SCHOOL FACTORS AFFECTING ESTONIAN STUDENTS’ SUBJECTIVE WELL-BEING AT THE BASIC SCHOOL

This research focuses on the personal well-being of basic school students and on the school environment factors affecting it. The authors were also interested to know whether there are any differences between two age groups (6th grade and 9th grade) in the perception of the school environment and school relations. The research included 934 students (426 boys and 508 girls) aged 12 to 17 years. The well-being was measured by the WHO-5 Well-Being Index; school factors included perceived school relationships, perceived learning environment and academic performance. The indicators differentiating between the groups with low and high well-being were: obtaining help from the school, the pleasantness of lessons, relationships with teachers, and relationships with schoolmates. In both age groups, higher well-being was predicted by relationships with teachers and schoolmates, obtaining help from the school, and parents' relationships with the school. The results indicated that students establish relationships supporting their well-being not only in their class. It is rather the wider communication culture in the school that supports the students' well-being. The results also indicate the wider effect of school relationships in that the factor of obtaining help from the school (the school`s pro-social organization) is more significant for the students' well-being that the pro-social behaviour of the classmates.