Education Through a Family Systems Lens

We know when we are working with students that the influence we can have in the school is a small part of the larger picture of that child's world. This concept of the elements affecting a child's development have been explored extensively by many theorists, but one of my favourite models is the one put forth by Urie Bronfenbrenner, called the Ecological Systems Theory.

If you Google Bronfenbrenner (especially if you look at images), you'll see variations on the circular model showing nested influences on a child's development.

Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Model

At the centre of the model is the child himself, and it is crucial to remember that a child's own genetics play a part in how he will interact with the rest of the layers. All of us have a particular temperament and resultant behaviours that affect how people react to us. A child who is easy-going and compliant will elicit a much different style of parenting - and teachering! - than will a defiant or irritable child. But we know from research (and our own experience) that if we respond to those negative traits with frustration, anger, or an unpredictable combination depending on our current level of patience, those negative behaviours tend to increase - both at home and in the classroom. 

This interaction with parents and teachers - along with siblings, friends, schoolmates - forms the layer closest to the child in Bronfenbrenner's model, which is called the microsystem. This is the most influential level, as this is where meaningful attachments occur which will affect the child throughout life. Kids with secure attachments - based on warmth and love coupled with fair discipline - are at far less risk for future academic and emotional struggles than are those children who have never had the opportunity to develop those secure relationships with those nearest to them. 

I find as a teacher that it is critical for us to be aware of this layer in our daily interactions with kids. We can't change what may or may not be happening in the home, but we have a tremendous ability to be a positive influence for kids in that microsystem layer. Just as there is a lot of research highlighting the importance of secure attachments between parent and child, so too is there a great deal of new research outlining the tremendous benefits to be found in close teacher-child relationships for building resiliency. That's pretty powerful, when we think of the number of kids we interact with everyday! 

A child is a part of several microsystems, such as the home, school, swim club, church group, etc. Bronfenbrenner recognizes that these areas do not exist in a vacuum, and therefore the mesosystem is the layer which explores the interaction of these influences. It is here that we might see the impact on a child's academic success at school from having his parent volunteer in his classroom; the way the social skills a child learns at home impact his relationship with his peers; or the way participation in community sports gives a child newfound confidence on the playground. If we are purposeful as educators, we can work together with families to build opportunities for important life skills to be practiced in multiple environments, making it much more likely that our kids will be able to apply them independently. 

Moving outward in Bronfenbrenner's model, we see some areas of influence on a child's life that are indirect. The exosystem explores those environments that affect the parents, and by extension the child. Parents who have jobs they like, where they feel autonomy and a sense of purpose, are much more likely to be happy and effective as parents (there is research to back this up!). At times of economic recession, such as the one in 2008, there is evidence that parents who have lost their jobs and feel stressed as a result, are more likely to fall into the kind of emotional instability which impacts their ability to be effective parents. Even things like the kinds of friends a child's parents have - and how they spend their time - will have an effect on child development. As educators, we can be a part of this level as well, by recommending helpful community social services to support a family. These don't have a direct impact on the child - he or she is not the one taking language classes, accessing mental health support, or visiting a doctor for chronic pain - but parents who are able to meet their own needs, are far more likely to be able to meet the needs of their kids. 

The macrosystem is one that involves the cultural norms and beliefs that affect the family. An example of this in our Western society would be our propensity toward an individualistic worldview, in which we tend to be focused on our own well-being, with relatively little regard for the larger group around us. We are willing to go out of our way to protect those nearest and dearest to us, but generally consider that people outside that sphere can take care of themselves (again...lots of research to back this up!). In contrast, many other societies have a collectivist culture, in which the family is more naturally supported by the community and the children are cared for by the group as needed. In a society like that, the failure of the group to support a family in need reflects badly on the whole community, so everyone has a strong motivation to keep the whole group healthy. In schools, we can't influence the larger societal norms to any great extent, but we can create a culture that embraces the collectivist ideals. We are a "school family" where every member looks after each other, no matter who they are.

Finally, an element that underpins the ecological model is the chronosystem. This is not a layer, per se, but a consciousness that changes will occur over time both within the child (physical, emotional, and mental development), and within the environment (with family structural changes, residences, historical events, changes in parents' employment, etc.). Each of these changes, large or small, affect the development of the child at some level, and must be considered by those working with the child and his family.

The Bronfenbrenner model resonates with me, as does any theory that recognizes that every area of a child's life affects - and is affected by - the others. We have a critical role as educators, but we severely minimize our potential impact if we don't work alongside parents and the community to enable the whole family system to be in the best shape possible. I strongly feel that this is an area for educational leaders to create change, by focusing on the social, emotional, physical, and academic health of all members of the school community!