CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN PARENTING PRACTICES. ESRI Research Bulletin 2010/4/4

There is an increasing acceptance across the disciplines of psychology, sociology and health that an individual’s development does not take place in a social vacuum (see for example Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological model, e.g. Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006). The development of infants, in particular, is influenced by their parents: relying on them for food, shelter, protection, health care and fostering development. Hence we might expect that those individuals and organisations which influence parents (grandparents, friends, the media) will also have an indirect, but important, influence on infants

GROWING UP IN IRELAND. Cohort '08 (Infant Cohort). Design, Instrumentation and Procedures for Cohort ’08 of Growing Up in Ireland at 9 Years Old (Wave 5)

Growing Up in Ireland is the national longitudinal cohort study of children that commenced in 2006. The study has followed two groups of Irish children: Cohort ’98 (so-called because most of them were born in 1998; formerly called the ‘Child Cohort’); and Cohort ’08 (most of whom were born a decade later in 2008; formerly called the ‘Infant Cohort’). The primary aim of the study is to provide a strong evidence base to improve the understanding of children’s and young people’s health and development across a range of domains. This information is used to inform government policy in relation to children, yong people and their families

Growing Up in Ireland. National Longitudinal Study of Children. Literature Review Series Number 2019-6

Growing Up in Ireland is the National Longitudinal Study of Children in Ireland. It is funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and one of its core objectives is to provide evidence to inform government policy and service provision in relation to children and young people. Hence this literature review discusses a number of core research questions that are particularly relevant to the well-being and life-stage of 5-year-olds and to which data from Growing Up in Ireland might reasonably be expected to contribute. Policy relevant topics arose from discussions with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) and the Scientific Advisory Committee. In contrast to previous literature reviews, this review of child development at age 5 years focuses in greater detail on a selection of research questions that are of particular relevance at this age, reflect changes in contemporary context in comparison to the older Growing Up in Ireland Child Cohort, or represent novel avenues of research possibilities with this cohort given the new information that was collected in the age 5 sweep. For a broader longitudinal review on a more diverse range of topics, the reader is advised to consult the literature review for the Infant Cohort at 3 years (Greene, Morgan, McCrory & McNally, 2014) which continues to be of relevance to the children at age 5 years

Academic Achievement among Immigrant Children in Irish Primary Schools. ESRI WP512. September 2015

Educational achievement is a key indicator of labour market success and other post-school outcomes. This success is unequally distributed across different groups of children, including those from immigrant backgrounds. The impact of parents’ and their children’s cultural capital on student grades and educational ambitions has been identified in both longitudinal and cross-sectional studies. This paper addresses a gap in research on Ireland by exploring the academic achievement of 9-year-old immigrant children from different national groups using data from the child cohort of the Growing Up in Ireland study. The Irish case is interesting as there was recent substantial immigration of a nationally diverse group of migrants to a school system that was predominantly White, Catholic and Irish. The immigrant ‘penalty’ in English reading achievement varies across national groups, though overall the gap is modest. Financial strain is associated with lower reading achievement, as is attending a disadvantaged school, though these play a limited role in explaining the immigrant penalty in achievement. Social and cultural capital plays a more salient role in understanding national group differences in English reading achievement, particularly for East Europeans, for whom the gap is greatest

Support from Grandparents to Families with Infants. ESRI Research Bulletin 2011/1/4

Parent-child interactions are influenced by factors outside the immediate family. A recent paper† based on data from the Growing Up in Ireland study (GUI) focuses in particular on the support provided by grandparents in caring for very young children. Such support can have important direct and indirect influences on child development. For example, a grandparent who babysits a young child while parents have a night out has a direct interaction with the child in the context of providing care. However, there is also an indirect influence in the context of supporting the mother-father relationship which, in turn, could be expected to affect (positively) parental interactions with the child

Sotsiaalse ja kultuurilise kapitali ning koolikeskkonna mõju rändetaustaga laste akadeemilisele edukusele Iirimaal

Educational achievement is one of the key indicators of labour market success, yet previous research shows that in many countries, children from immigrant backgrounds struggle to match their native peers in terms of achievement. Despite high educational aspirations, migrant parents may struggle to "convert" their social and cultural capital to support their children’s achievement in their country of destination. Ireland is an interesting case study as there was substantial and  rapid immigration of a diverse group of migrants, many of whom were European, to a school system that was predominantly White, Catholic, Irish and English-speaking. Drawing on the extensive literature on academic achievement of immigrant children and youth, this paper explores the academic achievement of 9-year-old immigrant children in a ‘new immigration country’, just after the peak of inward migration. The results show that unlike in many ‘old’ immigrant-receiving countries, the immigrant "penalty" in achievement in Ireland is modest, with social and cultural capital playing a salient role in English reading achievement, particularly for East Europeans, for whom the gap is greatest. Understanding the patterns of linguistic integration for recent migrant children may help us understand these processes in the case of subsequent movements of children and their families in Europe

Growing Up in Ireland. National Longitudinal Study of Children. Technical Series Number 2019-2

The study focuses on a broad range of internationally recognised child outcomes with a view to documenting how well children in Ireland are developing. In so doing, it will facilitate comparison with findings from similar studies of children in other countries, as well as establishing typical patterns for children within Ireland. Being longitudinal in nature, the study also clearly addresses developmental trajectories over time and explores the factors which most impact on those trajectories and on the life chances of children in Ireland today. By providing comprehensive data on a representative national sample of Irish children, the study informs and contributes to the setting of responsive policies and the design of services for children and their families. The study focuses on two cohorts of children. The younger cohort (the Infant cohort based on 11,134 children and their parents and other main caregivers) was recruited when the children were nine months of age. The second cohort is based on 8,568 children and their main caregivers, which was recruited when the children were nine years of age

Growing Up in Ireland. National Longitudinal Study of Children. Technical Series Number 2019-4

Growing Up in Ireland is the national longitudinal study of children. It was established in 2006 and has followed two groups of Irish children – an older group who were recruited into the study at 9 years of age (the Child Cohort, now called Cohort ‘98) and a younger group who were recruited into the study at 9 months of age (the Infant Cohort, now called Cohort ‘08). The Growing Up in Ireland study is funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA), and is overseen by the DCYA in association with the Central Statistics Office. The project has been designed to describe and analyse what it means to be a child in Ireland today and to understand the factors associated with three major areas of children’s development over time: their physical health and growth; their social, emotional and behavioural well-being; and their educational achievements and cognitive development. The longitudinal nature of the project allows researchers and analysts to examine the developmental trajectories and the factors which affect development over time. Providing evidence to inform Government policy relating to children, youth and families is a core objective

Growing up in Ireland. National Longitudinal Study of Children. Report 9 2019

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