How Schools Affect Student Well-Being: A Cross-Cultural Approach in 35 OECD Countries

Identifying the top predictors of student well-being across cultures using machine learning and conventional statistics

Alongside academic learning, there is increasing recognition that educational systems must also cater to students' well-being. This study examines the key factors that predict adolescent students' subjective well-being, indexed by life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Data from 522,836 secondary school students from 71 countries/regions across eight different cultural contexts were analyzed. Underpinned by Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory, both machine learning (i.e., light gradient-boosting machine) and conventional statistics (i.e., hierarchical linear modeling) were used to examine the roles of person, process, and context factors. Among the multiple predictors examined, school belonging and sense of meaning emerged as the common predictors of the various well-being dimensions. Different well-being dimensions also had distinct predictors. Life satisfaction was best predicted by a sense of meaning, school belonging, parental support, fear of failure, and GDP per capita. Positive affect was most strongly predicted by resilience, sense of meaning, school belonging, parental support, and GDP per capita. Negative affect was most strongly predicted by fear of failure, gender, being bullied, school belonging, and sense of meaning. There was a remarkable level of cross-cultural similarity in terms of the top predictors of well-being across the globe. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The moderating roles of resilience and social support in the relationships between bullying victimization and well-being among Chinese adolescents: Evidence from PISA 2018

Bullying victimization can undermine adolescents' well-being. However, few studies have comprehensively investigated the contributions of various victimization forms to well-being and compared which forms were more harmful than others. Evidence on whether resilience and social support moderate such associations is also limited. Using a sample of 12,058 Chinese adolescents in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018, this cross-sectional study aimed to (1) investigate the associations of physical, verbal and relational victimization with well-being; (2) compare the strengths of these associations; and (3) examine the moderating roles of resilience and teacher and parent support in these associations. Results showed that three victimization forms were associated with poorer well-being. Relational and physical victimization were more harmful to most studied well-being outcomes than verbal victimization. Furthermore, resilience weakened the negative effects of physical victimization on negative affect and life satisfaction but aggravated the negative effects of verbal victimization on both outcomes and the negative effect of relational victimization on school belonging. Teacher support intensified the negative effects of physical victimization on school belonging. Parent support was not effective in regulating the victimization-well-being association. The findings underscored the detrimental effects of bullying victimization on adolescents' well-being and the potentially harmful sides of resilience and social support. Implications for bullying prevention were discussed.

Teachers' Perceptions of Their Influence on Student Practices to Enhance the School Environment: A Cross-Sectional Study in Governmental General Education Schools in Al-Ahsa Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background The school environment plays a significant role in shaping the well-being of students, as it encompasses various relationships that occur within the school community. Teachers, in particular, possess knowledge and perceptions that greatly influence their students' behavior. This study aims to examine the perceptions of teachers regarding their impact on student practices and their efforts to enhance the school environment. Methodology The study employed a cross-sectional design involving general education teachers in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from a sample of 305 teachers through face-to-face interviews utilizing a structured questionnaire. A multistage probability sampling technique was employed to select a representative sample from the pool of school teachers. Descriptive statistics were utilized for continuous variables, while inferential statistics, such as logistic regression analyses, were employed to explore the factors influencing student practices. Results Overall, 264 (86.6%) school teachers had good knowledge of the school environment, and 225 (73.8%) had positive perceptions toward the school environment. The study also showed that more than two-thirds of teachers perceived that students had good practices to improve their school environment. Teachers with positive perceptions were found to be 2.84 times more likely to have positive perceptions toward students' practices (odds ratio (OR) = 2.84, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.59-5.08). Teachers who had a good level of general information about the school environment were 1.6 times more likely to have positive perceptions toward students' practices (OR = 1.63; 95% CI =1.94-2.85). Moreover, teachers who held managerial positions were 2.46 times more likely to have positive perceptions toward students' practices (OR = 2.46; 95% CI = 1.30-4.65) when compared to those who did not hold managerial positions. The results also illustrated that high school teachers were 1.75 times more likely (OR = 1.75; 95% CI = 1.90-3.39) to have good perceptions toward students' practices. Likewise, teachers who taught natural sciences courses had a significantly positive perception toward students' practices to improve the school environment (p = 0.029). Conclusions School teachers in Saudi Arabia demonstrated a commendable level of knowledge and held a positive perception regarding school environment practices. The study findings indicate that teachers who possess a positive perception and a good level of knowledge are more inclined to harbor positive perceptions toward student practices that contribute to enhancing the school environment. Therefore, it is advisable to incorporate school environment components into the school curriculum and integrate them into teacher preparation programs.

