Child development as social action: Reflections on four underrated contributions of Edward Zigler to science and society.

Arthur J Reynolds

doi:10.1017/s0954579420001777

Abstract

In a career spanning six decades, Edward Zigler redefined developmental psychology as the equal integration of scientific inquiry and evidence with social policy formulation and analysis to improve child well-being. The theme of his accumulated work was advancing child development as social action for children and families. Besides early childhood intervention and policy, for which he devoted most of his time, Dr. Zigler did pioneering work in education and school reform, social policy, prevention, child maltreatment, family support, developmental disabilities, and in service to government. In this article, I reflect on four of Dr. Zigler's major contributions to science and society that are underrated and, in many respects, under-appreciated in the larger context of the field. These are (a) historical analysis of Head Start, (b) conceptualization and analysis of motivation as a key component of early childhood program impacts, (c) development of preschool-to-third-grade programs and school reforms, and (d) critical analysis of theory, research, policy, and practice. Together, these and other contributions by Dr. Zigler provide a strong foundation to build a better society for all.

Highlights

Edward Frank Zigler was a legendary psychologist who over his 60-year career moved forward the fields of developmental psychology, child development, education, social policy, and prevention to new and better frontiers
PAT and preschool program enrollment in Missouri In a longitudinal study of the Parents as Teachers (PAT) home visiting program, Zigler, Pfannenstiel, and Seitz (2008) assessed the dual impact of PAT for children in the first 3 years of life followed by preschool education
The direct and indirect effects of PAT on third-grade achievement suggest that this paraprofessional home visiting model can be an important part of a P-3 improvement strategy

Summary

Introduction

Edward Frank Zigler was a legendary psychologist who over his 60-year career moved forward the fields of developmental psychology, child development, education, social policy, and prevention to new and better frontiers. Ed was a great scientist but went a step further by taking research ideas and evidence and translating them into concrete actions to improve the lives of children and families, especially for those in adversity. He did this throughout his career, as shown by his work and leadership in the first federally sponsored preschool program Project Head Start, for which he is most known, and for the next-generation Early Head Start program serving children from birth to 3 years of age, Parents as Teachers, and the School of the 21st Century model he developed. Ed oversaw Head Start and many other family service programs, and established a strong foundation for research, next-step efforts, and program improvements that continued for the four-and-a-half decades

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