Premium
Fathers matter too! Lived experience of pedagogical hope in raising children with Down syndrome
Author(s) -
ArmijosYambay K.,
Jordán Sierra J. A.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of intellectual disability research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.941
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1365-2788
pISSN - 0964-2633
DOI - 10.1111/jir.12689
Subject(s) - lived experience , raising (metalworking) , narrative , disposition , psychology , phenomenological method , phenomenology (philosophy) , developmental psychology , philology , interpretative phenomenological analysis , hermeneutic phenomenology , pedagogy , qualitative research , social psychology , epistemology , sociology , psychotherapist , gender studies , social science , feminism , philosophy , linguistics , geometry , mathematics
Background Pedagogical hope is a fundamental disposition for raising children. This attitude among fathers of children with Down syndrome (DS) plays an essential role in their children's development. This phenomenological study sought to explore fathers' lived experiences and to reflect on what it means to be a pedagogically hopeful father of a child with DS. Methods Max van Manen's hermeneutic–phenomenological method was applied. Phenomenological interviews were held with 10 fathers of children with DS in Spain, Ecuador and Scotland. Anecdotal narratives from the transcribed interviews were analysed based on philosophical, philological and human science methods. Results The four eidetic themes in the phenomenological text show how a pedagogically hopeful father (1) is realistic; (2) believes in the strengths of his child with DS; (3) trusts in his positive influence; and (4) is open to unexpected surprises. Conclusions Lived experiences of pedagogical hope reveal fathers' fundamental roles in stimulating the utmost development of their child's capabilities. Reflecting on this pedagogical attitude will undoubtedly encourage fathers, educators and health care professionals to make the most of this disposition and enhance their relationship with their children with DS.