Peer-reviewed article
Paternal Involvement in Early Childhood Education
Wichelle Pearl Destura ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how fathers participate in early childhood education activities at a preschool in the Philippines. Researchers surveyed 62 fathers and conducted focus groups to understand their participation patterns, preferences, and barriers. Younger, employed fathers with higher education were more likely to participate, especially when their children were girls aged 3-4. Fathers preferred family-oriented activities over those requiring individual parental participation, and cited work schedules and family responsibilities as the main factors influencing their involvement.
Key points
- Fathers showed higher participation in family-oriented activities compared to activities requiring individual parental involvement
- Younger fathers who were employed with at least a college degree demonstrated greater participation rates
- Fathers were more likely to participate when their children were female and aged 3-4 years
- Work conflicts and income constraints were the main reasons fathers gave for non-participation
- Love, support for their child, and sense of responsibility were the primary motivators for involvement
Limitations
The study was limited to a single preschool in one city and did not examine mothers' perspectives or the quality of marital relationships, which may influence paternal involvement. The sample size of 62 fathers, though purposively stratified, may not represent broader patterns in the Philippines or other contexts.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This research was conducted at a local preschool located in Calamba City. It examined paternal involvement through father's participation in nine school activities for the school year 2016 -2017. METHODS The study was qualitative and employed a case study approach. Respondents answered survey-questionnaires. Twelve fathers were randomly selected from each category for a focus group discussion about their fathering perspectives and paternal involvement. From the pool of 62 fathers, 24 were identified as highly-participative, 20 were mid-participative and 18 were least participative. The activities that the fathers prefer or least preferred, and the factors they perceive that influence paternal involvement were identified. RESULTS The results suggest that fathers prefer activities that are family-oriented instead of those that require parental participation alone. Other characteristics, even from the mother and child such as age, educational attainment, employment status, sex, and age also influence paternal participation. It was found out that younger fathers who are employed with at least a college degree were more participative. Moreover, these fathers were more likely to be participative when their children are female from age 3 to 4. The majority of the father's reasons for non-involvement were issues about work, conflict in schedule and income while their reasons for involvement were topped by love and support for their child and feeling of responsibility. DISCUSSIONS It is recommended for the school to have activities on the weekend, integrate fathers with lessons and curriculum topics, conduct educational seminars and engage the parents in decision-making. Future researchers can address the limitations of the study such as husband and wife relationship and mothers' perspectives in relation to paternal involvement in early childhood education. Furthermore, it is also suggested that the study be conducted with more participants and bigger schools to capture a more in-depth review of Filipino parents' responses in a local early childhood education setting.