CHAPTER 5

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter synthesizes the study on the separation anxiety experiences

of the children of Filipino migrant workers in Doha, Qatar in the pursuit of the
development of play-based activities that are most apt for the children. It begins
with the brief view of the study, followed by the summary of findings, conclusion
based on these findings, and recommendations founded on the foregoing salient
findings and conclusions.

Brief Review of the Study

This study attempted to explicate on the separation anxiety experiences of

the children of Filipino migrant workers for the development of a play-based
activities that would mostly fit the behaviors manifested by the children
respondents. Fundamentally, this study sought answers to the following
questions.

1. What is the profile of the children of Filipino migrants in terms of the

following factors?
a. Family background
b. Child rearing practices
c. Social mobility
d. Child’s behavior at home

2. What types of behavior are manifested by the children that are

indicative of separation anxiety experiences?
a. From the viewpoint of the parent/s
b. From the viewpoint of the teacher/s

3. How do teachers and parents address the behavior indicative of

separation anxiety?
a. Preparation at home by the parents
b. Activities prepared by teachers
 4. What play-based activities could be developed from the behaviors
manifested by these children of Filipino migrants?
From these questions, the goal of this study is to gain a better
understanding of the factors that contributes to the separation anxiety of young
children and their experiences during their first few days in school that makes
difficult for them to adjust to their new environment. After which the researcher’s
intention is to develop play-based activities that would help the coming
preschoolers in the attenuation of their separation anxiety and to find a school as
a place filled with excitement and fun-learning activities.

The researcher employed a qualitative research method, specifically the

descriptive – case study method of research design. This study underwent two
phases. The first phase is focused on the selection of the appropriate participants
and necessary documentations had been done to ensure that all are qualified for
the study, while the second phase involved the data-gathering phase involving
the in-depth interview of the respondents. Thematic Analysis approach was used
in this study in order to establish themes that were important in explaining the
phenomenon.

Summary of Findings

The salient findings of this study are synthesized in this section of the
chapter, following the statement of the research problem.

1. Profile of the Children of Filipino Migrants

The following variables were considered by the respondents in the representation of the
profile of the children of the Filipino migrants in the pursuit of the development of play-
based activities that will address the existence of separation anxiety experience among
the respondents.

1.1 Results show the characteristics of the respondents in terms of the family
background. Majority of the respondents (60%) have both parents who are working,
while only 40% of them have only the father who is working. It is a fact that in cases
middle class or wealthy families when the parents is working full-time, particularly in
the early months of a child’s life. Moreover, most of the respondents (60%) are the
only child in the family while the remaining are either the second or the third and the
youngest among the offspring in the family.

1.2 It is also shown in this study that when it comes to the child rearing practices, half of
the respondents had their mother as their primary caregiver, followed by those with
mother and nanny (30%) taking charge. Similarly, all of the respondents have an
authoritative but lenient parenting style. With this finding, parental attitudes and
 styles have a significant influence on the success on dealing with their child’s
anxiety.

1.3 In the similar manner, majority (70%) of the participants were born in Doha, Qatar,
while 30% were born in the Philippines. From this, it can also be seen that 20% of
them were brought back to Doha when they were more than 2 years old. However,
60% of the respondents have no sufficient data on the age they were brought back
to Doha. Furthermore, it is also shown in this study that more than half of the
respondents (70%) are being brought to their schools during their first week by their
mothers, while only 20% involves both parents.

1.4 All of the respondents are mostly engaged in solitary play, but also majority of them
plays with their parents at home. It was also observed in the results that those who
do not play with parents tend to cry for long hours while majority of them throw
tantrums when request is not granted. 3 out of the 10 respondents tend to have
aggressive crying and clinging when left alone, while the remaining result to crying
and clinging.
2. Types of Behavior Manifested by the Children

This part focused on the behavior manifested by the children during

their first day of school as described by the teachers and parents of the
participants. In this part, the data presented are based on the interview of
the teachers and parents of the participants.

