Understanding Student Well-Being in High Schools

Abstract

The well-being of students is vital for their holistic growth, academics, and psychology. Personal well-being can be considered a multidimensional construct that includes well-being in the physical, social, intellectual, emotional, environmental, and spiritual aspects, which ensures a balanced life. The current research attempted to study the personal well-being of high school students and analyzed the differences with regard to gender and locality. A descriptive survey approach was adopted, and data were collected from 300 IX standard students using the cluster sampling method from government schools, government-aided schools, and matriculation schools in the Vellore district. A Personal Well-being scale was used to collect the data, and the reliability of the tool was measured using Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.86). The content validity of the test was obtained through expert opinions. The mean, standard deviation, and t-test were used for statistical analysis. Significant differences were found in personal well-being with regard to gender and locality. Boys showed higher personal well-being than girls, and urban children had better personal well-being than rural children. This research adds to the body of knowledge regarding the multifaceted concept of individual well-being among high school students, especially those demographic disparities that need to be addressed in education. Future research can use different methods, such as larger sample sizes and longitudinal research designs, to better understand student well-being.