Longitudinal changes among adolescents`well-being at school and the importance of gender and overweight

Abstract

The experience of well-being at school, both in the recesses and at school lessons, is of great importance for all students. The Norwegian school laws confirm that every student has the right to experience well-being at school, which will lead to healthiness and good learning. Literature search indicates that there is a lack of longitudinal studies in relation to the development of students` wellbeing at recesses and school lessons during lower secondary school and high school. Furthermore, few studies have examined the relation between well-being at recesses and school lessons, and gender and overweight respectively. By examining students` self-reported well-being in the recesses and during school lessons each year from the age of fourteen to the age of nineteen by using questionnaires, analyses show that the well-being both at recesses and at school lessons is at the same level during these six years at school. Furthermore, analyses show that there are no significant differences in reported well-being at recesses and school lessons between boys and girls. The same analyses show that overweightness has no negative influence on students` well-being. The report of good and very good well-being at school and the lack of group differences in well-being among adolescents indicate that the Norwegian school seems to create a good learning environment for students` in general.