The relationship between interpersonal interaction and school adaptation of the new second-generation vocational and technical school students

With the rapid growth of new second-generation populations in Taiwan, vocational and technical school (VTS) students from immigrant families increasingly face challenges in interpersonal interaction, identity formation, and school adaptation. Existing studies have rarely examined how interpersonal interaction functions as a psychological and social mechanism influencing school adaptation within multicultural vocational education contexts. Given the rising proportion of new second-generation students and their heightened risk of marginalization and maladjustment, an empirical investigation of facilitating factors is urgently needed. This study explores the relationship between interpersonal interaction and school adaptation among new second-generation VTS students in Taiwan. Drawing on Carl Rogers’ self-concept theory and Eisenberger’s perceived organizational support theory, a hypothesized theoretical model was proposed that incorporates self-concept as a mediating variable and perceived organizational support as a moderating variable. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the model. The results indicate that interpersonal interaction significantly predicts school adaptation, self-concept partially mediates this relationship, and perceived organizational support moderates the pathway between interpersonal interaction and self-concept. These findings contribute to multicultural education research and provide empirical support for inclusive vocational education practices aligned with SDG 4.5.