Measuring Emotional Well-Being at School Among Students With Different Characteristics: A Population Study

Abstract

Current literature on students’ emotional well-being often relies on global measures, making it difficult to identify affective states specifically experienced within the school context. This study, based on a population (N = 297993) of 10th grade students, analyzed differences in emotions at school across academic achievement, socioeconomic status (SES), immigrant background, and sex assigned at birth. The psychometric properties of the Feelings At School Scale (FASS) were evaluated with fixed and dynamic fit index cutoffs, and measurement invariance was established across subgroups. Results of latent mean difference tests showed that low achievers, low-SES, immigrant, and female students experience fewer positive emotions at school. Surprisingly, being a high achiever does not appear to protect against the experience of negative emotions at school. While academic achievement was the most important factor for positive emotions (d = 0.16), being female was the greatest risk factor for experiencing negative emotions at school (d = 0.45). This study provides valuable insights into students’ emotional experiences at school, using a validated and efficient tool for assessing emotional well-being. By examining an entire population of students, these findings improve generalizability and capture a broad spectrum of student characteristics. The results underscore the importance of targeted interventions to support those student subgroups most at risk of experiencing negative emotions in the school setting.