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Visible Learning™
Visible Learning MetaX
Version 1.4 – Updated February 2026

Engaged vs. disengaged fathers

Overview

  • Influence: Engaged vs. disengaged fathers
  • Domain: Home
  • Sub-Domain: Family structure
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Likely to have positive impact
  • Influence Definition: The level of father involvement in the school life of their children.

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 7
  • Number of studies: 331
  • Number of students: 9,969,589
  • Number of effects: 468
  • Weighted mean effect size: 0.21
  • Robustness index: 4

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
Conference paper Salzman Meta-analysis of studies investigating the effects of father absence on children's cognitive performance 1987 Father present vs. father absent 137 9,955,118 273 0.26
Journal of Marriage and Family Amato & Gilbreth Nonresident Fathers and Children's Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis 1999 Fathers presence in family 52 14,471 52 0.07
Early Education and Development McWayne, Downer, Campos, & Harris Father involvement during early childhood and its association with children's early learning: A meta-analysis 2013 Father involvement 21 NA 22 0.43
Journal of Educational Psychology Kim & Hill Including Fathers in the Picture: A Meta-Analysis of Parental Involvement and Students' Academic Achievement 2015 Father involvement 29 NA 29 0.28
Journal of Family Psychology Adamsons & Johnson An updated and expanded meta-analysis of nonresident fathering and child well-being 2013 Nonresident fathers on achievement 17 NA 17 0.04
Urban Education Jeynes A meta-analysis: The relationship between father involvement and student academic achievement 2015 Fathers vs. non fathers 66 NA 66 0.16
International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education Lazovic, N., Kyulj, J., Vidosavljevic, S., & Markovic The Correlation Between Father Involvement and The Academic Achievement of Their Children: Meta-Analysis.  2022 Father involvement 9 NA 9 0.37
TOTAL/AVERAGE 331 9,969,589 468 0.23
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