Parental Educational Expectations, Parental Involvement, Teacher Support, and School Adjustment of Children with Disabilities: An Indirect Home–School Collaboration Model

Background: The school adjustment of children with disabilities is a core issue in the field of inclusive education; however, the roles of parents and teachers, as well as the relationship between them in promoting such adjustment, have not been adequately examined.
Aims: Drawing on ecological systems theory, this study examines the relationships among parental educational expectations, home-based parental involvement, teacher support, and the school adjustment of children with disabilities, and explores effective collaborative models for promoting their school adjustment.
Sample(s): A total of 332 children with disabilities and their parents from multiple provinces in China participated in this study. All children with disabilities were placed in inclusive classrooms.
Methods: A cross-sectional design and structural equation modeling were employed. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires completed by the children with disabilities and their parents.
Results: A moderated mediation model was constructed. The model indicates that: (1) parental educational expectations positively predict the school adjustment of children with disabilities; (2) parental educational expectations are partially linked to children’s school adjustment through parental involvement; and (3) teacher support positively moderates the relationship between parental involvement and the school adjustment of children with disabilities.
Conclusions: This study extends the applicability of ecological systems theory at both the microsystem and mesosystem levels in inclusive education, revealing the mechanism through which non-direct-contact home–school collaboration promotes the school adjustment of children with disabilities. Implications for policy-making and practice are discussed.