1.1 Significance of the study

In the past, Korean parents, especially fathers, believed that their personal success equated to the success of their family and lineage. This belief led them to invest heavily in private education from early childhood, resulting in significant financial burdens due to the high costs of their children’s education. Despite national policies providing childcare support and financial assistance, the persistent high costs of education continue to place young couples under pressure, making it challenging for them to balance work and family life, often leading them to avoid or forgo having children [1]. In particular, this issue contributes to the country’s low birth rate, which is also linked to the younger generation’s hesitance to embrace the responsibilities of parenthood [2].

Child-rearing was once viewed mainly through a financial lens, but there has been a significant shift towards recognizing the importance of evolving values about parenting in Korea. Traditionally, men and those over fifty tend to view parenthood as a natural and joyful consequence of having a child. However, there is a growing recognition that fathers need to be more actively involved as primary caregivers, adapting to changing societal norms. Conversely, many younger Koreans, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, believe that becoming a parent requires thorough psychological and emotional readiness, and they advocate for shared parenting responsibilities. The trends towards later marriages, increased rates of singlehood, divorces and decisions to remain childless reflect a broader transformation in traditional views about marriage, family and the role of children in one’s life [3].

Child-rearing is the process of supporting the holistic development of children and nurturing future generations. The perspectives and approaches that parents take towards raising their children not only influence the children’s growth and development but also affect the interactions between parents and children [2]. Typically, individuals focus on personal growth before marriage, shifting their attention to their relationship with their spouse once married. The arrival of a child further shifts this focus towards a parent-child-centric approach. This transition often brings about changes in parental roles and a deepened sense of responsibility within the family structure [4]. A study comparing men and women before and six months after childbirth shows that both men and women experience a surge of fear and a sense of burden about their increased responsibilities after childbirth, which can strain the marital relationship and sometimes weaken the partnership that is crucial for cooperative parenting [5].

In the formative years of infancy and early childhood, it’s essential for parents to be actively involved in child-rearing, providing emotional support through activities like free play and interactive engagement. Traditionally, child-rearing was seen primarily as a woman’s duty, often described as a labor-intensive role requiring considerable patience. This perspective has shifted, emphasizing the need for gender equality in parenting roles and the balance between work and family life [3]. Parents, as primary caregivers, often take on the role of educational managers, sourcing information on parenting and structuring their children’s learning experiences at home. Given these dynamics, it is critical to analyze the parenting behaviors of fathers with early childhood. Such an analysis can guide effective parenting strategies in contemporary society, fostering the healthy psychological and social development of children and establishing a robust system of social support.

In Korea, research on parenting behaviors includes studies on types and content analysis of parenting behaviors of parents with early childhood, development of parenting behavior measurement tools [6, 7, 8], analysis of parenting behavior types among married immigrant women with early childhood [9, 10], and verification of the accuracy of parenting behaviors in first-time mothers through newborn care education programs [11]. Despite this extensive research, there remains a significant gap in studies dedicated to analyzing and interpreting the overarching concept of parenting behaviors. This oversight becomes increasingly critical as traditional Confucian values evolve and as demographic and family structures undergo significant transformations. Therefore, it is essential to conduct a thorough analysis of how parenting behaviors are perceived by fathers of early childhood, especially in the context of these rapid societal changes.

This study aims to assess and clarify the concept of parenting behaviors among fathers with early childhood, a critical period when the actions and direction of the primary caregiver have a significant impact. Specifically, this study intends to analyze the concept of parenting behaviors of fathers with early childhood using Walker and Avant’s [12] concept analysis framework, which allows for the precise definition of terms once their basic concepts have been sufficiently identified. Therefore, this study aims to understand the concept of parenting behaviors among fathers with early childhood, provide foundational data for the analysis and development of tools for measuring these behaviors, and, based on this, re-evaluate perspectives on child-rearing. The goal is to provide foundational data for establishing an effective parenting support system and developing educational programs for parents with early childhood from a child education perspective.

1.2 Research objectives

This study aims to define the concept and identify the attributes of parenting behaviors of fathers with early childhood using Walker and Avant’s [12] concept analysis method.

2.1 Research design

This study is a concept analysis of the parenting behaviors of fathers with early childhood, conducted using Walker and Avant’s [12] method.

Walker and Avant’s method is a structured approach to concept analysis in nursing and other fields. The main goal of Walker and Avant’s concept analysis method is to clarify the meaning of a concept. This involves breaking down the concept into its essential components and understanding how it is used in theory and practice. By doing so, researchers can develop a clearer understanding of the concept and its implications. The method provides a clear, step-by-step process for analyzing and defining concepts, ensuring a thorough and systematic approach. By breaking down the concept into its attributes, antecedents and consequences, the method helps to clarify the meaning and understanding of the concept. It aids in the development of theoretical frameworks by providing a structured way to explore and refine concepts within a specific context.

Walker and Avant’s method typically involves the following steps:

Selecting the Concept: Choose a concept of interest that requires clarification.

Determining the Purpose: Define the purpose of the concept analysis (e.g., to clarify a concept for theoretical development or to inform practice).

Identifying Uses of the Concept: Review literature to identify how the concept has been used and defined.

Defining Attributes: Determine the key characteristics or attributes of the concept.

Identifying Antecedents and Consequences: Explore what comes before (antecedents) and what follows (consequences) the occurrence of the concept.

Defining Empirical Referents: Identify empirical referents or examples of the concept in practice.

Final Definition: Develop a final definition of the concept based on the analysis.

Walker and Avant’s concept analysis method is a valuable tool for clarifying and refining concepts, promoting theoretical development, and enhancing understanding within various academic and professional fields.

