Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Subjective Well-Being of Students in Different Parts of the School Premises in French Middle Schools

  • Published:
Child Indicators Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the spatial approach to well-being in French middle schools, drawing on an ecological model of child development to explore how student well-being varies through the day according to the part of the school premises they are in. 2028 (from 11 to 15 years old) students took part in the survey. The results confirm that a spatial approach is interesting because it reveals different levels of subjective well-being according to place. The results also show that the decrease in student well-being between the first and the fourth year is more about learning spaces; other spaces do not result in this decrease. Our study highlights the usefulness of this ecological framework and the importance of complementary qualitative approaches and studies in different cultural contexts for a better understanding of variations in student well-being.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. These were teachers with whom we had previously worked (regular reception of trainee teachers, for example). The sample is therefore non-probabilistic.

  2. The 19 places asked about are: classroom, resource center/library, supervised work room, sports hall, corridors, stairs, locker area, entrance hall, bicycle shed, Physical Education changing rooms, toilets, administrative offices, Principal Educational Advisor’s (PEA) office, playground, dining room, supervisors’ office, “gate,” school bus stop, swimming pool.

  3. The statements in French were: “Je me sens bien dans l’établissement”; “Je me sens bien lorsque je suis dans les salles de classe”.

  4. “Je suis content-e de venir au college.”

  5. “Je me suis senti(e) bien.”

  6. “Je me suis senti(e) triste.”

  7. 19 places for the cognitive component of well-being and 18 for the affective component, since the swimming pool was not included for the latter.

  8. We apply the Bonferroni correction to the initial threshold of p = 0.05: given that there are 18 places, the corrected value of p = 0.05/18 = 0.0027.

  9. 2028 students answered on 3 or 4 places (depending on version of questionnaire).

  10. We apply the Bonferroni correction to the initial threshold of p = 0.05: given that there are 19 places, the corrected value of p = 0.05/19 = 0.0026.

References

  • AFEV (2017). La perception du climat scolaire par les collégiens scolarisés en réseau d’éducation prioritaire, https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6QNZT6GReI7UXJhVlJ5NEpXZmM/view.

  • Allen, J. D. (1986). Classroom management: Students’ perspectives, goals, and strategies. American Educational Research Journal, 23(3), 437–459.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker, A. J., Dilly, L. J., Aupperlee, J. L., & Patil, S. A. (2003). The developmental context of school satisfaction: Schools as psychologically healthy environments. School Psychology Quarterly, 18(2), 206–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barker, R. G. (1968). Ecological psychology: Concepts and methods for studying the environment of human behavior. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1989). Ecological systems theory. Annals of Child Development, 6, 187–249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1992). Ecological systems theory. In R. Vasta (Ed.), Six theories of child development: Revised formulations and current issues (pp. 187–249). London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, A., Converse, P. E., & Rodgers, W. L. (1976). The quality of American life: Perceptions, evaluations, and satisfactions. Nueva York: Russell Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Casas, F., & González, M. (2017). School: One world or two worlds? Children’s perspectives. Children and Youth Services Review, 80, 157–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conseil National d’Évaluation du Système Scolaire (CNESCO). (2017). Enquête sur la restauration et l’architecture scolaires. Paris: CNESCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: Harper and Row.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cummins, R. A. (2010). Subjective wellbeing, homeostatically protected mood and depression: A synthesis. Journal of Happiness Studies, 11, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-009-9167-0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cummins, R. A., Eckersley, R., van Pallant, J., Vugt, J., & Misajon, R. (2003). Developing a national index of subjective well-being: The Australian unity well-being index. Social Indicators Research, 64, 159–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Currie, C., Gabhainn, S.N., Godeau, E., Roberts, C., Smith, R., Currie, D., Picket, W., Richter, M., Morgan, A. & Barnekow, V. (2008). Inequalities in Young people’s health. Health behaviour in school-aged children international report from the 2005/2006 survey. Health policy for children and adolescents, n°5.

  • Danielsen, A., Breivik, K., & Wold, B. (2011). Do perceived academic competence and school satisfaction mediate the relationship between perceived support provided by teachers and classmates, and academic initiative? Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 55, 379–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Derouet-Besson, M. (2005). L’apport de l’école à la construction d’une culture architecturale en France. Revue de l’Inspection Générale, 2, 4–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E. (1984). Subjective well-being. Psychological Bulletin, 95, 542–575.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E. (1994). Assessing subjective well-being: Progress and opportunities. Social Indicators Research, 31(2), 103–157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Diener, C., & Diener, M. (1995). Factors predicting the subjective well-being of nations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 851–864.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., Wirtz, D., Tov, W., Kim-Prieto, C., Choi. D., Oishi, S., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2009). New measures of well-being: Flourishing and positive and negative feelings. Social Indicators Research, 39, 247–266.

