Emotional, Behavioural and Cognitive Engagement, Self-Efficacy and Satisfaction of Primary School Students

Abstract

Recently, the interest of researchers in children’s wellbeing has increased markedly. This growing body of research aims to understand and secure children’s development into healthy and happy individuals. The conceptualization of school satisfaction is perceived as pivotal in affecting children’s happiness and subsequent healthy functioning across various developmental domains. Regarding the amount of time children spend in school, it is important to determine the levels of their school satisfaction and self-assurance, and the measure of their cognitive, emotional and behavioural engagement. This research sought to examine the extent to which demographic characteristics (age, gender and final grades), self-efficacy and cognitive, emotional and behavioural student engagement contribute to the explanation of school satisfaction. The research was implemented in two primary schools in Zagreb, Croatia. It involved students from the fourth to the eighth grade of primary school (age range: 9 – 14). A total of 659 students completed measures of self-efficacy, engagement and school satisfaction. The results of the correlation analysis found moderate positive correlation between all examined variables. The implemented hierarchical regression analysis showed that the included predictors explained 68.6% of the school satisfaction variance. Emotional engagement, student self-efficacy, and cognitive and behavioural engagement were proven as significant predictors. Students’ age had a lesser contribution, whereas gender and final grades had no significant predictive value. These findings impart a comprehensive understanding of the factors that intervene in primary school students' school satisfaction in Croatia and enrich theoretical implications.