Longitudinal Effects of Fathers’ Rearing Involvement During Early Childhood on First Graders’ School Adjustment: Mediating Role of Executive Function Difficulties

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine longitudinal effects of father involvement in child-reaering during early childhood on first graders' school adjustment, focusing on the mediating role of executive function difficulties. By doing so, the present study attempted to investigate the importance of fathers' involvement in childcare during early childhood. Methods: This study used the 4th, 5th, and 8th data sets from the Panel Study on Korean Children. A total of 1,711 data were analyzed. Descriptive statistics analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, structural equation modeling analysis, and bootstrapping were conducted. Results: Fathers' rearing involvement during early childhood was found to have a positive effect on first graders' school adjustment by reducing levels in the children's executive function difficulties, with socioeconomic status and children's gender being considered as a confounder. However, fathers' rearing involvement during early childhood did not have a direct effect on first graders' school adjustment. Conclusion:The present study suggests that fathers' rearing involvement in early childhood is important for first graders' cognitive development and school adjustment in the long term. This study is meaningful in that it did not simply reveal the longitudinal influences of fathers' rearing involvement on children's elementary school adjustment, but also explained these influences through the development of children's executive skills.