What Constitutes Student Well-Being: A Scoping Review Of Students' Perspectives

Student well-being has recently emerged as a critical educational agenda due to its wide-reaching benefits for students in performing better at school and later as adults. With the emergence of student well-being as a priority area in educational policy and practice, efforts to measure and monitor student well-being have increased, and so has the number of student well-being domains proposed. Presently, a lack of consensus exists about what domains are appropriate to investigate and understand student well-being, resulting in a fragmented body of work. This paper aims to clarify the construct of student well-being by summarising and mapping different conceptualisations, approaches used to measure, and domains that entail well-being. The search of multiple databases identified 33 studies published in academic journals between 1989 and 2020. There were four approaches to conceptualising student well-being found in the reviewed studies. They were: Hedonic, eudaimonic, integrative (i.e., combining both hedonic and eudaimonic), and others. Results identified eight overarching domains of student well-being: Positive emotion, (lack of) Negative emotion, Relationships, Engagement, Accomplishment, Purpose at school, Intrapersonal/Internal factors, and Contextual/External factors. Recommendations for further research are offered, including the need for more qualitative research on student well-being as perceived and experienced by students and for research to be conducted in a non-western context.

Migrant-Background Student Experiences of Facing and Overcoming Difficulties in Finnish Comprehensive Schools

This article considers what students with a migrant background in Finnish comprehensive schools report as difficult, and how they succeed in overcoming these difficulties. We draw on two sets of school wellbeing and learning surveys for migrant students, conducted in 2016 and 2021 in comprehensive schools (grades 1–9) in and around two major cities in Finland. We pay attention to student answers to three questions: What is difficult in school? How do you succeed in difficult tasks in school? and Who helps you in school? The datasets from the two points in time are compared to see whether changes in school demographic situation and the student length of stay in Finland had an impact on student experiences. Our findings show that theory-based school subjects that depend strongly on language, such as science subjects, maths, Finnish, Swedish and English, are considered difficult. Additionally, interaction with peers, which also relies on language, causes challenges. The students report turning to teachers, other professionals and peers for assistance and support, and also mention personal strategies they have developed to overcome school-related difficulties. Understanding what migrant students find difficult, as well as how, and with the help of whom, they overcome such difficulties is crucial for the development of effective and sensitive pedagogical practices.

A, Neelakantan M. The role of classroom engagement on academic grit, intolerance to uncertainty and well-being among school students during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India

The forced changes and disruptions in educational systems and learning experiences due to the pandemic has impacted students' mental health and well-being. The present study aims to understand the effects of the determinants of well-being on students in India during the second wave (April to August 2021) of the COVID-19 pandemic. The determinants of well-being in this study are academic grit, intolerance to uncertainty and students' engagement in an online learning environment. In this study, well-being is characterized as students' confidence and satisfaction in an online learning and pandemic environment. The data collected from 1174 students (12-19 years) from various states, using standardized tools, were analyzed to find out about the mediating effect of students' engagement on the relationship between academic grit and well-being, and between intolerance to uncertainty and well-being. Further, the model fit analysis of the determinants of well-being is explored. The paper reports that students' classroom engagement does mediate in the path of academic grit and well-being, and in the path of intolerance to uncertainty and well-being. It also evidence the model fit of the influence of the determinants of well-being on that of school students during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also draws implications and suggestions for educators using the current model of students' well-being.

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Revision of the Pitt Wellness Scale for People in the University Environment

Background

The number of students enrolled in higher education in China accounts for more than one-fifth of the world, and universities, as a community of faculty, staff and scholars, currently do not have a scale that specifically assesses the well-being of the population in the environment of Chinese universities. However, the University of Pittsburgh has developed a comprehensive well-being scale, referred to as the Pitt Wellness Scale, specifically to measure people's well-being in a university environment.

