Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Key Indicators of Home Environment for Educational Research in Rural Communities in Tanzania

  • Published:
Child Indicators Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

For the past two decades effort has been made to create measures for studying the home environment. However, developing meaningful measures that allow for comparisons across different contexts, for example in Western and non-Western countries, is a challenge. This paper describes a study carried out to identify indicators that would best describe the home environment in a rural setting in Tanzania. Data were collected from a sample of 300 mothers/female guardians from a rural community in the coastal area of Tanzania. The home environment was assessed using a questionnaire-based interview about the home living and home literacy environments. Based on distributions and correlation analysis, five key variables were found and regarded as significant indicators. These are fathers’ and mothers’ education, house wall material, light source, and the number of books for school subjects in the homes. The indicators found are proposed as being useful for surveys for different purposes, e.g. research, educational, social, and political decisions. However, the key indicators identified should not be assumed to be the most prominent ones in another cultural setting without empirical testing.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adeboyejo, T., & Onyeonoru, I. (2005). Aspects of home environment and adolescent sexual behavior in Southwestern Nigeria. African Population Studies, 20(1), 38–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Agiobu-Kemmer, I. (1984). Cognitive and affective aspects of infant development. In H. V. Curan (Ed.), Nigerian children: Developmental perspectives (pp. 74–117). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arias, E., & de Vos, S. (1996). Using housing items to indicate socioeconomic status: Latin America. Journal of Social Indicators Research, 38, 53–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arimah, B. (1992). An empirical analysis of the demand for housing attributes in a third world city. Land Economics, 68(4), 366–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bagamoyo Education Development Fund (2008). Aide memoire on fund raising for Bagamoyo Education Development Fund, February 2008.

  • Bagamoyo District Council (2009). Permanent residents’ registers for Yombo — Rural ward. Bagamoyo District Council.

  • Baharudin, R., & Luster, T. (1998). Factors related to the quality of the home environment and children’s achievement. Journal of Family Issues, 19, 375–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, E., & Casper, M. (2001). A definition of social environment. American Journal of Public Health, 91(3), 465.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bollen, K., Glanville, J. A., & Steckvlov, G. (2001). Socioeconomic status and class in studies of fertility and health in developing countries. Annual Review of Sociology, 27, 153–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, R. H. (1988). Home environment and school performance: a ten-year follow-up and examination of three models of environmental action. Child Development, 52(4), 852–867.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, R. H., Caldwell, B. M., & Elardo, R. (1979). Home environment and cognitive development in the first 2 years: a cross-lagged panel analysis. Developmental Psychology, 15(3), 241–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, R. H., & Caldwell, B. M. (1981). The HOME inventory: a validation of the preschool scale for black children. Child Development, 52, 708–710.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, R. H., Rock, S. L., & Caldwell, B. M. (1987). General and specific aspects of physical environment: Relations with development in handicapped children ages 1 to 10. A paper presented as part of a symposium, “Contributions of the physical environment to children’s development”. Biannual meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore, MD. April 23–26, 1987.

  • Bradley, R., Caldwell, B., Rock, S., Ramey, C., Barnard, K., Gray, C., et al. (1989). Home environment and cognitive development in the first 3 years of life: a collaboration study involving six sites and three ethnic groups in North America. Developmental Psychology, 25(2), 217–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, R. H., & Corwyn, R. F. (2002). Socioeconomic status and child development. {Electronic version}. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 371–400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braveman, P., & Cubbin, C. (2003). Optimal SES indicators cannot be prescribed across all outcomes. American Public Health Association, 93(1), 12–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burge, E., & Haughey, M. (Eds.). (2002). Using terminologies: International perspectives on practice. London: Routledge Falmer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burgess, S. (2002). Shared reading correlates of early reading skills. Reading Online, 5(7). (http://readingonline.org/articles/burgess/index.html

  • Burgess, S. R., Hecht, S. A., & Lonigan, C. J. (2002). Relations of the home literacy environment (HLE) to the development of reading-related abilities: a one-year longitudinal study. Reading Research Quarterly, 37, 408–426.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell, B., & Bradley, R. (1984). Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) — Revised edition. Little Rock: University of Arkansas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron, L., & Williams, J. (2005). Is the relationship between socioeconomic status and health stronger for older children in developing countries? Department of Economics, University of Melbourne.

