Academic achievement and peer relationship of children in care: The moderator role of temperament and social support

---

Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi, Psikoloji Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2018

Öğrenci: SEMA EREL GÖZAĞAÇ

Danışman: SİBEL KAZAK BERUMENT

Özet:

The present study aimed to investigate whether children in care differ from home- reared children in academic achievement and peer relationships and to examine the factors underlying individual differences in these developmental outcomes. Perceived social support and negative affect were taken as moderators. The present study included 365 children; 142 of them were from residential care settings, and 223 of them were selected from the classrooms that these youngsters were attending. Child- Adolescent Social Support Scale, Peer Victimization Scale, and measurement of peer- acceptance/rejection were filled by children in order to measure perceived social support and peer relationships. Caregivers or mothers filled in the temperament questionnaire. Academic achievement of children was evaluated by behavioral academic engagement and grades of children. To compare children in care and family- reared children, MANOVA analyses were conducted. Results indicated children in care showed poorer academic achievement and peer relationships than children living with their parents, except peer-acceptance. In addition, hierarchical regression analyses were conducted for each developmental outcome to assess the direct and moderator roles of social support and temperament. Social support perceived from caregivers/mothers and teachers, and temperament (i.e. effortful control and perceptual sensitivity) significantly predicted child outcomes. Moreover, the interaction between rearing condition and negative affect was marginally significant in predicting peer-rejection. Also, three-way interaction between rearing condition, teacher support, and negative affect was marginally significant in predicting academic engagement. To be more precise, perceived teacher support increased academic engagement of children in care when they were with low negative affect.