Father´s Involvement in the lives of preschool-aged children in the northern region of Portugal
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abstract
Background and Aim: Although widely accepted the role of fathers in the education and promotion of child
development (Doherty, Kouneski, & Erickson, 1998; Featherstone, 2004), fathers´ involvement is frequently
omitted in the research field (Day & Lamb, 2004; Lamb, 2000, 2002, 2010; Palkovitz, 2002; Parke, 2000,
2002; Pleck, 2010). The purpose of this study was to characterize fathers´ involvement with their preschoolage children.
Method: Data were gathered by a sociodemographic questionnaire and an adapted version of the
Portuguese Parental Involvement Scale (Simões, Leal & Maroco, 2010) that included three domains of
involvement (care, recreational activities and discipline).
Results: A total of 435 fathers of preschool aged-children from the city of Bragança, on the northern and
interior region of Portugal, participated in the investigation. Fathers´ ages ranged from 20 to 62 years. The
majority were employed, married and spend few time with their children, although they were highly
involved in recreational activities, followed by care and discipline. Futhermore, fathers´ involvement didn´t
differ depending on marital and employment status. Fathers´ age and the number of children predicted,
respectively, involvement on care and discipline and on recreational activities. Besides, fathers were more
involved with their daughters’ literacy development by reading and exploring stories more often.
Discussion and Implications: These findings highlight the potential of fathers´ involvement. Future studies
should deepen the relationship between fathers´ involvement and children´s literacy practices. Our results
confirmed a higher involvement on recreational activities that can be explained because they usually occur
on a more flexible schedule. Moreover, fewer time spent with children didn´t equal less paternal
involvement. Additionally, it´s worth of mention that despite the stereotypical view of fathers´
involvement, subtle changes become already evident in younger parents. The findings can be used to
enhance more knowledge on fathers´ involvement and to develop practical measures.