  • Chen, E. (2004). Why socioeconomic status affects the health of children. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(3), 112–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioural sciences (2nd Edn). New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of Sociology, 94, 94–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coons, C. E., Frankenburg, W. K., Gay, E. C., Fandal, A. W., Leffy, D. L., & Ker, C. (1982). Preliminary results of combined developmental environmental screening project. In N. J. Anastasiow, W. K. Frankenburg, & A. Fandal (Eds.), Identifying the developmentally delayed child (pp. 101–110). Baltimore: University Park Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Currie, J., & Stabile, M. (2003). Socioeconomic status and child health: why is the relationship stronger for older children? American Economic Review, 93(5), 1813–1823.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ensminger, M., Forrest, C., Riley, A., Kang, M., Green, B., Starfield, B., et al. (2000). The validity measure of socioeconomic status of adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 15(3), 392–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Entwisle, D. R., & Astone, N. M. (1994). Some practical guidelines for measuring youth’s race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Child Development, 65, 1521–1540.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans, G. W. (2006). Child development and the physical environment. Annual Review of Psychology, 5(1), 423–451.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fantuzzo, J., Tighe, E., & Childs, S. (2000). Family involvement questionnaire: a multivariate assessment of family participation in early childhood education. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(2), 367–376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fiadzo, E. D., Houston, J. E., & Godwin, D. D. (2001). Estimating housing quality for poverty and development policy analysis: CWIQ in Ghana. Social Indicators Research, 53(2), 137–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frankenburg, W. K., & Coons, E. C. (1986). Home screening questionnaire: its validity in assessing home environment. Journal of Pediatrics, 108, 624–626.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, S. (1977). Infant development and mother-infant interaction in urban Zambia. In P. H. Leiderman, S. R. Tulkin, & A. Rosenfeld (Eds.), Culture and infancy: Variations in the human experience (pp. 211–244). New York: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldscheider, C. (1987). Migration and social structures: analytic issues and comparative perspectives in developing nations. Sociological Forum, 2(4), 674–696.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gottfried, A. W. (1985). Measures of socioeconomic status in child development research: data and recommendations. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 31, 85–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grolnick, W. S., & Slowiaczek, M. L. (1994). Parents’ involvement in children’s schooling: a multidimensional conceptualization and motivational model. Child Development, 65(1), 237–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hartl, M. (2006). Reducing the vulnerability of the girl child in poor rural areas. UNESCO.

  • Hautamäki, A. (1982). Activity environment, social class and voluntary learning: an interpretation and application of Vygotsky’s concepts. Publications of the University of Joensuu, series A, Number 22.

  • Hauser, R. M. (1994). Measuring socioeconomic status in studies of child development. Child Development, 65, 1541–1545.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/swahili-language downloaded on 19th August, 2009.

  • Iltus, S. (2006). Significance of home environments as proxy indicators for early childhood care and education. “Paper commissioned for the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2007, Strong foundations: early childhood care & education”.

  • Iverson, B. K., & Walberg, H. J. (1982). Home environment and school learning: a quantitative synthesis. Journal of Experimental Education, 50(3), 144–155.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jariene, R., & Razmantiene, A. (2006). The influence of pupils’ socioeconomic background on achievement in reading and reading skills. Inter-governmental Conference. Language of Schooling: Towards a Framework for Europe, Strasbourg 16–18 October, 2006.

  • Kanyongo, G. Y., Certo, J., & Launcelot, B. L. (2006). Using regression analysis to establish the relationship between home environment and reading achievement: a case of Zimbabwe. International Educational Journal, 7(5), 632–641.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaur, H., & Kalaramna, A. (2004). Study of interrelationship between home environment, social intelligence, and socioeconomic status among males and females. Journal of Human Ecology, 16(2), 137–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liberatos, P., Link, B. G., & Kesley, J. L. (1988). The measurement of social class in epidemiology. Epidemiologic Reviews, 10, 87–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Macassa, G., Ghilagaber, G., Bernhardt, E., Diderchsen, F., & Burstrom, B. (2003). Inequalities in child mortality in Mozambique: differentials by parental socioeconomic position. Social Science & Medicine, 57, 2255–2264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malmberg, L., & Sumra, S. (1998–2001). Socio-cultural factors and Tanzanian primary school students’ achievements and school experience. Utafiti [New Series] Special Issue, 4, 207–219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masha, S. (2003). Is there evidence for dual causation between malaria and socioeconomic status? Findings from rural Tanzania. Australian Centre for Economic Research on Health.

  • Milne, A., & Plourde, L. A. (2006). Factors of a low SES household: what aids academic achievement? Journal of Instructional Psychology, 33(3), 183–193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Education and Vocational Training [MoEVT]. (2008). Basic Education Statistics in Tanzania (BEST). Dar-Es-Salaam: Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mishra, K. S. (1989). Home environment inventory. Agra: National Psychological Corporation, Ankur.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, K. A. (2003). The uses (and misuses) of social indicators: Implications for public policy. Child Trends Research Brief.

