Abstract
School satisfaction is conceptualized as a crucial factor influencing children´s happiness and consequent healthy functioning in multiple developmental areas. Research to date has mainly evaluated how contextual factors related to the interactions between the student, teachers and classmates influence children’s happiness, not considering other important factors more related to their own student experiences. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of school satisfaction on happiness in 10-year-old children from Europe. Children’s global school satisfaction levels, as well as different separate indicators of school satisfaction (i.e., satisfaction with other children in class; school marks; school life experience as a student; things they have learned; and relationships with teachers) were considered. The study comprised a sample of 7.445 10-year-old children from seven European countries. First, correlation analysis showed that the overall school satisfaction measure, as well as its different indicators, had positive associations with happiness levels. Second, regression analyses confirmed the effect by indicators of global school satisfaction on happiness. The indicators with the strongest effects were the satisfaction with their life as a student and the satisfaction with other children in the class, while the smallest effects were found regarding the satisfaction with the relationships with teachers and the things learned. These results point out the need to consider personal and contextual indicators of school satisfaction in a program design to foster happiness in 10-year-old children.
Highlights
In the last years there has been an increasing number of international studies evaluating children’s well-being [1], due in part to the importance given to children’s well-being and its links to policy-relevant domains [2,3], especially regarding education [4]
Beyond contextual factors related to teachers and peer relationships, there is a lack of studies considering other important factors concerning student experiences
Notable scores were observed in happiness and school satisfaction
Summary
In the last years there has been an increasing number of international studies evaluating children’s well-being [1], due in part to the importance given to children’s well-being and its links to policy-relevant domains [2,3], especially regarding education [4]. The study of well-being and its role in school adjustment has comprised a substantial change in respect to a more traditional psychopathology-oriented approach, focusing the attention on understanding and intervening in individuals’ competences and their positive development rather than on children’s disabilities [15,16,17]. This change of perspective has generated additional attention to non-academic, positive indicators of child well-being, including their perceptions of the overall quality of their lives and school experiences [18]. Beyond contextual factors related to teachers and peer relationships, there is a lack of studies considering other important factors concerning student experiences
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