Emphases and power relations in cooperation of educators and parents in preschools

Niðurstöður fjölda rannsókna benda til þess að samstarf starfsfólks leikskóla og foreldra auki öryggi og vellíðan barnanna og efli nám þeirra. Í Aðalnámskrá leikskóla frá 2011 er lögð áhersla á lýðræðislegt samstarf á jafnréttisgrundvelli milli foreldra, starfsfólks og barna um þátttöku í gerð skólanámskrár, starfsáætlun og mati. Jafnframt kemur fram að leikskólakennarar skuli vera leiðandi við mótun leikskólastarfsins. Markmiðið með rannsókninni sem hér er greint frá var að skoða áherslur og valdatengsl í samstarfi foreldra og starfsfólks og bera það saman við hugmyndir um fagmennsku leikskólakennara. Jafnframt var stefnt að því að skoða samstarf við foreldra af erlendum uppruna. Gögnum var safnað með rýnihópaviðtölum við foreldra barna í fimm leikskólum og í kjölfarið ræddu leikskólakennarar og leikskólastjórar álit og upplifun foreldranna í rýnihópi. Niðurstöður benda til þess að samstarf starfsfólks og foreldra fari fram eftir bæði lóðréttum og láréttum brautum. Áherslur í fagmennsku leikskólakennara virðast því bæði vera hefðbundnar, þar sem leikskólakennarinn lítur á sig sem sérfræðing við mótun leikskólastarfs og skólanámskrár, og lýðræðislegar, þar sem meira er horft til þekkingar foreldranna þegar einstök börn eiga í hlut. Foreldrarnir sögðu að ef allt gengi vel og ekki kæmu upp vandamál skiptu þeir sér lítið af starfinu. Þeir mátu sérfræðiþekkingu leikskólakennara mikils en sögðu að tíð starfsmannaskipti hefðu veruleg áhrif á samstarfið. Starf foreldraráðs var fremur óljóst í hugum samstarfsaðila og það virtist vera látið nægja að skólanámskráin væri þar til umfjöllunar. Rafræn samskipti milli leikskóla og foreldra höfðu aukist og þar var leikskólakennarinn í hlutverki þess sem upplýsir og miðlar. Þegar horft er sérstaklega til samstarfs starfsfólks leikskóla og foreldra af erlendum uppruna, þá virtust þeir oft vera einangraðir og skorta þekkingu á ýmsu því sem íslenskir foreldrar þekktu nokkuð vel. Leikskólakennarar leituðu árangursríkra leiða til að vinna með þeim en sögðu að tungumálakunnátta stæði oft samstarfi fyrir þrifum.The aim of this research was to shed light on priorities and power relations in cooperation between parents and educators. Furthermore, emphases in cooperation and relations were explored with the concept of professionalism of preschool teachers in mind. Special focus was also placed on parents of foreign origin. The partnerships between educators and parents in preschools and how these are constructed are among the elements expected to predict the quality of preschool activities, and thus seen as highly important (Urban, Vandenbroeck, Peeters, Lazzari and Van Laere, 2011). In a partnership, trust and respect are embedded, as are two-way communication, an equilibrium in regard to power, and shared decision-making (Chan and Ritchie, 2016). Both partners in the relationship are seen as experts, although each type of expertise is different, and both partners have responsibilities. The findings of numerous researches reveal that cooperation between parents and educators enhances children’s sense of security, their well-being, and their learning. The 2011 Icelandic National Curriculum Guide for Preschools (Aðalnámskrá leikskóla, 2011), emphasises democratic cooperation built on terms of equality for parents, educators, and children; all of whom participate in developing the school curriculum, planning, and evaluating learning. Furthermore, it is noted that preschool teachers should lead the development of pedagogy and education. These concepts can possibly be seen as contradictory. When findings of Icelandic research are explored, it can be seen that parents value numerous daily conversations regarding their child when they deliver him or her to school in the morning and pick their child up in the afternoon. They are also highly satisfied with parent–teacher interviews once or twice a year (Anna Magnea Hreinsdóttir and Jóhanna Einarsdóttir, 2011; Bryndís Garðarsdóttir and Jóhanna Einarsdóttir, 2007). Moreover, they seemed to be content with their child’s preschool in general. Their partnership with teachers has thus been implemented through various events and meetings organised by the preschools. In Finland, Alasuutari (2010) found that partnerships with parents could be seen both in vertical and horizontal frames. The former was rather traditional, where the expertise of the professional’s knowledge was estimated to be more meaningful than the parents’ knowledge. The latter was considered to be more on an equal basis, and knowledge about the child was seen to stem from both partners in the relationship. In the Finnish curriculum, this partnership is intended to be on equal terms, but a clear definition of what that means is needed. Data were collected on partnerships between parents and educators of the oldest children in the preschools. Partnership was discussed in focus groups with parents in five preschools, and subsequently focus groups of preschool teachers and head teachers discussed the views and perceptions of the parents. The findings reveal that cooperation of parents and educators can be found in both vertical and horizontal frames and the emphases are similar to those in Finland. The professionals saw themselves as experts relating to the school curriculum and the organisation of the preschool activities, but when the issues were connected to the individual child, the professionals listened to the parents and respected their knowledge about their child. The emphases regarding preschool teachers’ professionalism can thus be seen both as traditional, where they see themselves as experts in constructing the activities and the curriculum for the school, and democratic where there is a stronger focus on the knowledge of the parents when a question about an individual child arises. The parents thought that if everything went well and there were no problems they did not have to act. They thought highly of the expertise of preschool teachers and perceived that constant enrolment of new staff was affecting the cooperation. The operation of the Parents’ council was not clear enough and it seemed that both partners were satisfied that discussions on school curricula were only conducted there. Providing information to parents via the Internet (Facebook, emails, Instagram, etc.) was common in all the preschools, but parents and educators had different opinions about the best way to reach parents via the net. In a way, the preschool teachers seemed a little insecure, wondering when enough information had been provided, but they continued to inform parents since they had been criticised for not doing so. As for parents of foreign origin, they appeared to appreciate daily cooperation and contact. They seemed isolated and lacked knowledge of procedures which Icelandic parents readily understood. The preschool teachers tried to find successful ways of cooperating with them, but often the language was a hindrance.Peer Reviewe

