Fathers' involvement in early childhood education practices and their influence on cognitive development of children aged 5 to 6 years in Kasama and Mungwi Districts, Zambia

Introduction: Early Childhood Education (ECE) practices support the development and learning of young children, typically from birth to age 8. They also promote holistic growth in areas such as cognitive, social-emotional, physical, and linguistic development. In this study, the focus was on children between 5 and 6 years old. Objective: The purpose of the study was to establish the specific early childhood education practices fathers were involved in that influenced the cognitive development of children aged 5 to 6 years. Methodology: A descriptive survey research design was used in the study. Structured questionnaires and child assessment tools were used to collect data including the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF), Rapid Neuro Developmental Assessment tool (RNDA) and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT). A total of 210 participants were included in the study of which 10 were early childhood teachers, 100 fathers and 100 children ages 5 and 6 years were drawn from 10 public early childhood centres in Kasama and Mungwi districts. Results: The study revealed that 51% of fathers helped children with homework given from school while 63% of fathers were involved in reading a book with a child. Further, the study showed a correlation of .968 which is a very strong positive relationship between a father's involvement in early childhood education practices and a child's cognitive development. This suggests that as the father becomes more involved in the child's life, there is a highly consistent and positive impact on the child's cognitive abilities. Through their involvement in early childhood education practices, children developed executive function skills such as memory retention, better inhibition and shift skills. Conclusion: Based on the findings, the study recommends that fathers need to be highly involved in their children’s early education practices at a tender age to foster cognitive development.