Feeling well and doing well. The mediating role of school engagement in the relationship between student well-being and academic achievement

• Jakob Schnell ^[1] ; Katja Saxer ^[1] ; Julia Mori ^[1] ; Tina Hascher ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Bern

     University of Bern

     Bern/Berne/Berna, Suiza

     
• Localización: European Journal of Psychology of Education, ISSN-e 1878-5174, ISSN 0256-2928, Vol. 40, Nº 1, 2025
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1007/s10212-025-00947-5
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen

  • Students’ well-being has become an important part of education policy in many countries. Research shows that well-being contributes to students’ engagement in school, thereby supporting academic achievement. However, prior research has often neglected the interplay and multidimensionality of the constructs. The present study applied a six-dimensional student well-being model and a three-component school engagement model to untangle the differential associations of positive and negative well-being dimensions with the components of school engagement and academic achievement. Longitudinal mediation analyses using a sample of N = 754 Swiss secondary school students and two measurement points (Grade 7 and Grade 8) revealed differential associations of well-being dimensions with engagement components, but no direct effects on academic achievement. Enjoyment in school, as a dimension of student well-being, had an indirect effect on academic achievement, mediated through behavioral engagement. The results imply that fostering students’ enjoyment in school may be a promising strategy to enhance their behavioral engagement and, in turn, promote their academic achievement.

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