Extended Family Support, Social-Emotional Development, and EarlyMathematics Learning among ECD Learners: A Case Study of HPrimary School, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Keywords:
Extended family support, Social-emotional development, Early Childhood Development, Early Mathematics learning, Heritage-Based Curriculum, Family-school collaboration.Abstract
This study investigated how extended family support contributes to the social-emotional development and early mathematics learning of Early Childhood Development (ECD) learners at H Primary School in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Grounded in African kinship traditions and Zimbabwe’s Heritage-Based Curriculum, the study addressed the limited empirical evidence on how extended family networks influence both emotional growth and foundational numeracy in urban primary schools. A qualitative case study design was adopted. Fourteen purposively selected participants ten ECD teachers, one school head, one deputy head, and two administrators shared insights through semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations. Data were analyzed thematically. Findings indicated that extended family members supported development through caregiving, emotional guidance, and academic assistance. This included ethno-mathematical socialization through cultural play, storytelling, and early counting. Learners with sustained family support showed enhanced emotional stability, confidence, and cooperation. Crucially, this social-emotional foundation directly boosted early mathematics learning, improving student participation and problem-solving during counting, sorting, and mathematical play. However, support was constrained by urbanization, labor migration, changing family structures, and time limitations. The study concludes that extended family networks remain a vital resource for fostering social-emotional readiness and mathematical engagement. It recommends strengthening school-family partnerships and integrating extended family networks into early childhood education policy to support holistic numeracy and emotional growth.
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