  • Diener, E., Wirtz, D., Tov, W., Kim-Prieto, C., Choi, D., Oishi, S., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2010). New well-being measures: Short scales to assess flourishing and positive and negative feelings. Social Indicators Research, 97, 143–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eccles, J. S., & Roeser, R. W. (2011). School and community influences on human development. In M. H. Borstein & M. E. Lamb (Eds.), Developmental science: An advanced textbook (pp. 571–642). New York: Psychology Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eccles, J. S., Midgley, C., Wigfield, A., Buchanan, C. M., Reuman, D., Flanagan, C., & Mac Iver, D. (1993). Development during adolescence: The impact of stage-environment fit on young adolescents’ experiences in schools and in families. American Psychologist, 48(2), 90–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Elmore, G. M., & Huebner, E. S. (2010). Adolescents’ satisfaction with school experiences: Relationships with demographics, attachment relationships, and school engagement behavior. Psychology in the Schools, 47(6), 525–537.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrière, S., Bacro, F., Florin, A., & Guimard, P. (2016). Le bien-être en contexte scolaire: Intérêt d’une approche par triangulation méthodologique. Cahiers Internationaux de Psychologie Sociale, 111, 341–365.

    Google Scholar 

  • Florin, A. & Guimard, P. (2017). La qualité de vie à l’école. Paris: Conseil National d’Évaluation du Système Scolaire (CNESCO).

  • Gibson, J. J. (1950). The perception of the visual world. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez-Carrasco, M., Casas, M., Vinas, F., & Dinisman, T. (2016). Changes with age in subjective well-being through the adolescent years: Differences by gender. Journal of Happiness Studies, 18(1), 63–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guimard, P., Bacro, F., Ferrière, S., Florin, A., Gaudeville, T., & Ngo, H. T. (2015). Le bien-être des élèves à l’école et au collège. Validation d’une echelle multidimensionnelle, analyses descriptives et différentielles. Education & Formations, 88(89), 163–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guimard, P. Bacro, F., Ferrière, S., Florin, A. & Gaudonville, T. (2017). Evaluation du bien-être perçu des élèves: étude longitudinale à l’école élémentaire et au collège. Recherche complémentaire (BE-Scol2). Rapport pour la Direction de l’évaluation de la prospective et de la performance. Convention 2015 - DEPP – 028.

  • Hébert T. & Dugas E. (2017). Quels espaces scolaires pour le bien-être relationnel ? Enquête sur le ressenti des collégiens français. Éducation et Socialisation, Les Cahiers du CERFEE, 43. https://doi.org/10.4000/edso.1904.

  • Hubert, T. (2015). Le climat scolaire perçu par les collégiens, Éducation & Formations, 88-89, 79-99.

  • Huebner, E. S. (1991). Initial development of the student's life satisfaction scale. School Psychology International, 12(3), 231–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huebner, E. S. (1994). Preliminary development and validation of a multidimensional life satisfaction scale for children, Psychological Assessment, 6, 149 –158.

  • Huebner, E. S., & Gilman, R. (2006). Students who like and dislike school. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 1, 139–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hui, E., & Sun, R. (2010). Chinese children’s perceived school satisfaction: The role of contextual and intrapersonal factors. Educational Psychology: An International Journal of Experimental Educational Psychology, 30(2), 155–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, D. E. (1975). Person-environment interaction: A challenge found wanting before it was tried. Review of Educational Research, 45, 209–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joing, I., & Vors, O. (2014). Le temps des vestiaires d’EPS au collège: climat, victimation et stratégies enseignantes. Geneva: Congrès de l’ARIS.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joing, I., & Vors, O. (2015). Victimation et climat scolaire au collège: les vestiaires d’Education Physique et Sportive. Déviance et Société, 39(1), 51–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joing, I., Vors, O., Lléna, C., & Potdevin, F. (2018). Se sentir bien dans chacun des lieux de l’espace scolaire au college. Le role de l’autonomie, de l’appartenance sociale, de la perception du lieu et du sentiment de sécurité. Spiral-E, Revue de recherches en Éducation, 61, 19–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, V. E. (2000). Using hierarchical linear modeling to study social contexts: The case of school effects. Educational Psychologist, 35, 125–142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lenoir, M. (2012). Le bien-être de l’élève au college: representations des professeurs et des élèves, Université de Lyon 2: thèse de doctorat.

