• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.153-165
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of socioeconomic status and the children's sex on mothers'teaching strategies and their children's responses during a cooperative problem-solving task. The subjects were 15 higher SES mothers and their 5-years-old children dyads. The mothers' teaching strategies and their children's responses were videotaped during a cooperative problem solving task and analyze using a scheme developed by Kermani and Brenner. The results of this study were as follows. First, the mothers with higher SES were more likely to promote 'independence' and less likely to 'verbal prompt'direct performance' than the mothers with lower SES. Second, the children from higher SES families were more likely to refuse their mothers' assistance. Third, the mothers of boys were more likely to use the 'direct teaching'and 'modify'strategies and less likely to use 'independence promoting'strategy than the mothers of girls. Finally, girls were more likely than boys to ask questions for assistance or assurance.