Paternal involvement and children's approaches to learning: the mediating role of maternal parental stress and maternal parental burnout

Grounded in the Family Systems Theory and the Balance between Risks and Resources framework, this study examined associations among paternal involvement, maternal parental stress, maternal parental burnout, and children's approaches to learning in the Chinese context. A chain mediation model was tested with 795 parents and their children aged 3–6 years (M=4.31, SD=1.12). Structural equation modelling revealed paternal involvement was associated with children's approaches to learning both directly and through two indirect pathways: solely through maternal parental stress, and sequentially through maternal parental stress and maternal parental burnout. Maternal parental burnout did not mediate this association. Results remained significant after controlling for regional economic level, child's gender, grade, sibling status, and parental education levels. These findings advance understanding of cross-subsystem family dynamics and provide support for intervention programmes that promote paternal involvement as a protective resource for alleviating maternal psychological distress and supporting children's early learning development.