvement		Returned		% Return Rate
Background Information Form
All	1,969		713		36.21%
Parenting Daily Hassles
All	1,969		724		36.77%
Well-being Scales
Overall	1,969		1,230		62.47%
0-3	246		94		38.21%
3-4	536		305		56.90%
4-5	613		450		73.41%
P1	574		381		66.38%
Involvement Scales
Overall	1,969		1,208		61.35%
0-3	246		95		38.62%
3-4	536		309		57.65%
4-5	613		405		66.07%
P1	574		399		69.51%
Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire
		Parents	Staff	Parents	Staff
0-3	246	60	61	24.39%	24.80%
3-4	536	227	345	42.35%	64.37%
4-5 & P1	1,187	426	847	35.89%	71.36%
Total	1,969	713	1253	36.21%	63.64%
Adult Strategies Questionnaire
		Parents	Staff	Parents	Staff
All	1,969	675	168	34.28%	X
Transitions Questionnaire
		Parents	Staff	Parents	Staff
0-3	246	60	35	24.39%	X
3-4 & 4-5	1,149	439	75	38.21%	X
P1	574	203	18	35.37%	X
Total	1,969	702	128	35.65%	X

Well-being and Involvement Return Overview
Round 1 & Round 2
(Raw figures for returns

Well-being	Children Involved	Return 1st round	Return 2 ^ndround	Return 1 ^st round	Return 2 ^ndround
Overall	1,969	1,230	813	62.47%	41.29%
0-3	246	94	35	38.21%	14.22%
3-4	536	305	187	56.90%	34.88%
4-5	613	450	251	73.41%	40.94%
P1	574	381	340	66.38%	59.23%
Involvement	Children Involved	Return 1st round	Return 2 ^ndround	Return 1 ^st round	Return 2 ^ndround
Overall	1,969	1,208	826	61.35%	41.95%
0-3	246	95	34	38.62%	13.82%
3-4	536	309	188	57.65%	35.07%
4-5	613	405	250	66.07%	40.78%
P1	574	399	352	69.51%	61.32%

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ANNEX 1 ELABORATION OF RESEARCH METHODS

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