Changes in obstetric interventions and preterm birth during COVID-19: A nationwide study from Iceland

Introduction: Previous evidence has been conflicting regarding the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdowns on obstetric intervention and preterm birth rates. The literature to date suggests potentially differential underlying mechanisms based on country economic setting. We aimed to study these outcomes in an Icelandic population where uniform lockdown measures were implemented across the country. Material and methods: The study included all singleton births (n = 20 680) during 2016–2020 identified from the population-based Icelandic Medical Birth Register. We defined two lockdown periods during March–May and October–December in 2020 according to government implemented nationwide lockdown. We compared monthly rates of cesarean section, induction of labor and preterm birth during lockdown with the same time periods in the 4 previous years (2016–2019) using logit binomial regression adjusted for confounders. Results: Our results indicated a reduction in the overall cesarean section rate, which was mainly evident for elective cesarean section, both during the first (adjusted odd ratio [aOR] 0.71, 95% CI 0.51–0.99) and second (aOR 0.72, 95% CI 0.52–0.99) lockdown periods, and not for emergency cesarean section. No change during lockdown was observed in induction of labor. Our results also suggested a reduction in the overall preterm birth rate during the first lockdown (aOR 0.69, 95% CI 0.49–0.97) and in the months immediately following the lockdown (June–September) (aOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.49–0.89). The reduction during the first lockdown was mainly evident for medically indicated preterm birth (although not statistically significant) and the reduction during June–September was mainly evident for spontaneous preterm birth. Conclusions: This study suggested a reduction in elective cesarean section during COVID-19 lockdown, possibly reflecting changes in prioritization of non-urgent health care during lockdown. We also found a reduction in overall preterm birth during the first lockdown and spontaneous preterm birth following the first lockdown, but further research is needed to shed light on the underlying mechanisms for these findings

