Blog: Meet the Researcher - Florence Ajala

Florence Ajala is a current PhD candidate and assistant lecturer in Early Childhood Studies in the Department of Reflective Pedagogy & Early Childhood Studies.

What did you study as an Undergraduate and Postgraduate?

I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Care and Education and a Graduate Diploma in Adult and Further Education in MIC. Currently, I am pursuing my PhD in MIC under the supervision of Dr Michele Dunleavy and Dr Aimie Brennan.

Tell us a bit about your research

My research is about the lived experiences of Nigerian immigrant mothers' engagement with their children's early childhood care and education within an Irish context. Precisely, my study includes the voices of fifteen Nigerian mothers and explores how they engaged with their children's ECCE, the challenges they face due to their immigrant status, and how cultural differences manifest in home-school interactions during early childhood. My motivation for my research is to give voice to Nigerian mothers of preschool children in Ireland, as they are often not heard in Irish educational research. Nigerian mothers have important insights into matters that concern their children’s ECCE and, like other parents, benefit hugely from being active participants in their children’s ECCE.

Fifteen Nigerian mothers whose children availed of the universal ECCE programme from 2020 to 2022 were recruited through ECCE settings to participate in my research. The universal ECCE programme is a state-funded two-year preschool programme available to all children in Ireland between the ages of 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and 6 months before they commence primary school (Hanley and Garrity 2022; Wolfe et al. 2013). My study used a qualitative inquiry based on one-to-one semi-structured interviews. These were transcribed and coded using Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis (2019; 2022).

My study identified five distinct definitions of parental engagement given by Nigerian mothers, which were:

• Active involvement in their children's lives
• Liaising with the early years educators on matters relating to their children's early childhood care and education
• The interaction between them and their children
• Supporting their children
• Fostering and nurturing their children's holistic growth and development

Likewise, my study showed the different ways the Nigerian mothers engaged in their children's ECCE, which were:

• Questioning and talking to their children on preschool matters
• Dropping off and picking up their children from preschool
• Virtual engagement with early years educators
• Engagement in play-based learning activities with their children
• Providing financial support towards their children's early childhood care and education
• Seeking feedback from the early year’s educators about their children's early childhood care and education
• Attendance at preschool events

Similarly, my study showed that the engagement of Nigerian mothers in their children's ECCE is more home-based (e.g., questioning and talking to their children on preschool matters; engagement in play-based learning activities with their children) than preschool-based (e.g., attendance at preschool events; seeking feedback from the early years educators about their children's early childhood care and education). This was because these mothers viewed their roles in their children's ECCE as mainly at home and their home involvement practices, such as playing and talking to their children, rather than preschool involvement.

Also, my study ascertained the role of Nigerian mothers in their children's ECCE as ascribed to them by the Nigerian culture on gender roles, which influence crucial decisions in the family and assigns the roles of childbearing and childrearing to women. Likewise, my study showed that Nigerian mothers' engagement with their children's ECCE is influenced by their cultural norms and beliefs. This is peculiar to all parents from culturally diverse backgrounds, as their involvement in their children's education is shaped by their cultural values.

What do you enjoy most about undertaking your research projects?

What I enjoyed most about undertaking my research was how the participants felt comfortable sharing their stories with me. I believe this was because I share the same culture with them. 

What do you like about supervising students?

What I like about supervising students is that I get to support them in completing their desired research.

Do you have any advice for someone who is thinking about taking up a researched PG programme?

Go for it. Do not procrastinate. If you are thinking of doing your postgraduate research at MIC, no doubt, MIC is the best place to do a Research Postgraduate programme. The support here is fantastic.