A multilevel analysis of the correlates of school engagement in adolescents in residential care

Background: Adolescents in out-of-home residential care face significant challenges in engaging with school. However, the literature is full of inconsistencies regarding the factors associated with school engagement in this population, many of which remain understudied.Objective: This study aims to investigate how factors at the youth, care history, and placement levels relate to school engagement in adolescents in residential care from a multilevel perspective.Participants and Setting: The sample included 161 adolescents aged 12–18 (M = 15.22, SD = 1.59), of whom 46.6% were boys, 49.7% were girls, and 3.7% identified themselves as non-binary. They were placed in 24 residential facilities managed or supported by the Child Protection System in Spain.Methods: Data were collected through online questionnaires. Care workers provided information on adolescents’ demographics (i.e., age, gender, and nationality) and care history variables (i.e., age at entry into care, number of out-of-home placements). Adolescents self-reported their internalizing and externalizing problems, perception of the group climate, and school engagement.Results: After accounting for the hierarchical structure of the data (i.e., adolescents nested within residential facilities, the results showed that higher levels of internalizing and externalizing problems and having experience multiple out-of-home placements, were associated with lower levels of school engagement. In contrast, the perception of an open group climate was related to higher levels of school engagement.Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of factors associated with school engagement, which are essential for developing guidelines and recommendations to help practitioners and group care workers support adolescents with school-related issues.