Aims

Investigate the psychometric properties of the Pitt Wellness Scale in Chinese university environmental samples.

Methods

The original scale was culturally adapted and modified through expert consultation, a random sample of 1870 current faculty, staff, and students were selected for the questionnaire survey. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used to investigate the potential factor structure of the Chinese Revision of the Pitt Wellness Scale and to measure its reliability and validity. Finally, the factors that affect people's well-being in the Chinese university environment were explored.

Results

The Chinese Revision of the Pitt Wellness Scale retained 30 items, and the EFA supports a five-factor structure, which differed from the results of the original scale, and the CFA results showed that the model fitted well. The discriminant validity of the modified Chinese scale was excellent. The overall Omega coefficient of the scale was 0.958, and the reliability of the retest after 4 weeks was 0.821.

Conclusion

The Chinese Revision of the Pitt Wellness Scale possesses satisfactory psychometric properties, and it can be considered an instrument for assessing personal well-being in Chinese university environment.

Academic Well-Being in Higher Education: A Cross-Country Analysis of the Relationship Between Perceptions of Instruction and Academic Well-Being

The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between university students' perceptions of the overall quality of instruction (PQI) they experienced since COVID-19 and their academic well-being. This relationship was examined in the context of a moderated moderation with students' household income and the cultural value of power distance (PD), which measures the extent to which less powerful members of an organization expect and accept that power is unequally distributed. Two countries with societally moderate levels of PD (South Africa and the United States) were assessed. Moderated moderations between PQI, income, and PD were found for the academic well-being of students from both the United States and South Africa. The patterns of interactions were in some ways similar and other ways different, highlighting the complexity of how students may react to potential stressors in their academic environment. Potential explanations and implications of these results are discussed.

Teacher Expectations and Parental Stress During Emergency Distance Learning and Their Relationship to Students' Perception

School closures in spring 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic were an unprecedented and drastic event for students, parents, and teachers. The unplanned adaptation of classroom instruction to emergency distance learning was necessary to ensure continued education. In this new learning environment, teachers formed expectations for student academic achievement gains, which in turn affected the opportunities for students to learn. Parents faced new challenges in supporting their children’s learning. According to parenting stress models, such drastic events can be a stress factor for parents, which in turn affects their children’s adjustment. This study analyzed the extent to which parents and teachers affected the perceptions of students in compulsory school toward distance learning through processes at home (individual level) and at the class level with data from multiple informants. On an individual level, the relationship between parents’ perceived threat of COVID-19 and their stress due to distance learning and students’ perceived threat of COVID-19 and their perception of distance learning were examined. Students’ learning behavior was accounted for as a variable related to their perception of distance learning. At the class level, the explanatory character of teacher expectations and class-aggregated achievement gains were examined. Data on students in grades 4 to 8, parents, and teachers in Switzerland were collected with standardized online questionnaires after the period of school closures. A subsample of 539 students, 539 parents, and 83 teachers was analyzed. The results of multilevel structural equation modeling suggested that students had a more positive perception of distance learning if they were able to learn more autonomously (i.e., more motivated and concentrated than in regular classroom instruction) and if their parents felt less stressed in the distance learning setting. Parents were more stressed if they perceived COVID-19 as a threat. Students’ perception of the COVID-19 threat was related to their parents’ perception but did not explain students’ learning behavior. At the class level, if teachers expected high academic achievement gains in distance learning, the average academic achievement gains of a class were greater. The greater the achievement gains were, the more positive the collective student perception of distance learning was.

The effect of solution-focused approaches on adolescents' peer bullying skills: A quasi-experimental study

PURPOSE

To determine the effect of solution-focused approaches on adolescents' coping skills with peer bullying.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A quasiexperimental design was used. The sample consisted of 68 adolescents. Using solution- focused approaches group were held with the intervention cohort. These were six sessions focused on improving participants' ability to cope with bullying. The data on the impact of the solution-focused approaches were collected using the Personal Information Form and the Adolescent Peer Relationship Instrument (APRI).

RESULTS

After the solution-focused approaches, the scores on components of the APRI (bullying and victimization) were significantly lower in the intervention group (p < .05).

PRACTICE IIMPLICATIONS

A solution-focused group approach can be used by nurses to address the issue of peer bullying in schools.

