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“BLACK FATHERS INVOLVEMENT IN THE ACADEMIC LIFE OF THEIR CHILDREN”

“BLACK FATHERS INVOLVEMENT IN THE ACADEMIC LIFE OF THEIR CHILDREN”. Presented at The 12 th Annual International Fatherhood Conference “Parents and Communities Working Together to Ensure the Academic Success of Children” Dr. Delia Robinson Richards University of the District of Columbia

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“BLACK FATHERS INVOLVEMENT IN THE ACADEMIC LIFE OF THEIR CHILDREN”

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  1. “BLACK FATHERS INVOLVEMENT IN THE ACADEMIC LIFE OF THEIR CHILDREN” Presented at The 12thAnnual International Fatherhood Conference “Parents and Communities Working Together to Ensure the Academic Success of Children” Dr. Delia Robinson Richards University of the District of Columbia Dr. Gertrude C. Jackson North Carolina Central University

  2. Brief Description of Research • A quantitative descriptive study of Black fathers’ involvement in the academic life of their children was analyzed. Fathers completed a self-administered questionnaire of fathers’ attitudes and behaviors in relationship to their children’s academic life. Four categories related to academic life are: home environment, school-related activities, teachers and school, and barriers hindering fathers’ participation.

  3. Three Key Objectives of the Research • Identify fathers’ attitudes and behaviors toward their children’s learning • Identify fathers perceptions of how teachers and school personnel engage them in the academic life of their children • Identify how teachers perceive Black fathers’ role in the schooling of their children

  4. Review of Literature Intellectual Development: • Answering questions • Providing advice • Providing stability at home • Demonstrating a genuine interest for child • Staying inform about events occurring in the child’s life • Listening and talking to the child Sources: Ahmeduzzaman & Roopnarine (1992); Bright & Williams (1996); Caldwell & White (2006); Grief, Hrabowski, & Maton (1998, 2006), Hurd & Rogers (1998); Hyde & Texidor (1994)

  5. Review of Literature (cont.) Intellectual Development: • Monitoring school activities, assignments, & experiences • Helping with homework • Expressing love and warmth • Visiting the school and talking to teacher • Making expectations about the child’s success • Being available to the child • Advocating for child within the educational system Sources: Ahmeduzzaman & Roopnarine (1992); Bright & Williams (1996); Caldwell & White (2006); Greif, Hrabowski, & Maton (1998, 2006), Hurd & Rogers (1998); Hyde & Texidor (1994)

  6. Demographics of Fathers • 15 Black fathers • 29 to 59 years old • 13 married; 1 separated; 1 divorced • All employed • Incomes ranged $30,000-$89,000 per year • 14 biological fathers; 1 non-biological (step-father) • 13 residential; 2 non-residential • Spend 2 to 9 hours per week participating in educational activities with children Source: (Richards & Jackson, 2006)

  7. Questions for Fathers 1. What kinds of relationships do fathers have with their children’s teachers? 2. What barriers hinder a father from working with his child’s teacher and school? 3. What kinds of activities do the schools use to encourage father’s involvement? 4. What strategies are successful for engaging father’s participation? 5. What recommendations would you make to improve father and teacher relationship and father and school relationship? Source: (Richards & Jackson, 2006)

  8. Fathers Participate in the Academic Success of their Children • Listen to child • Show interest in child’s learning • Teach child good work habits • Make themselves available • Provide rules and set standards for their behavior • Provide rewards and punishments • Teach child to respect others • Provide a home environment conducive to learning • Reinforce what the mother does to promote the child’s learning • Help keep the child on track • Monitor child’s homework • Check to see if it is completed • Show child how to study • Ask the child questions • Source: (Richards & Jackson, 2006)

  9. Demographics of Teachers • 6 male; 5 female • 6 certified; 2 not certified • 6 African Americans • 5 Caucasians • 6 College Degrees • 4 Masters Degrees • Earn $30,000-$49,000 per year • 1 to 9 years at present school • Teach grades 3rd to 11th • Spend 20 minutes to 2 hours per day disciplining children Source: (Richards & Jackson, 2006)

  10. Questions for Teachers • What kinds of interactions do you have with your students’ fathers? 2. How important are these interactions for helping students to be successful in school? 3. As a teacher, what barriers do you think hinder fathers from being involved in their children’s education? 4. What barriers hinder you from working with the students’ fathers?

  11. Teachers’ Questions (cont.) 5. At your school, what kinds of activities are implemented to encourage father’s involvement in their children’s education? 6. What activities have been successful? 7. What activities have been unsuccessful? 8. To promote the academic success of children, what recommendations would you make to improve the father and teacher relationship and father and school relationship?

