list of all NORFACE projects on migration
The main objective of the proposed research is to uncover the
processes underlying developmental resilience in children from
immigrant families during the transitions to primary and secondary
education in three European countries. We will examine these processes
on the level of the individual, the family, the school, and the
community. By comparing children in Germany, the Netherlands, and
Norway, the study will also elucidate the impact of broader societal
influences. In a longitudinal cohort design based on the two school
transitions, we will study 880 migrant families with origins in Turkey
and 420 non-migrant families allowing for within- and across- country
comparisons. For the primary school transition, 120 children from
Turkish migrant families and 60 children from non-migrant families
(cohort 1) will be assessed at ages 5, 6, and 7 years in each
country. For the secondary school transition, the same will be done in
a second cohort of children at ages 12, 13, and 14 years. Because this
transition takes place earlier in Germany, this country will have an
extra cohort assessed at ages 9, 10, and 11 years. At each assessment,
variables from all levels of functioning will be measured using
multiple methods (observations, interviews, tests, and surveys),
obtained from multiple sources (children, parents, and
teachers). Mastering major educational transitions is a critical
indicator of social integration and is related to individual
psychosocial adaptation. Elucidating the processes underlying migrant
children's adaptation to these transitions will provide insights for
theories of child development in general, and theories of resilience
in migrant children in particular. These insights can be translated
into recommendations for suitable ways to support migrant parents, to
organise the educational system to foster equal opportunities for
children from migrant families, and to construct policies that will
facilitate the overall societal success of migrant families.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Birgit Leyendecker, Ruhr University Bochum