Parent-Child Interactions Across Contexts and Children’s Adaptive Classroom Behaviors in Second Grade

Authors

• Hannah Dalton, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Dr. Jenna E Finch

Date of this Version

3-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

Dalton, Hannah N. (2026) Parent-child interactions across contexts and children’s adaptive classroom behaviors in second grade. Undergraduate Honors Theses, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Comments

Copyright Hannah N. Dalton 2026.

Abstract

Adaptive classroom behaviors are important for children’s success in the classroom by supporting their abilities to learn academic concepts and positively engage with peers. Research indicates that parents’ behaviors during interactions with their children are important for their social and academic outcomes, but there may be variance in parents’ behaviors based on their goals for the interaction. The current study examined interaction quality across three parent-child interaction tasks and correlations with their second-grade children’s adaptive classroom behaviors. The sample included 170 second-grade children and their parents who completed three joint tasks: a puzzle task, a homework task, and a conflict resolution task. The interactions were coded using the Parent-child Affect, Communication, and Engagement (PACE) global coding scheme to measure parents’ and children’s behaviors and emotions during parent-child interactions. Results indicated that interaction quality is not consistent across play, homework, and conflict resolution interactions. Results also showed that parent-child interactions during homework and conflict resolution were particularly important for children’s adaptive classroom behaviors. Specifically, parental leadership during homework negatively impacts children’s ability to complete tasks independently in the classroom and serve as a leader for their peers. Avoidance during discussions of everyday conflicts can be particularly harmful for children’s ability to cope with their negative emotions and form relationships with their peers. These findings can be used by parents to structure interactions with their children that foster success in the classroom.