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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 8, Issue 1, Article 3 (June, 2007) Beverley JANE and Jill ROBBINS Intergenerational learning: grandparents teaching everyday concepts in science and technology |
In his book Idolising Children Daniel Donahoo (2007) a 29-year-old father of two young boys who lives with his wife in Central Victoria, contends that “Grandparents help to place us in our context” (p. 219) and “we underestimate the impact that limiting our contact with grandparents may have on society” (p. 233). An Australian survey carried out a few years earlier revealed that 19% of children younger than 12, were in the care of their grandparents on a regular basis (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2003). When looked at as a group, grandparents are diverse in many ways such as age, cultural heritage, health status, present and former occupations, marital status, relationship with their adult children (and their spouses or former spouses), proximity to grandchildren, and amount and type of intergenerational contact (Wearing & Wearing, 1996; Earle, 1999; Rezac, 2002; Grandparents Australia, Inc., 2004).
Several studies report that cultural issues form a significant factor that affects grandparenting. Goodfellow and Laverty (2003) identify a strong socio-historical factor in their study on grandparents’ satisfaction and choice in their role as carers of their grandchildren. The study findings showed that there was potentially a stronger commitment among grandparents born in non-English-speaking countries, and English-speaking countries other than Australia, to “family care and contribution, and passing down of cultural and family traditions (ways of doing things) across generations” (Goodfellow & Laverty, 2003:18) than among Australian born grandparents.
In their study of Australian-Vietnamese grandparenthood, Vo-Thanh-Xuan and Liamputtong (2003) relate that while these grandparents generally have established close grandparent-parent-grandchild relationships and feel emotionally fulfilled, this has come at the expense of many changes in their lives and relationships with their children/grandchildren in their new homeland, and the consideration and acceptance of many new values.
Despite the challenges, many grandparents have deep and rewarding relationships with, and commitment to, their grandchildren. Potentially their shared experiences and interactions are mutually beneficial, enjoyable and educational, yet frequently the value of such interactions is not recognised. Thus there is a need for our study that documents examples of how grandparents are supporting their grandchildren’s learning.
