An investigation of the lived experiences of Nigerian immigrant mothers’ engagement with their children’s early childhood care and education

Abstract

Parental engagement is an essential element for the development of quality early childhood education and has been proven to have a positive impact on children’s learning and development. The study of parental engagement for culturally diverse families has become an important aspect of education. However, a review of the literature shows that less is known about how Nigerian mothers engage with their children’s early childhood care and education (ECCE) within the Irish context. Nigerians are the largest African immigrant group in Ireland, and the fifth-largest immigrant group overall in Ireland before (Poland, United Kingdom, Lithuania and Latvia). However, their presence is not visible in the Irish early childhood care and education sector in terms of early childhood educational research and early years educators working in the sector (Sabanova and Stout 2023; Knox 2016; Central Statistics Office 2012; Helm 2004). Therefore, this study examines the lived experiences of 15 Nigerian immigrant mothers who reside in Ireland, with a particular focus on how they engaged with their children’s ECCE, the challenges they face due to their immigrant status, and the ways in which cultural differences manifest in home-school interactions during early childhood.