Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

Rebecca Curtis

Abstract

A key influence of children’s school readiness is parental engagement, yet less is known about father engagement. This paper explores fathers’ perspectives and challenges regarding their child’s school readiness. Data was collected from twelve fathers within a pool of community-based preschools in a large rural region in a southeastern state in the United States. A qualitative method was adopted using interviews to gather data. Findings revealed fathers perceived their engagement in supporting children’s social skills, approaches to learning, and grandparents’ influence attributed to preparing children for kindergarten. However, fathers were challenged with work obligations, feelings of inadequacy, and children’s attention span. Fathers wanted more support from school leaders and teachers about supplemental services children needed prior to kindergarten.

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