Fathers’ Involvement In Pre–Primary Education And Children’s Academic Adjustment In Tanzania: A Case Of Busokelo District

ABSTRACT

This study reports of the fathers‟ involvement in pre-primary education and their children‟s academic adjustment in Tanzania. It was conducted in four public primary schools of Busokelo District in Mbeya Region. Specifically, the study explored the fathers‟ involvement in school and home-based academic and child‟s adjustment, fathers‟ commitments in supplying school requirement and child‟s academic adjustment, and fathers‟ involvement in parenting and pre-primary children‟s moral development. The study is grounded and developed from Ecological System Theory by Bronfenbrenner in 1979 and Epstein‟s Modal in conceptual framework. A case study design coupled with the qualitative approach were used to generate data from 32 informants namely the head teachers, pre-primary teachers, male and female parents who were purposively sampled. Data were collected through semi – structured interviews, focus group discussions and documentary reviews and analysed thematically through content analysis followed by thick descriptions and interpretations. The qualitative analysis revealed that fathers were not active in assisting pre-primary children in learning and encouraging schooling at home. Fathers provided very minimal support in terms of materials and equipment for pre-primary school children. However, fathers were very active in safeguarding moral and social development of their children. Basing on these findings, desired lot needs to be desired on fathers‟ involvement in pre-primary education and children academic adjustment in Tanzania. Both the community and the government need to develop some strategies to engage fathers in the issues of their children‟s pre-primary education.