  • Lester, L., & Cross, D. (2015). The relationship between school climate and mental and emotional wellbeing over the transition from primary to secondary school. Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice, 5(9). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13612-015-0037-8.

  • Liu, W., Mei, J., Tian, L., & Huebner, E. S. (2015). Age and gender differences in the relation between school-related social support and subjective well-being in school among students. Social Indicators Research, 125(3), 1065–1083.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin-Krumm, C., Fenouillet, F., Csillik, A., Kern, L., Besancon, M., Heutte, J., Paquet, Y., Delas, Y., Trousselard, M., Lecore, B. & Diener, E. (2016). Changes in Emotions from Childhood to Young Adulthood, Child Indicators Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-016-9440-9.

  • Mazalto, M., & Paltrinieri, L. (2013). Espaces scolaires et projets éducatifs. Revue internationale d’Education de Sèvres, 64, 31–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • McWhirter, J. J., McWhirter, B. T., McWhirter, E. H., & McWhirter, A. C. (2017). At risk youth: A comprehensive response for counselors, teachers, psychologist, and human service professionals. Boston: Cengage Learning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Myers, D. G. (1992). The pursuit of happiness: Who is happy – And why. New York: William Morrow.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noddings, N. (2003). Happiness and education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • OCDE (2013). France. Pisa 2012: faits marquants. https://www.oecd.org/france/PISA-2012-resultsfrance.pdf

  • OCDE (2015). Relations enseignants-élèves: quelle incidence sur le bien-être des élèves à l’école ? Pisa à la loupe, n°50, Edition de l’OCDE.

  • Okun, M. A., Braver, M. W., & Weir, R. M. (1990). Grade level differences in school satisfaction. Social Indicators Research, 22, 419–427.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavot, W. (2018). The cornerstone of research on subjective well-being: Valid assessment methodology. In E. Diener, S. Oishi, & I. Tay (Eds.), Handbook of well-being. Salt Lake City: DEF Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pourchet, G., & Cerfontaine, J. Y. (2005). Des espaces d’enseignement aux lieux de vie : leçons d’une enquête. Revue de l’Inspection Générale, 2, 47–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Randolph, J., Kangas, M. M., & Ruokamo, H. (2010). Predictors of Dutch and Finnish children’s satisfaction with schooling. Journal of Happiness Studies, 11, 193–204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reis, H. T., Sheldon, K., Gable, S., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). Daily well-being: The role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26(4), 419–435.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryff, C. D. (1995). Psychological well-being in adult life. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 4, 99–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salmena-Aro, K., & Tynkkynen, L. (2010). Trajectories of life satisfaction across transition to post-compulsory education: Do adolescents follow different pathways? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39, 870–881.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sgard, A., & Hoyaux, A. F. (2006). L’élève et son lycée: de l’espace scolaire aux constructions des territoires lycéens. L’information géographique, 70(3), 87–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shin, R., Morgan, M., Buhin, L., Truitt, T., & Vera, E. (2010). Expanding the discourse on urban youth of color. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 16, 421–426.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tian, L., Tian, Q., & Huebner, E. S. (2016). School-related social support and adolescents’ school-related subjective well-being: The mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction at school. Social Indicators Research, 128(1), 105–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Uusitalo-Malmivaara, L. (2014). Happiness decreases during early adolescence – A study on 12- and 15-year-old Finnish students. Psychology, 5, 541–555. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2014.56064.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waterman, A. S. (1993). Two conceptions of happiness: Contrasts of personal expressiveness (eudaimonia) and hedonic enjoyment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 678–691.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Univ. Lille, Artois, Univ. Littoral Côte d’Opale, EA 7369 – URePSSS – Unité de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire Sport Santé Société, F-59000, Lille, France

    Isabelle Joing & François Potdevin

  2. Université de Lille – FSSEP, 9 rue de l’Université, 59790, Ronchin, France

    Isabelle Joing & François Potdevin

  3. Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, ISM, Marseille, France; SFERE-Provence, FED 4238, Marseille, France, CP 910 - 163, av. de Luminy, F-13288, Marseille cedex 09, France

    Olivier Vors

Authors
  1. Isabelle Joing
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Olivier Vors
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. François Potdevin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Isabelle Joing.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Joing, I., Vors, O. & Potdevin, F. The Subjective Well-Being of Students in Different Parts of the School Premises in French Middle Schools. Child Ind Res 13, 1469–1487 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-019-09714-7

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-019-09714-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation