A Serial Mediation Model of Negative Life Events on School Adjustment of Left‐Behind Children in Rural China: The Central Role of Teacher Support and Positive Emotions

• Published in: Psychology in the schools Vol. 62; no. 9; pp. 3592 - 3601
• Main Authors: Jiang, Yuqin, Zhang, Lyuci, Roslan, Samsilah, Zaremohzzabieh, Zeinab, Govindasamy, Priyalatha, Isa, Nor Junainah Mohd, Amat, Muhammad Asyraf Che, Kari, Dharatun Nissa Binti Puad Mohd, Du, Lifeng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.09.2025
• Subjects: Adjustment; Children; Educational Environment; Emotions; Junior High School Students; left‐behind children; Middle schools; Negative events; Negative life events; Positive Attitudes; Positive emotions; School adjustment; Social support; Student Adjustment; Teachers; China
• DOI: 10.1002/pits.23565
• ISSN: 0033-3085

ABSTRACT Left‐behind children in China face increasing challenges in school adjustment due to the complex interaction between negative life events (NLEs), social support systems, and the educational environment. This study aimed to explore the relationships among NLEs, teacher support, positive emotions, and school adjustment, and to determine whether teacher support and positive emotions mediate the effect of NLEs on school adjustment. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 678 junior high school students (317 boys, 361 girls, M_age = 15 years) in Guangxi Province. A serial mediation model was used to examine the mediating roles of teacher support and positive emotions. The findings indicate that teacher support and positive emotions play a significant mediating role in the relationship between NLEs and school adjustment, indicating that enhancing teacher support and fostering positive emotions can mitigate the negative effects of NLEs. These findings underscore the importance of a supportive educational environment and provide practical implications for interventions aimed at improving the well‐being and school adjustment of left‐behind children. Summary The more negative life events the left‐behind children experience the more likely they are to be maladjusted. Teacher support can partially mediate the relation among NLEs and school adjustment among left‐behind children. Positive emotions partially mediated the relation among NLEs and school adjustment among left‐behind children. Teacher support and positive emotions together serve as a chain mediating factor in the association between NLEs and school adjustment among left‐behind children.