Factors that promote student well-being in schools: a scoping review of Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand literature

Abstract

Well-being has been touted for many years as a critical factor in achieving positive outcomes for students in schools across Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and globally. Despite extensive reporting of student well-being concerns, further research is needed to fully understand this complex construct. This paper presents a scoping review aimed at developing a comprehensive understanding of student well-being by examining key factors highlighted in the literature. Using the PRISMA-ScR approach, a search was conducted using Google Scholar to identify studies published between 2010 and 2023 that focus on student well-being in Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand school contexts. Additional relevant grey literature, including policy documents, contributed to this review. A total of 46 studies met the eligibility criteria for more detailed analysis. The review identified three primary themes influencing student well-being: the role of student voice, the impact of the physical environment (which we call perivallon), and the nature of student relationships with teachers, peers, and themselves. These factors were found to be interrelated, with relationships serving as both an independent influence and a mediating factor affecting the other dimensions. The literature review leads to a multi-dimensional complexity model of well-being. This model suggests potential mechanisms by which a small change to an external factor can have far reaching, and potentially unexpected, impacts on student well-being. The implications and limitations of such a model are discussed, and avenues for future research are suggested.