The school environment through the eyes of foster adolescents: resources, barriers, and systemic contradictions

Context and relevance. The integration of foster and adopted children into the school environment remains a complex challenge: according to various studies, up to 83% of foster and adoptive families face education-related difficulties. At the same time, the subjective perception of the school environment by the foster adolescents themselves remains under-researched. Objective. To identify the specific features of how foster adolescents perceive the school environment, along with the main resources and barriers, and to compare their assessments with the perspectives of teachers, foster parents, and adolescents from a broader sample. Research questions. What resources and barriers in the school environment are identified by the foster adolescents themselves? What do they cite as sources of support and challenges? In what ways do the assessments of school difficulties converge and diverge among foster adolescents, foster parents, teachers, and adolescents from the broader sample? Methods and materials. The study employed a sequential mixed-methods design: 28 semi-structured interviews were conducted, along with a questionnaire survey of 92 foster adolescents aged 10 to 17 (53% female). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data, while thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative data. The findings were compared with data from previous surveys of teachers (N = 879), foster parents (N = 400), and adolescents from biological families (N = 136438) through secondary analysis. The theoretical framework of the study is based on a synthesis of attachment theory, social identity theory, and Bronfenbrenner's ecological model of development. Results. Overall, 86% of the adolescents rated their standing in school as satisfactory or good. They identified peer interaction (64%) and academic success (58%) as the primary positive factors. The main challenges reported were decreased academic motivation (59%) and difficulties with concentration (55%). Classmates emerged as both the primary source of conflict (52%) and the second most frequent source of support (48%). Subject teachers were more likely to create difficulties (34%) than to provide assistance (20%), indicating a lack of pedagogical support and possibly reflecting an authoritarian or blaming communication style. In contrast, homeroom teachers serve a pronounced buffering function: they provide support to nearly a third of the respondents (32%), while conflicts with them are reported by only 9%. Parents emerge as the primary source of support when difficulties arise (71%). Conclusions. The school-related difficulties of foster adolescents stem less from their individual characteristics and more from the mismatch between their specific needs and the characteristics of the school environment; meanwhile, the family serves as a crucial resource for overcoming these challenges.

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