2.1 Intense crying as a theme captured the initial behavior of the

participants during their first day at schools. Most of the participants
manifested intense crying when separated from their primary
caregiver from both the point of view of teachers and parents. There
was a remarkable frequency of occurrence of intense crying,
described as crying excessively or crying very loudly, during the
duration of the interview.

2.2 In parallel to this finding, most of the participants manifested the clingy
behavior to their parents during the first day of school. Parents
expressed it in the similar fashion that the participants tend to hold on
tightly or “naka-cling palagi sa akin” and “mahigpit ang kapit”, or
refuse to detach from the parents or “ayaw bumitaw”. Parents would
also describe it as “ayaw mag-paiwan” or the participants refuse to be
alone.

2.3 Only some of the participants manifested difficulty in the adjustment to

their new environment as described by their teachers and parents.
 Some of the parents of the participants described the behavior to be
“ayaw mag-participate” or the children refuse to participate or even
join the activities. Among the participant, there were three children
who manifested difficulty in adjustment in their new environment,
which is the classroom.

2.4 Similarly, only some of the participant manifested the theme of fear to
be alone. This behavior, as described by the parents is manifested by
getting scared when the teacher took him or being afraid after seeing
the crowd of parents and other kids crying and screaming. Since this
theme comes with the other themes, the manifestation of fear to be
alone may be very similar to the other manifestations as crying, and
tending to be clingier to the parents/ primary caregiver.

2.5 In the manifestation of separation anxiety, children manifested the

want to go home with their mothers and some of them don’t like
school anymore. This may also come or even result from the other
manifestations as fear to be alone and wanting to stay with their
respective parents.

From this, it can be seen that the initial behavior manifested by most
of the children are intense crying, having a clingy behavior, having
difficulty in adjustment, fear to be alone, and wanting to go home.
These are manifested by most of the participants indicating behaviors of
separation anxiety.

3. Methods of Addressing the Behavior Indicative of Separation Anxiety

This part focused on the methods by which the teachers and parents
addressed the behavior manifested by the children that are indicative of
separation anxiety. In this part, the data presented are based on the interview
of the teachers and parents of the participants.

3.1 Most of the teachers regard building trust as an essential component

in addressing the separation anxiety of the children and are using this
method to address the problems regarding separation anxiety of the
students. Moreover, most parents of the participants assure their
children that they will stay and wait for them and express security in
school by saying that it is safe in the school, this way, they address
the separation anxiety of their children.

It was also found out in this study that it is essential to help the
children build the trust to the teacher as well by giving nice words and
they should put their trust to the teachers that they will take care of
their children. It is also helpful that parents share their concerns to the
teachers to express that they are also helping the teachers make their
 children feel comfortable. However, while the children have foregoing
separation anxiety and trust issues in the school as they attend it for
the first time, parents have their own worries as well. Data shows that
as parents build the trust of their children, they give their trust to their
own child as well that he will be able to adjust in school.
It is shown in this study that there should be an established
intrapersonal trust among the parents themselves, parents trusting the
teachers, and parents trusting their own children in order to fully build
the trust among the people concerned and effectively address the
worries and issues on separation anxiety of the children.

3.2 Another essential method in addressing the problems regarding

separation anxiety of the children is the proper communication with
the child. Majority of the teachers and parents address the problems
of separation anxiety by communicating with the child. It is shown in
the interview among the parents that one of their strategies in
preparing their children in going to school for the first time is through
communication. Most parents would talk to the child and tell stories of
the usual things they do in school. They also address the problem of
separation anxiety by talking not only to the child but to the teacher as
well. It is also mentioned that the manner of talking to the child as well
that is not condescending and in a manner that the child can
understand.

From this study, it is shown that it is essential that there should be

communication between the parent and the child. There have been
suggestions that there should be a continuous communication with
the child about his/her feelings; the parents should be concerned
about how they feel and how they could help their children deal with
the new environment that the child is confronting. It is also deemed
important that proper orientation and preparedness should be elicited
in the preparation of the children in going to school.

