This study examined the relationship between fathers' engagement patterns and children's cognitive development in early childhood. The study specifically examined fathers' home engagement patterns based on their engagement in caregiving, play, and literacy activities when children were around 9-month-old and 24-month-old, and children's later cognitive development in preschool in relation to their fathers' engagement patterns as measured earlier. This study used multiple data sources from Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECSL-B). These sources included 9-month self-administered resident father survey (N=5,700), 2-year self-administered resident father survey (N=4,300), direct child assessment (N=4,850), and parent interviews. The current study found that there were differences in fathers' actual engagement based on child's gender when infants were around 9-months old. Although majority of father classes were similar for boys and girls, there were two distinct groups of fathers who exhibited different engagement patterns for boys and girls. The results for father-toddler engagement patterns were more consistent across genders. Initial gender-separated analysis showed only minor differences in item response probabilities meaning the disparity of fathers' engagement patterns based on gender mostly disappear when their children are around 2 years old. The results suggested that fathers who had the highest likelihood of engaging their infant children had generally negative effect on girls' literacy and mathematics scale score in preschool. Additionally, 2-year fathers' engagement classes did not predict children's mathematics and literacy performance in preschool after controlling for family, child and father characteristics. This study concludes with limitations and recommendations for future research. Latent class analysis (LCA) results confirmed differences in fathers' actual engagement based on child's gender in their infancy. Fathers with the highest likelihood of engaging their infant children had generally negative effect on girls' literacy and mathematics scale score in preschool. The LCA results for father-toddler engagement patterns were more consistent across genders. The disparity of fathers' engagement patterns based on gender mostly disappear when children are around 2 years old. Although fathers' engagement with their toddlers had far less negative effects on children's cognitive development when compared to their engagement with their infants, this effect was more salient for girls' literacy and mathematics performance. Several factors overshadowed the effects of father engagement patterns. Among them were SES, ethnicity and mother involvement index. Specifically, SES level in 9-month and 2-year had greater impact on children's cognitive development in preschool. The results showed that father engagement patterns can have varying effects for different ethnic groups and mothers' actual engagement with their children. The findings of this study have potential to impact on policy makers, parents and researchers in different ways. Policy makers can benefit while dealing with policies governing the regulations of parents involvement in early years, parents can use the findings as guide for their child rearing practices and last but not least researchers can use the findings for designing further studies to look into effects of father engagement on children' development. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2015. / June 15, 2015. / Cognitive Development, Father Engagement, Latent Class Analysis, Mathematics, Parent Involvement, Reading / Includes bibliographical references. / Ithel Jones, Professor Directing Dissertation; Ming Cui, University Representative; Elizabeth Jakubowski, Committee Member; Diana Rice, Committee Member; Toby Park, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_253215 |
| Contributors | Cig, Oguzcan (authoraut), Jones, Ithel (professor directing dissertation), Cui, Ming, 1971- (university representative), Jakubowski, Elizabeth M. (committee member), Rice, Diana Claries (committee member), Park, Toby J. (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Education (degree granting college), School of Teacher Education (degree granting department) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource (161 pages), computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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