| Brent McBride
University of Illinois
The impact of father involvement on child learning and development
The purpose of this proposed study will be to examine the ways in which fathers become involved in both school and home settings, and to explore the impact of involvement across these two environments on child development and learning. A primary focus of the project will be to identify those factors which predict greater levels of paternal engagement in school settings, and how such engagement is related to child outcomes. The following research questions will be addressed: 1)How does father involvement in school and home settings vary based on age of the child, family structure, family SES, and race/ethnicity? 2) What school-, neighborhood-, and family-level resources are predictive of greater levels of father involvement in elementary and early childhood programs? 3) Does increased father involvement in home and school settings predict more positive behavioral and academic outcomes for children? Drawing from a large, nationally-representative data base of U.S. Children and their families (i.e., 1997 Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics), the proposed study will explore a combination of demographic and behavioral factors associated with paternal engagement in school and home settings. Findings will add to our understanding of those factors associated with higher levels of father involvement in school and home settings across a variety of ecological contexts (e.g., low income families, minority families, divorced/noncustodia1 fathers, dual earner vs. single earner families, etc.), along with the impact of such paternal engagement on behavioral and academic child outcomes. This information will provide valuable insight for educators and policy makers as they explore the creation ofinitiatives designed to expand home-school partnerships aimed at enhancing the impact of families on their children's learning and development.
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