2.2 Researcher preparation

The researchers completed coursework on concept analysis during their doctoral studies, thoroughly familiarized themselves with Walker and Avant’s concept analysis method through extensive literature review, and have been continuously conducting research on concept analysis.

2.3 Research subject

For this study, domestic literature was sourced from the Korea Education and Research Information Service (www.riss4u.net) using keywords such as “Parenting Behaviors”, “Parenting Behaviors during Early Childhood”, “Primary Caregiver Parenting Behaviors” and “Parenting”. International literature was sourced from MEDLINE (PubMed) and CINAHL (EBSCO) using the terms “Parenting Behaviors of Parents during Early Childhood”, “Parenting Behavior during Early Childhood”, “Parenting Behavior of Primary Caregiver during Early Childhood” and “Parenting Behavior”. The criteria for selecting literature for this study included publications from various academic fields between January 1960 and March 2023, available in full text, either in Korean or English. Newspaper articles were excluded.

A total of 328 pieces of literature published between February 1960 and February 2023 were identified: 100 from the Korea Education and Research Information Service, 150 from PubMed and 78 from CINAHL. Of these, 100 pieces were excluded due to lack of full-text access, resulting in a primary classification of 228 pieces. Subsequently, 70 pieces of literature written in languages other than Korean or English were excluded, resulting in 188 pieces, and 92 pieces that either did not address parenting behaviors or were duplicates were also excluded. Out of the finally classified 96 pieces, 15 pieces were utilized for conceptual analysis by excluding 81 cases where the relevance to the research topic was deemed too low during the reading of the entire text, or where it was impossible to derive the concept of paternal caregiving behavior of fathers with infants from attributes, antecedents and consequences. The keywords utilized for literature search through internet databases are detailed in Table 1.

2.4 Data collection and analysis method

This study involved searching domestic and international literature to identify how paternal caregiving behavior of fathers with infants was portrayed within the selected literature, aiming to understand the overall concept and characteristics of paternal caregiving behavior among fathers with infants. To ensure the reliability and validity of the study, two researchers independently drafted, discussed and reached consensus on the utilization of concepts, their attributes, as well as their antecedents and consequences. This process was repeated twice until complete agreement was reached between the two researchers. The results of the compiled data were not final judgments but were written initially to conduct a comprehensive review during the primary literature examination process, based on which the data were re-evaluated. If necessary, each step of the conceptual analysis was iterated and cycled, and based on these results, the final selection, analysis and derivation of meaning and attributes of the concepts were conducted. The Walker and Avant method of conceptual analysis involves analyzing relevant literature to examine how the definition, purpose, relationships, rationale, process and criteria of a specific concept are presented in existing literature, without directly observing the field [12].

In this study, the scope of usage of the concept of paternal caregiving behavior among fathers with infants was initially explored through a literature review. Subsequently, the antecedents and attributes of the concept as presented in each literature were identified, followed by conducting conceptual analysis based on these findings. The conceptual analysis procedure applied in this study, following Walker and Avant [12], consists of the following steps: (1) Concept selection, (2) Setting the purpose of conceptual analysis, (3) Confirming all uses of the concept, (4) Identifying the defining attributes of the concept, (5) Presenting model cases of the concept, (6) Presenting additional cases (borderline cases, contrary cases, related cases) of the concept, (7) Confirming antecedents and consequences of the concept, (8) Confirming empirical referents of the concept.

3.1 Usage of the concept of parenting behavior

3.2 Identification of the decisive attributes of the concept

Based on the literature review, the core attributes of caregiving behaviors by “primary caregiver (father) during early childhood” are as follows. These behaviors encompass a range of general and universal actions, both instinctive and explicit, that a parent or primary caregiver (father) employs in interactions with their child. Through these interactions, the primary caregiver significantly impacts the child’s comprehensive and multifaceted development within the cultural norms of the caregiver’s community.

The core attributes included in parenting behaviors are: (1) the caregiver’s general and universal attitudes or behaviors for parenting, (2) the interactions between the primary caregiver and the child, (3) parenting and disciplinary actions based on love, (4) instinctive and explicit parenting behaviors based on cultural values. The literature presenting these decisive attributes is shown in Table 3.

3.3 Development of conceptual examples

3.4 Identification of antecedents and consequences of the parenting behavior concept

Antecedents refer to events that occur before the emergence of a concept, and consequences refer to events that occur after the concept has emerged [12]. Parenting behaviors of fathers with early childhood involve interactions with the child. The caregiver’s perception of parenting includes cognitive abilities regarding parenting, economic support, readiness to be the primary caregiver, and a sense of responsibility as the primary caregiver. Positive outcomes of such parenting behaviors have been identified as promoting proper growth and development in children, enhancing mother-child interactions, developing the child’s social skills, increasing parental role satisfaction, and strengthening family bonds. Negative outcomes of the primary caregiver’s parenting behaviors may include feelings of burden and conflict in the caregiver role, illnesses in early childhood, role conflicts and stress within the family, and family breakdown (Table 4).

3.5 Determination of empirical referents for the concept of parenting behaviors

The final step in concept analysis, empirical referents, demonstrates the existence of the concept’s attributes in actual practice. When a concept is abstract, there must be indicators or references that can be observed and measured in real-world settings. Concrete examples from the field confirm the existence of the concept and point out its observable characteristics. This connection of language to facts helps to convey the meaning accurately [12].

This study identified empirical referents measured through the translated tools of Schaefer’s Children’s Reports of Parental Behavior Inventory (CRPBI), Crase et al.’s [30] Iowa Parent Behavior Inventory: Mother Form (IPBI), Parker et al.’s [31] Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), Perris et al.’s [26] Egna Minnen Betroffande Uppfostran, own memories of childrearing experiences (EMBU) and Rohner’s [24] Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ).