School Climate & Father Engagement: Insight on Gaps and Opportunities from a School-Based Fatherhood Programming in Texas

Background and Purpose: Fatherhood involvement positively impacts children’s academic, behavioral, and social outcomes. One facet of fatherhood involvement is engagement with their children’s school. Not surprisingly, programs aimed at increasing father engagement in schools have gained traction, including the Strong Fathers Strong Families program (Strong Fathers) which engages fathers in school settings. However, engagement of fathers remains a struggle for many schools. This study examines how school climate and culture influence father engagement, particularly as it relates to program recruitment.

Methods: This study is part of a larger, on-going evaluation of the Strong Fathers program. Interviews were conducted with fathers and school staff from three rural school districts in Texas. Researchers collected qualitative data through semi-structured interviews with 1) fathers who participated in Strong Fathers at their child’s school (n=16); 2) fathers who did not participate in Strong Fathers at their child’s school (n=11): 3) teachers and other staff such as school administrators, counselors, and coordinators (n=14). Three interviewees were both dads and school staff (total N=38). Each participant also completed a short electronic demographic form. Audio recordings were transcribed through a third-party secure transcription service and coded using a cloud-based qualitative analysis platform. Conventional content analysis was used with a collaborative coding process to increase rigor.

Results: Most dads and school staff (N=38) described a school culture in which moms were more engaged than dads, often attributing this to traditional gender roles reinforced by families and schools alike. Interviewees referred to dads as providers and disciplinarians and moms as nurturers and caretakers who manage the day-to-day needs of children, meaning moms were often the default for parent-school communication and engagement. They explained that while dad-focused programming such as Strong Fathers created a comfortable space for dads at school where moms were typically more engaged, dads who participated were already engaged in their children’s education and learning.

There was also broad recognition that engagement looks different for families depending on demographic characteristics such as race, ethnicity, culture, family structure, socioeconomic status, and disability. Dads who were non-White, non-English speaking, had sole or split custody of their children, or had children with disabilities expressed frustration, fear, and discomfort engaging with schools. School staff expressed assumptions and perceptions about families from specific racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, alluding to tension between families and schools.

Conclusion and Implications: Findings suggest the need to better engage fathers from diverse backgrounds in father-focused programs such as Strong Fathers. Results also indicate the need for schools to better engage families across all demographic groups. Because Strong Fathers take place in schools and school staff are often tasked with parent recruitment, diversity and equity trainings are recommended to help schools communicate with families so that all families feel comfortable in the school environment. Programs should also support fatherhood involvement that does not require dads to be physically present at school, which is not always feasible or culturally relevant for families.