The Effect of Family-School Collaboration in the Digital Age on Psychological Well-Being: A Holistic Model Proposal

Abstract

This article presents a holistic conceptual model examining the relationship between family-school collaboration (FSC) in the digital age and the psychological well-being of primary school children. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner's bioecological systems theory, the social-ecological model of child development, and self-determination theory, we propose that digital FSC influences psychological well-being through three mediating pathways: parental involvement, teacher engagement, and peer social support. A secondary data synthesis of 47 empirical studies published between 2015 and 2024 (total N ≈ 68,500) informed the model's parameters. Additionally, illustrative statistics derived from publicly available aggregate-level datasets (e.g., PISA 2022, TIMSS 2023) are used to support the model's plausibility. Results of the synthesis indicate that higher levels of digital FSC are consistently associated with improved emotional regulation, self-efficacy, academic engagement, life satisfaction, and reduced anxiety in children. The total effect of digital FSC on psychological well-being (β = .57, 95% CI [.43, .71]) was substantially mediated by the three proposed pathways (total indirect β = .46). Technology access moderated the DFSCI–well-being relationship (ΔR² = .02, p = .002). Implications for educational policy, school counseling practice, and future research directions are discussed.