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Aparna Bagdi
Assistant Professor,
Department of Human Development
and Family Studies
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Office: 109 Alison Hall West, Newark, DE 19716
Phone: (302) 831-6522; Email:
aparna@udel.edu
Education:
Ph.D. in Child and Family Studies, Syracuse University
Dissertation: Children's perceptions of stressful events and how they cope with them: An Indian experience
Courses taught:
IFST 221: Child Development
IFST 222: Early Childhood Curriculum I
IFST 236: Infants and Toddlers: Development and Programs
IFST 340: Early Childhood Curriculum II
EDUC 400: Student Teaching (Supervision)
IFST 667: Parenting and Childhood Outcomes
IFST 651: Advanced Child Development
Interests and activities:
My research and scholarship interests lie in understanding children’s emotional health and wellbeing, with a particular emphasis on childhood stress and coping. I am currently working on several different research projects, all of which focus on nurturing the social-emotional development of young children, parents, teachers, and caregivers. My research is applied in nature and is useful for providing suggestions for parents and teachers in supporting their children’s optimal growth and development. My research projects include topics such as examining:
- Children’s perceptions of upsetting events or stressors and how they cope with challenging life events and daily life hassles. This study also examined parents’ views of stress inducing situations in their child’s life and their child’s coping actions.
- Infant-toddler sensory functioning and temperament from parents’ and caregivers’ perspectives.
- Concerns and stressors experienced by beginning teachers, their sources of support, and ways of coping as they make the transition from student to teacher.
- Immigrant parents’ perspectives of ways in which they support their children’s early learning and education.
- Parents’ experiences while working with professionals in early child care and intervention, with special emphasis on parent-professional relationships.
- The efficacy of full-day kindergarten programming from parents’ and teachers’ perspectives.
I have published in several peer reviewed journals such as Early Childhood Education Journal, Child and Youth Care Forum, and Dimensions of Early Childhood. I have presented in regional, national, and international conferences such as the Annual Conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Annual International Conference of the Division for Early Childhood, the Oxford Round Table in Oxford, UK, and the Annual International Conference and of the Association for Childhood Education International. Grant money has funded many of my research projects.
I enjoy teaching courses that focus on development over the early childhood years, parenting, and cultural diversity. Within that context I emphasize the significant roles of parents, teachers, and caregivers in supporting optimal development, mitigating risk factors, and promoting resilience.
I have guided a number of graduate and undergraduate independent studies. In
addition, I advise undergraduate students and also serve on masters and doctoral student committees. I have been nominated for a Teaching Excellence Award in 2003 and for an Advising Excellence Award in 2005 by the Faculty Senate Committee on Student and Faculty Honors, University of Delaware.
I have worked in various capacities with children and families from different cultures. As Head Teacher of the Toddler section in Bernice M. Wright Child Development Laboratory at Syracuse University, I worked with young toddlers and their parents in an inclusive, collaborative setting. I coordinated with Lab School staff and with Early Intervention Consultants to ensure successful inclusion for children with special needs, implemented developmentally appropriate and child-centered curriculum, conducted child assessments to monitor overall growth and development of children, and collaborated with parents to address parental concerns and provide guidance and feedback about their children.
I have also volunteered in the Child Development Program, Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York Health Care Center in Syracuse, NY, where I participated in comprehensive developmental assessments of children referred to the Child Development Program and offered information and support to families.
Currently, I teach about child development, provide training on issues pertaining to early childhood education, childhood mental health and parent-professional collaboration, and serve on State boards as an early childhood advocate.