  12. Teachers’ Relationships with Black Fathers • Believe Black fathers are interested in their children’s learning • Don’t seek out fathers • Call the school’s official number- “deal with that particular person be it mother, father, extended family member” • Have not made a habit of speaking to the father • Engage father when the father has developed a relationship with the school • Contact father when there is a problem Source: (Richards & Jackson, 2006)

  13. Father’s responses: “I feel that teachers will go the extra mile for my children because the mother and I take an interest in our children lives and education.” “I feel that I have built a good relationship with my kids’ teacher. It gives me and the teacher a positive affect and we both are a contributing factor for the children.” Source: (Richards & Jackson, 2006)

  14. Black Fathers’ Relationships with Public School Teachers • Take time to know the teacher and for teacher to know you • Value and respect teachers • Have teachers keep them informed about “everything” regarding their children • Let teachers know that they are always available • Give teachers full authority regarding the child’s conduct and discipline in school • View teacher as a second parent to their children • Communicate with teacher(i.e., e-mail, cell phone) • Support teacher

  15. Barriers Hindering Black Fathers’ Involvement Black Fathers’ Perspective • “The ones that you put up for yourself” • Time • Work • Teacher style versus parent style for instructing child • Lack of familiarity with technology used at the school Source: (Richards & Jackson, 2006)

  16. Sponsored School Activities to Encourage Black Fathers’ Participation Fathers’ Perspective • Activities tend to be generalized for all parents • Father and child dance Source: (Richards & Jackson, 2006)

  17. Barriers Hindering Black Fathers’ Involvement Teachers’ Perspective • Time • Work • Teacher’s exhaustion • Fathers not in the household (i.e., custody issues, divorce, separation, started new family) • School policy (i.e., communicating with identified person only on record, confidentiality) • Emotional issues of the father Source: (Richards & Jackson, 2006)

  18. Sponsored School Activities to Encourage Black Fathers’ Participation Teachers’ Perspective • “There isn’t anything outside of the standardized PTO and open school events.” Source: (Richards & Jackson, 2006)

  19. Recommendations for Improving Father and Teacher/School Relationships Black Fathers’ Perspective • Go to school and have a face-to-face contact with teachers • Don’t threaten but talk to the teacher • Try to understand the issue from the teacher’s perspective • Know teachers are human and will make mistakes • Let the teacher call you at work and at home at anytime • Make time to be at school-sit in classroom • Volunteer, show-up and get involved • Let everyone know that you want to support what they do and do whatever is needed to help the school move forward • Let everyone at the school know your name and child’s name Source: (Richards & Jackson, 2006)

  20. Recommendations for Improving Father and Teacher/School Relationships • Macro level- Provide mandatory time for fathers to take off to be involved • Sponsor father and son dinner • Sponsor Father’s Day or Bring Your Father to School Day • Present Father’s Awards Source: (Richards & Jackson, 2006)

  21. Implications for Educators and Social Workers • From the teacher’s perspective, teachers are exhausted and parents are exhausted, who becomes responsible for formulating the father/teacher/school partnership to promote the academic success of the black children? • a) What is the role of the father? • b) What is the role the teacher? • c) What is the role of the school? • d) What is the role of the community? • There are many variables: time, multiple jobs, mother/father conflicts. HOW/WHO/WHERE do we address these issues to assist Black fathers in participating in the educational process of their children? • Are teachers adequately trained to involve parents in the school process? • How do you involve fathers in the school process without stirring up unpleasant memories in students whose fathers are absent? • How do we consider the cultural factors and socioeconomic factors in developing policies/programs that relate to Black fathers’ involvement? Source: (Richards & Jackson, 2006)

  22. References American Families. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 54, 699-707. Bright, J. A., & Williams, C. (1996). Childrearing and education in urban environments. Black fathers’ perspectives. Urban Education, 31, 245-260. Caldwell, L.D., & White, J. L. (2006). In M. E. Connor & J. L. White (Eds), Black fathers in an invisible presence in America, Generative fathering: Challenges to black masculinity and identity (pp. 53-69). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Coleman, William,MD, Garfield,Craig, MD and the Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health (2004). Fathers and Pediatricians: Enhancing Men’s Roles in the Care and Development of their Children. American Academy of Pediatrics,112,vol. 5, 1406-1411. Hrabowski, F. A., Maton, K. I., Grief (2006, In M. E. Connor & J. L. White (Eds), Black fathers in an invisible presence in America, Father-son relationships: The father’s voice (pp. 17-51). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

  23. References (cont.) Grief , G. L., & Hrabowski, F. A., & Maton, K. I. (1998). African American fathers of high-achieving sons: Using outstanding members of an at-risk population to guide intervention. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services, 79 (1), 45-52. Hurd, E. P., & Rogers, R. (1998). A friend and a brother: Understanding the role of African American men in childrearing. Journal of Family Social Work, 3, 5-23. Hyde, B., & Texidor, M. (1994). Childrearing and parental roles: A description of the fathering experiences among Black families. In R. Staples (Ed), The Black family: Essays and studies (5th edition, pp. 157-165). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Jackson, G.C. & Richards, D.R. (2009). Black Fathers: Are They a Missing Link in the Education of School-Age Children? Protecting Children, 24 (2),43-53. Richards, D.R., & Jackson, G.C. (2006). Black fatherhood: Are they a missing link in the education of school-age children? Unpublished paper, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC. Sampson, W. A. (2002). Black Student Achievement: How much do family and school really matter? Lanham: Scarecrow Press.

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