This Study focuses on fathers within a cohort of Syrian refugee families, currently living in Jordan. it complements a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluation of the impacts of We Love Reading, implemented with mothers to boost child literacy and attitudes towards reading. This trial (FIERCE: Family Intervention for Empowerment through Reading and Education) follows a cohort of 330 mothers and their 4-8 year-old children, collecting data at their homes in Amman and Zaatari camp, at two time points before/after the reading intervention. In the Father Study, we recruited the Fathers in the FIERCE cohort to characterize their family-directed behaviors.
it is important to build evidence for how refugee fathers engage with their families and influence attitudes towards reading
Field researchers for the (FIERCE) Syrian Refugee Fathers Study
Zaid Alkayed
Zaid is a psychiatry resident at the Jordan University Hospital (JUH).
Majd Al-Soleiti
Majd is a medical doctor and a researcher, based in Amman-Jordan.
Description of the (FIERCE) Syrian Refugee Fathers Study
The Syrian Refugee Fathers Study focuses on a cohort of Syrian refugees currently living in Jordan. It complements a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluation of the impacts of We Love Reading, implemented with mothers to boost child literacy and attitudes towards reading. This trial (FIERCE: Family Intervention for Empowerment through Reading and Education) follows a cohort of 300 mothers and their 4-8- year-old children, collecting data at their homes in Amman and Zaatari camp, at two time points before/after the reading intervention. In the Syrian Refugee Fathers study, we recruited the men in this cohort to characterize their family-directed behaviors.
For our interviews, we ask fathers to report on their interactions with children, spouse, and community, using a self-report version of the Father Involvement Questionnaire (FIQ). We will analyze whether types of father interactions impact family functioning, parenting support, and their child’s attitude towards reading and literacy.
The data collection is still ongoing, with the first phase of the survey to be completed by June 2021. The research team includes Drs Majd Al-Soleiti, Zaid Alkayed, Catherine Panter-Brick, Isabelle Mareschal, Kristin Hadfield, Amal El-Kharouf, and Sophie von Stumm. The FIERCE project is funded through the Education and Learning in Crises scheme by the British Academy, while the Syrian Refugee Fathers Study is funded by the MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale University