Paternal involvement in education : the case of one primary school in Malta

Abstract

While it is universally acknowledged that both male and female parents should be involved in education, numerous studies show that, in many cases, mothers are either exclusively or predominantly present in the children’s educational life (McBride et al., 2002). The present study is intrigued by this phenomenon and instigated by the fact that there is very limited research with respect to paternal involvement in their children’s educational journey. The purpose of this research is to establish whether, in the local context, the limited involvement by fathers is a mere speculation or an accurate fact. This study, which shall be carried out across the age-cohort of one primary state school, will include a cohort of males fathering children of all ages found in a typical Maltese primary school, from kindergarten to year six. Data will be collected through the administration of a questionnaire, which could be completed either in hard or soft copy. The questions vary in response style, consisting not only of educational and social background information about the participants but also any other relevant data about paternal involvement in their child’s education. Through analysing the findings, this dissertation aims to provide information which serves as a platform for initiatives which may contribute to raising awareness on the importance of paternal involvement and on developing a better partnership between the fathers and the school for the best interest of the child.