The data were collected as part of the FIERCE project, investigating the effects of a reading programme on refugee children's educational trajectories. The data were collected from 322 Syrian refugee families living in Jordan (Amman and Al-Zaatari refugee camp) at three timepoints between February 2021 and May 2022. We collected a range of measurements on children's literacy, reading attitudes, socio-emotional learning, mental health and wellbeing; as well as the mothers' and fathers' reading attitudes, mental health and wellbeing, family dynamics and parenting (see the FIERCE data guide for detailed description). Additionally, we also collected data on children's and mothers' cognitive and emotional processing, mother-child interactions, and children's executive function.Community-led, shared book-reading interventions can improve early childhood development and reduce inequity. One such program, We Love Reading (WLR), was implemented in Jordan in response to the Syrian refugee crisis and involves mothers reading stories to children. This research project uses qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate the potentially transformative nature of WLR among Syrian refugees in Jordan. Specifically, we interviewed stakeholders (Syrian refugee parents and 7-18 year old children) and conducted a randomised controlled trial with Syrian refugee mothers and their 4-8-year-old children. We use semi-structured interviews for the qualitative component. We use multiple methods in this wait-listed, randomized controlled trial - including survey measures, behavioural assessments, and participant observation - immediately before and immediately after the WLR intervention. The goal of this evaluation study is to understand how WLR may impact Syrian refugee children’s educational trajectories, literacy, and love of reading.
Participants were Syrian refugee families (mothers, fathers, children) living in Jordan. The data collection for all timepoints took place in participants’ homes, in Arabic, and the surveys were completed using KoBoToolbox offline survey tool. Two female fieldworkers visited participants’ homes at each timepoint and simultaneously collected data from the mother and child. Two male fieldworkers collected data from the fathers over the phone at two timepoints. The fieldworkers were all native Arabic speakers and were trained on all measures before the data collection process. Before the start of the data collection process at each timepoint, all measures were also piloted with families who did not take part in the FIERCE project. All information was collected verbally by the fieldworkers and data collection in each household lasted on average 1 hour. Visual scales were used to aid the participants’ understanding of the Likert scales. Wherever possible, we used locally developed measures in Arabic (e.g., Father Involvement Questionnaire), or measures developed elsewhere but previously validated in Arabic (e.g., Dyadic Adjustment Scale). If this was not possible, we used measures originally developed and validated in English (e.g., Reader Self Concept Scale) and used a team translation framework, where questions were translated and back translated by members of the research group. This was done to ensure that all items were understandable and valid in Arabic and were relevant in the local context. The full surveys used at all three timepoints are available in English and Arabic on the OSF page in the Planning and Measures section. The information on which measures were completed at which timepoint are available on the OSF page and in the data guide document. The data from all surveys and the syntax used to compute the final variables are available on the OSF page (Knowledge Translation/FIERCE data).