Contributions of Individual, Family, and School Characteristics to Chilean Students' Social Well-Being at School

Schools are an essential part of students’ lives and can promote and facilitate their well-being. Although research on well-being among school-aged children and adolescents has distinguished subjective well-being from social well-being, very few studies examined student’s social well-being at school (SWS). SWS is understood as students’ valuation of the circumstances and functioning of their school. This framework posits that the context of the schools can shape students’ perception of feeling integrated and making significant contributions to their schools. However, not much is known regarding the joint contribution of individual, family, and school characteristics to students’ SWS. This study analyzed these joint contributions in a nationally representative sample of 6,389 children and adolescents enrolled in 5th–11th grades. Findings show that being female and younger were individual predictors of SWS. Students’ satisfaction with their family and fewer changes of schools were also significant contributors. When students’ perceptions of their schools were incorporated, the individual and family characteristics decreased or lost significance. In the full model, the highest contribution to SWS was explained by the school-level aggregated perception of school climate. These findings call for integrated policies and practices to foster students’ sense of belonging, feeling integrated, and contribution to their schools, with a focus on school-level interventions to improve SWS through positive and engaging school climates that foster students’ sense of agency.

School recess and pandemic recovery efforts: ensuring a climate that supports positive social connection and meaningful play

As Canada’s schools reopen, attention to healing the school community is essential. Given the considerable stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is unsurprising that recent studies find Canadian children’s mental health in decline. As social connection is tightly entwined with children’s mental health, supporting school-based spaces for quality social interactions and play will be an important postpandemic recovery strategy. Children will need opportunities to re-establish positive social connections at school, and informal spaces such as recess and lunch are an ideal time to afford these opportunities. Yet many schoolyards have long been challenged by social conflict that can interfere with children’s need to connect with peers. Therefore, efforts should be directed not only at mitigating the effects of social harm, but also toward ensuring social and physical landscapes that are meaningful, inclusive, and engaging for children and adolescents of all ages. Recommendations for postpandemic recovery are provided.

Promoting Students' Well-Being and Inclusion in Schools Through Digital Technologies: Perceptions of Students, Teachers, and School Leaders in Italy Expressed Through SELFIE Piloting Activities

Digital technology in its various forms is a significant component of our working environment and lifestyles. However, there is a broad difference between using digital technologies in everyday life and employing them in formal education. Digital technologies have largely untapped potential for improving education and fostering students' well-being and inclusion at school. To bring this to fruition, systemic and coordinated actions involving the whole school community are called for. To help schools exploit the full range of opportunities digital technologies offer for learning, the European Commission has designed and implemented a self-reflection tool called SELFIE (Self-reflection on Effective Learning by Fostering Innovation through Educational Technology). Based on the DigCompOrg conceptual framework, SELFIE encompasses key aspects for effectively integrating digital technologies in school policies and practices. The present study investigates how SELFIE can also support the school community to self-reflect about students' well-being and inclusion. In Italy, the SELFIE online questionnaire has been completed by 24,715 students, 5,690 teachers, and 1,507 school leaders, for a total of 31,912 users from 201 schools (at primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary levels) located in 10 different regions. The complementary data we have collected regarding student well-being and inclusion highlight significant differences in the perceptions on this issue reported by students, teachers, and school leaders. These findings have important implications for facilitating successful practices within the whole school community in order to promote students' well-being and inclusion using educational technologies, as well as for planning future actions following a systemic approach.

Predicting Student Well-Being: Network Analysis Based on PISA 2018

The latest trends in research extend the focus of school effectiveness beyond students’ acquisition of knowledge and skills, looking at aspects such as well-being in the academic context. Although the concept of well-being itself has been defined and measured in various ways, neither its dimensions nor the relationships between the components have been clearly described. The aim of the present study was to analyse how the elements of well-being interact and determine how they are influenced by school factors. To do that, we conducted a network analysis based on data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 international assessment. Our results demonstrated that cognitive, psychological, and social well-being variables form a solid welfare construct in the educational context, where students’ resilience and fear of failure, along with their sense of belonging, play central roles. Although the influence of school factors on student well-being is generally low, teaching enthusiasm and support promote positive school climates which are, in turn, crucial in reducing bullying.