Relación entre el Funcionamiento Familiar y la Autoestima en Estudiantes de Familias Monoparentales del Bachillerato General Unificado de la Unidad Educativa Nabón, Provincia del Azuay - Ecuador, 2025

Abstract

Single-parent families generate transformations in family dynamics, particularly in the reorganization of roles and affective bonds, which may influence adolescents’ emotional well-being. These changes become especially relevant during adolescence, a transitional stage characterized by physical, emotional, and social factors. The general objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between family functioning and self-esteem among students from single-parent families enrolled in the Unified General Baccalaureate at Unidad Educativa Nabón, Azuay Province, Ecuador, in 2025.The research adopted a quantitative approach, with a correlational scope and a non-experimental cross-sectional design. The study population consisted of 74 students from single-parent families. Results from the FACES III questionnaire indicated a predominant disengaged type of family cohesion (33.8%) and a chaotic type of adaptability (43.2%); likewise, 86.5% of the students presented low self-esteem. Analysis using the Chi-square test and Fisher’s Exact Test revealed no statistically significant association between integrated family functionality and self-esteem level (χ² = 1.700, p = .192; Fisher’s p = .270; Cramer’s V = .152). Contrary to theoretical expectations, both adolescents from functional and dysfunctional families exhibited exceptionally high prevalences of low self-esteem (95.0% and 83.3%, respectively), with no significant differences between groups. These findings suggest that macrosystemic contextual factors may exert effects on self-esteem strong enough to dilute the differential impact of internal family functioning, thereby questioning the ecological validity of the Circumplex Model in rural Ecuadorian single-parent populations.