Well-being can sometimes be dismissed as a nice to have but not something that’s truly important to performance. Research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) undermines that stance and shows that well-being is crucial to the success of children at school.

“We’re finding a connection between pupils’ well-being at school and the subject matter, and with how well the pupils think they’re able to do the school work in all the subjects we examined,” the researchers explain.

Boosting success

The researchers developed an innovative test to explore the correlation between students’ well-being and their self-perceived skills. To collect data, 378 Icelandic students aged 6 to 15 utilized emojis to input their responses in the survey. The survey consisted of questions such as: “How do you feel about school?” “How interested are you in reading, maths, science, and physical education?” “How confident are you in your abilities in reading, maths, science, and physical education?”

Subsequently, the researchers delved into the data to uncover potential connections between students’ well-being in school and their performance in the aforementioned subjects. They also examined if this had any bearing on how proficient the students believed themselves to be in each subject. The findings clearly indicated a strong relationship between well-being, academic performance, and self-perceived competence across all subjects.

A number of gender differences emerged, with girls appearing to like reading more than boys. Girls also felt like they were better at science than boys, with the opposite the case for physical education.

In addition, the researchers made a striking discovery: older pupils reported feeling less at ease in school and across all subjects, with the exception of physical education. Furthermore, they expressed a sense of performing more poorly in these subjects compared to their younger counterparts. This finding highlights a potential decline in the students’ overall academic engagement and confidence as they progress through their education.

“The oldest pupils seem to do worse in reading, mathematics and science, while also feeling less competent in the subjects,” the researchers explain. “This shows how important it is to see the school as a holistic system where the view of the various subjects is reflected in the view of the school itself, and vice versa.”

Although the exact reason behind this phenomenon is uncertain, it is plausible that a lack of choice in their education may contribute to the older students’ discomfort and negative perception of their academic abilities.

When students have more agency in selecting their subjects, it can inspire greater passion and engagement, leading to improved confidence and performance. This correlation between well-being and a sense of competence highlights the need to re-evaluate our approach to education and the emphasis we place on providing students with autonomy and choice in their learning.

“This shows how important it is to see the school as a holistic system where the view of the various subjects is reflected in the view of the school itself, and vice versa,” the authors conclude.