Male involvement in children’s lives the Australian context: Roles and relevance to academic and nonacademic outcomes in the Australian context

Abstract

Quantitative and qualitative Australian evidence shows that fathers and male teachers can have positive impacts in children’s academic and nonacademic lives-and that these impacts are greatest when fathers/males are highly and constructively involved in children’s development. It seems that positive impacts are a function of the father as a parent (or male teacher as a quality educator) rather than the father as a man-as evidenced when fathers are positively involved in child-rearing (and when male teachers implement quality pedagogy). However, because of the generally low levels of father/male involvement in children’s lives, it is evident that there is further scope for children to be more optimally assisted in their academic and nonacademic lives through greater constructive and prosocial involvement of fathers/males. Australian research has suggested ways this can happen and identified some of the challenges and opportunities ahead as practitioners, policy makers, and researchers seek to do this.