Maternal Attitudes and Perceptions Concerning the Curriculum and Instructional Procedures in a University Preschool Program

The purpose of this study was to assess mothers\u27 attitudes and perceptions with respect to the preschool program at the Utah State University Child Development Laboratory. Six specific objectives were sought in this research, including evaluating maternal satisfaction concerning the present time schedule and grouping of children, assessing attitudes of mothers regarding specific possible changes in preschool procedures, determining a level of involvement of mothers in the preschool program, identifying specific concerns of mothers towards and about the preschool, determining a level of satisfaction of mothers towards the preschool\u27s curriculum and instructional procedures, and identifying maternal expected preschool gains and recommendations. A written questionnaire was sent to each of the ninety-four mothers with a child enrolled Winter Quarter, 1974 in the Utah State University Child Development Laboratory. One-hundred percent of the mothers returned their questionnaires. The overall finding of this study was that the mothers were definitely favorable towards the curriculum and instructional procedures at the Utah State University Child Development Laboratory. The data from this research indicated that the preschool mothers were generally satisfied with the present preschool time schedule and child grouping according to age and sex. The mothers expressed an interest in a monthly workshop for parents, a preschool bus, and a change in the daily refreshment. Three-fourths of the mothers considered the present preschool fee to be fair and proper. The findings also indicated that the majority of th mothers were somewhat involved with the preschool program. Half of the mothers expressed the concern that in cold weather the children continue to play outside. Social development was the mothers\u27 most cited preschool gain. It is believed that some of the specific findings and recommendations have some important implications for the Family and Child Development Department at Utah State University as well as for other university connected child development programs throughout the United States