R. Planos et al., ACCULTURATION AND TEACHING BEHAVIORS OF DOMINICAN AND PUERTO-RICAN MOTHERS, Hispanic journal of behavioral sciences, 17(2), 1995, pp. 225-236
The relationship between acculturation and maternal teaching behaviors
was studied by observing 101 low-income Puerto Rican and Dominican mo
thers in a teaching task with their preschool children and rating six
teaching behaviors frequently used by parents. Puerto Rican mothers te
nded to be more acculturated than Dominican mothers. Although the two
groups tended to prefer teaching behaviors that involved giving direct
ives, visual cues, and modeling, Puerto Rican mothers made significant
ly more use of inquiry and praise, and Dominican mothers used more mod
eling behaviors. Significant correlations for the total sample were fo
und between acculturation and three teaching behaviors (inquiry, prais
e, and modeling). These correlations were the function of group differ
ence in acculturation and not socioeconomic status. Acculturation was
only significantly related to negative verbal feedback and visual cues
in teaching, and positively related to modeling among Puerto Rican mo
thers.