Student Exposure to Family Adversity and Student Adjustment Difficulties in the Classroom: The Moderating Role of Family-School Engagement

Abstract

Limited research has explored how family-school relationships can buffer the negative effects of family adversity on students’ behavioral and emotional functioning in the classroom. Drawing on ecological resilience theory, this study investigates the relationship between student exposure to family adversity and adjustment difficulties in school and examines whether family engagement moderates this association. Data were collected from third-grade teachers (N = 236) across six elementary schools implementing a trauma-informed, culturally responsive family engagement program. Teachers reported on students’ adjustment difficulties, family adversity, and family engagement using the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation (TOCA). Results indicated that family adversity was positively associated with student adjustment difficulties, whereas family engagement was negatively associated with these difficulties. Contrary to expectations, family engagement moderated the association such that higher levels of engagement were linked to a stronger relationship between adversity and adjustment difficulties. These findings highlight the complex role of family-school engagement in contexts of adversity and underscore the importance of considering teacher perspectives, contextual factors, and relationships when designing interventions to support students exposed to chronic stress at home.

Keywords

family engagement adversity student adjustment teacher report resilience trauma-informed schools

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