Parent-preschool partnership: many levels of power

This study aims to examine the meaning-making of parents in five Icelandic preschools concerning the collaboration between preschools and families. Further, the perspectives of educators on the views of the parents were also sought. The theoretical background was Moss’s ideas of democratic early childhood education and MacNaughton’s ideas of power relationships between parents and educators. Data were gathered in two steps: first, focus-group interviews were conducted with parents; and second, focus group interviews were conducted with a group of preschool educators who reflected upon the parent interviews. The parents and educators seemed to have similar experiences and views of the parent-professional collaboration, and of the division of power and knowledge between the two groups. The type of collaboration the parents and the educators described is not in line with democratic preschool pedagogy as explained by Moss (2007). They did not seem to believe that parents should be involved in decision making concerning the purposes, practices, and environment of the preschool. The parents from other cultures who participated in the study were in a marginalized position, and the educators seemed to be unsure about how to communicate with and accommodate families from cultures different from their own. The study reveals power relationships on many levels in the preschool community.European Union Comenius Life Long Learning program. Strengthening activity-oriented Interaction and Growth in the early years and in transitions. SIGNALS [538783-LLP-1-2013-1-DE-Comenius-CMP]Peer Reviewe

Common genetic variability in ESR1 and EGF in relation to endometrial cancer risk and survival

We investigated common genetic variation in the entire ESR1 and EGF genes in relation to endometrial cancer risk, myometrial invasion and endometrial cancer survival. We genotyped a dense set of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in both genes and selected haplotype tagging SNPs (tagSNPs). The tagSNPs were genotyped in 713 Swedish endometrial cancer cases and 1567 population controls and the results incorporated into logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models. We found five adjacent tagSNPs covering a region of 15 kb at the 5′ end of ESR1 that decreased the endometrial cancer risk. The ESR1 variants did not, however, seem to affect myometrial invasion or endometrial cancer survival. For the EGF gene, no association emerged between common genetic variants and endometrial cancer risk or myometrial invasion, but we found a five-tagSNP region that covered 51 kb at the 5′ end of the gene where all five tagSNPs seemed to decrease the risk of dying from endometrial cancer. One of the five tagSNPs in this region was in strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the untranslated A61G (rs4444903) EGF variant, earlier shown to be associated with risk for other forms of cancer

Antipsychotic drug use in pregnancy: A multinational study from ten countries

Aim: To compare the prevalence and trends of antipsychotic drug use during pregnancy between countries across four continents

The international Perinatal Outcomes in the Pandemic (iPOP) study: protocol

Preterm birth is the leading cause of infant death worldwide, but the causes of preterm birth are largely unknown. During the early COVID-19 lockdowns, dramatic reductions in preterm birth were reported; however, these trends may be offset by increases in stillbirth rates. It is important to study these trends globally as the pandemic continues, and to understand the underlying cause(s). Lockdowns have dramatically impacted maternal workload, access to healthcare, hygiene practices, and air pollution - all of which could impact perinatal outcomes and might affect pregnant women differently in different regions of the world. In the international Perinatal Outcomes in the Pandemic (iPOP) Study, we will seize the unique opportunity offered by the COVID-19 pandemic to answer urgent questions about perinatal health. In the first two study phases, we will use population-based aggregate data and standardized outcome definitions to: 1) Determine rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth and describe changes during lockdowns; and assess if these changes are consistent globally, or differ by region and income setting, 2) Determine if the magnitude of changes in adverse perinatal outcomes during lockdown are modified by regional differences in COVID-19 infection rates, lockdown stringency, adherence to lockdown measures, air quality, or other social and economic markers, obtained from publicly available datasets. We will undertake an interrupted time series analysis covering births from January 2015 through July 2020. The iPOP Study will involve at least 121 researchers in 37 countries, including obstetricians, neonatologists, epidemiologists, public health researchers, environmental scientists, and policymakers. We will leverage the most disruptive and widespread “natural experiment” of our lifetime to make rapid discoveries about preterm birth. Whether the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening or unexpectedly improving perinatal outcomes, our research will provide critical new information to shape prenatal care strategies throughout (and well beyond) the pandemic