3.3 Similarly, classroom activities are seen as one important method in

addressing the problems regarding separation anxiety of the children.
Teachers and some of the parents believe that it is important to
always update the children in their activities done in the school as way
of encouraging them.

Moreover, results show that it is important to introduce and orient

the children to school activities and make sure that these activities will
be helpful to them and ensure that these would not bore the children
as well. It is helpful to present the succeeding activities so that there
will be things that a child can look forward to.
 3.4 Some of the participating teachers believe that praise and rewards are
helpful in addressing the separation anxiety of the children. Similarly,
some of the parents see rewards and praises as methods in
addressing the problems the children encountered on the first day of
school. From this, they stated that it is helpful to always appreciate the
work of the child and give a reward or praise as a positive
reinforcement to the children. It is also important to give encouraging
words and praises to them if they did good in school or they did not
cry in school.

Generally, teachers and parents of the children regard building trust,

proper communication with the children, classroom activities, and the use
of praises and rewards as positive reinforcement are effective ways in
addressing the separation anxiety of the children of the migrant Filipino
workers.

4. Play-based Activities Developed from the Behaviors Manifested by

the Children of Filipino Migrants

This part focused on the play-based activities that are deemed

helpful in dealing with the behaviors manifested by children regarding
separation anxiety.

4.1 The Feeling Word Game is deemed important as a method that can

help the children in the area of communication. Moreover, since

children have difficulty in verbalizing their feelings, which usually

results to throwing of tantrums and intense crying, this activity is

shown to be helpful in expression of feelings from the side of the

children. From the results in this study, the teachers and parents

agreed on communication as one of the important method in reducing

separation anxiety of the children in their first day of school.

4.2 Similarly, it is of great help that children would undergo relaxation

activities to lessen and reduce the tension they are feeling as they
 adjust to their new environment. It was shown in the results of this

study that most of the participants have percussive tension and fear

among them resulting to the behavioral manifestations of separation

anxiety. Hence, relaxation training as a play-based activity is deemed

helpful.

4.3 In parallel to the other activities, an effective method for children to

identify and then discuss their worries with an adult and/or another

child is important, thus, Worry Can is a helpful activity to the children.

This activity can help the children adjust and adapt in their new

environment. Not only the adjustment, but also this activity will often

help children develop their own solutions to their problems.

4.4 Other studies reported that sand-therapy could be utilized in treating

separation anxiety disorder in children. This method can be used in

children for discharging the energy of the children and according to its

effective role. Thus, this is reported to be effective in eliminating fears

and anxieties in children. While results in this study showed that most

parents and teachers see classroom activities to be ways in

encouraging children to go to school, this activity, which can be

exciting for the children, is deemed to be helpful in addressing the

separation anxiety of the children.

 4.5 In parallel with the other activities, adoptive doll play is also seen to

have an important role in reducing the anxiety among the children.

From the results of this study, adoptive doll play is helpful to the

children in building trust to other people by using a doll in telling and

showing a structured, descriptive, planned story for the purpose of

reducing a child’s behaviorally demonstrated stress in a specific

situation, and help in the release of the tension these children are

experiencing.

Thus, from the aforementioned behavioral manifestations of the

participants, the play-based activities and techniques that are deemed to be the

most adequate for children in dealing with separation anxiety are the feeling word

game, relaxation training, worry can, sand play, and adoptive doll play.

Conclusions of the Study

Based on the foregoing findings, the following conclusions in this study were

derived:

1. The children of the Filipino migrant workers usually presents with mostly

intense crying and clingy behavior as behavioral manifestations of

separation anxiety from their parents while some manifests with difficulty

in adjusting, fear to be alone, and wanting to go home from school.

2. Teachers and Parents find it important to build the trust of the children in

dealing with separation anxiety to the teacher and the school. It is also
 essential that parents have trust in the teachers and their own children as

well.

3.