  • Mtana, N., Mhando, E., & Hojlund, G. (Eds.) (2004). Teaching and learning in primary education in Tanzania. Dar-es-Salaam, Ecoprint.

  • National Bureau of Statistics [NBS]. (2002). 2002 Population and housing census — village and street statistics (Volume VII). Dar-es-Salaam: Ministry of Planning, Economy, and Empowerment.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Bureau of Statistics. (2004). Tanzania national population survey: Main report and summary report. Dar-es-Salaam: Ministry of Planning, economy and Empowerment.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Bureau of Statistics. (2006). Regional and district projections (Volume XII). Dar-es-Salaam: Ministry of Planning, Economy, and Empowerment.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ngorosho, D. L. (2009). Reading and writing ability in relation to home environment: A study in primary education in Tanzania. A manuscript.

  • Ostrove, J. M., Feldman, P., & Alder, N. E. (1999). Relations among socioeconomic indicators and health for African-American and whites. Journal of Health Psychology, 4, 451–463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pallant, J. (2007). A step-by-step guide to data analysis using SPSS, version 15. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rashid, F. L., Morris, R. D., & Sevcik, R. A. (2005). Relationship between home literacy environment and reading achievement in children with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 38(1), 2–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richter, L. M., & Grieve, K. W. (1991). Home environment and cognitive development of black infants in impoverished South African families. Infant Mental Health Journal, 12(2), 88–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sender, J., & Smith, S. (1992). Poverty, class and gender in rural Africa: A Tanzanian case study. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegel, L. S. (1984). Home environment influences on cognitive development in preterm and full-term children during the first 5 years. In A. W. Gottfried (Ed.), Home environment and early cognitive development (pp. 197–234). New York: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sirin, S. R. (2005). Socioeconomic status and academic achievement: a meta-analytic review of research. Review of Educational Research, 75(3), 417–453.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, J. P. (1999). Healthy bodies and thick house wall materials: the dual relation between health and economic status. Journal of Economic Perspective, 13, 145–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tiwar, S. C., Kumar, A., & Kumar, A. (2004). Development & standardization of a scale to measure socioeconomic status in urban & rural community in India. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 122, 309–314.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wachs, T. D. (2003). Expanding our view of context: the bio-ecological environment and development. Advanced Child Development, 31, 363–409.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wasik, B. (Ed.). (2004). Handbook of family literacy. Taylor and Francis: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, K. R. (1982). The relation between socioeconomic status and academic achievement. Psychological Bulletin, 91, 461–481.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, M., & Rask, H. (2003). Literacy through play: how families with able children support their literacy development. Early Child Development and Care, 173(5), 527–533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, C. (2002). Parent-child pre-school activities can affect the development of literacy skills. Journal of Research in Reading, 24, 248–265.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoshinori, S., & Suzuki, H. (1997). Living environment of old people (I), difference between the living environment in one’s own house and that in old-age home. Proceedings of 12th Japanese Conference of Advancement of Rehabilitation Technology, 12, 507–510.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank my supervisor, Prof. Ulla Lahtinen for her indispensable advice during the development and writing of this article. I am also very grateful for the invaluable comments I received from Prof. Sven-Erik Hansen during our research seminars. I thank Abo Akademi University for giving me the opportunity to do research as part of the Doctoral Education Project in Tanzania (DEPT) financed by the Ministry of Education in Finland.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Abo Akademi University, Box 311, 65101, Vaasa, Finland

    Damaris Ngorosho

Authors
  1. Damaris Ngorosho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Damaris Ngorosho.

Appendix

Appendix

1.1 Interview guide, shortened version

1.1.1 Parents’ education and occupation

What is father’s/mother’s/guardian’s main activity, source of income?

Can he/she read a newspaper, write?

Level of education attained?

1.1.2 Child’s school learning

How many books and school subject-related books are available in the home?

How many notebooks, writing items e.g. pen, pencil a child has?

Does the child do home chores (e.g. washing dishes, collecting fruits, cashew nuts, preparing fish) before/after school (never, sometimes, always)

Do you or other person support the child with school homework? How often?

1.1.3 Housing variables

Does the child live/sleep in this house?

What are the wall, roof, floor made of?

Where do you get drinking water?

What source do you use for light? And cooking fuel?

Where do you go to the toilet?

1.1.4 Wealth-related possessions

Do you have a radio, a car, bicycle, or a fridge?

What animals do you have and how many?

Amount of land? Whose land is it — family, clan, or borrowed?

What furniture do you have e.g. table, chair, cupboard, sofa and sofa cushions, bed?

What is the status of the child’s school uniform?

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ngorosho, D. Key Indicators of Home Environment for Educational Research in Rural Communities in Tanzania. Child Ind Res 3, 327–348 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-009-9061-7

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-009-9061-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation