Date
4-29-2026
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Holly Eimer
Keywords
social-cultural ecological theory, Head Start, parents as first teachers, substandard housing, unfit housing, early childhood development, pre-school academic readiness, Dana L. Horne
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Horne, Dana Lynne, "Parents As First Teachers Living In Their Home Environment: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8194.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8194
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of parents as their child’s first teachers and how these experiences influence their child’s early educational development for Head Start parents at a school in Virginia. The central phenomenon of the study was generally defined as the multidimensional lived experiences of parents of children ages 0 to 6, living in unstable or substandard housing, and navigating the roles of caregiver, teacher, and advocate within complex social-cultural ecological environments. The theory guiding this study is Bronfenbrenner’s (1974) sociocultural environmental framework. This study focused on understanding Head Start Program parents’ lived experiences as their child’s first teachers. It also examined the influence their home environment may have on their child’s early learning, and the multidimensional factors of parents’ social-cultural ecological variables as first teachers. The central research question was posed as follows: How do parents living in substandard housing understand and describe their role as their child’s first teacher in supporting early development and school readiness, based on their home environment, socioeconomic situation, and personal capacity? Purposeful selection methodology was utilized to select parents living in unstable or substandard conditions with children aged 0 to 6. The data collection included participant interviews, physical artifacts, and a focus group session. Codes and themes were developed from the collected data to analyze the lived experiences of participating parents. This study found that environmental hazards, financial strain, and instability influenced not only learning opportunities but also children’s physical comfort, emotional regulation, and sense of security despite hardship.