Changes in preterm birth and stillbirth during COVID-19 lockdowns in 26 countries

Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of infant mortality worldwide. Changes in PTB rates, ranging from −90% to +30%, were reported in many countries following early COVID-19 pandemic response measures (‘lockdowns’). It is unclear whether this variation reflects real differences in lockdown impacts, or perhaps differences in stillbirth rates and/or study designs. Here we present interrupted time series and meta-analyses using harmonized data from 52 million births in 26 countries, 18 of which had representative population-based data, with overall PTB rates ranging from 6% to 12% and stillbirth ranging from 2.5 to 10.5 per 1,000 births. We show small reductions in PTB in the first (odds ratio 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.95–0.98, P value <0.0001), second (0.96, 0.92–0.99, 0.03) and third (0.97, 0.94–1.00, 0.09) months of lockdown, but not in the fourth month of lockdown (0.99, 0.96–1.01, 0.34), although there were some between-country differences after the first month. For high-income countries in this study, we did not observe an association between lockdown and stillbirths in the second (1.00, 0.88–1.14, 0.98), third (0.99, 0.88–1.12, 0.89) and fourth (1.01, 0.87–1.18, 0.86) months of lockdown, although we have imprecise estimates due to stillbirths being a relatively rare event. We did, however, find evidence of increased risk of stillbirth in the first month of lockdown in high-income countries (1.14, 1.02–1.29, 0.02) and, in Brazil, we found evidence for an association between lockdown and stillbirth in the second (1.09, 1.03–1.15, 0.002), third (1.10, 1.03–1.17, 0.003) and fourth (1.12, 1.05–1.19, <0.001) months of lockdown. With an estimated 14.8 million PTB annually worldwide, the modest reductions observed during early pandemic lockdowns translate into large numbers of PTB averted globally and warrant further research into causal pathways

Comprehensive analysis of the ATM, CHEK2 and ERBB2 genes in relation to breast tumour characteristics and survival: a population-based case-control and follow-up study

BACKGROUND: Mutations in the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and checkpoint kinase 2 (CHEK2) genes and amplification of the v-erb-b2 avian erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog 2 (ERBB2) gene have been suggested to have an important role in breast cancer aetiology. However, whether common variation in these genes has a role in the development of breast cancer or breast cancer survival in humans is still not clear. METHODS: We performed a comprehensive haplotype analysis of the ATM, CHEK2 and ERBB2 genes in a Swedish population-based study, which included 1,579 breast cancer cases and 1,516 controls. We followed the cases for 8.5 years, on average, and retrieved information on the date and cause of death during that period from the nationwide Swedish causes of death registry. We selected seven haplotype-tagging SNPs (tagSNPs) in the ATM gene, six tagSNPs in the CHEK2 gene and seven tagSNPs in the ERBB2 gene that predicted both haplotypic and single locus variations in the respective genes with R(2 )values ≥ 0.8. These tagSNPs were genotyped in the complete set of cases and controls. We computed expected haplotype dosages of the tagSNP haplotypes and included the dosages as explanatory variables in Cox proportional hazards or logistic regression models. RESULTS: We found no association between any genetic variation in the ATM, CHEK2 or ERBB2 genes and breast cancer survival or the risk of developing tumours with certain characteristics. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that common variants in the ATM, CHEK2 or ERBB2 genes are not involved in modifying breast cancer survival or the risk of tumour-characteristic-defined breast cancer