Well-being in schools: a conceptual model

Area of Science:

• Sociology of Education
• Public Health
• School Psychology

Background:

• Traditional school health programs often separate health from academics.
• Existing frameworks lack a strong sociological basis for well-being.
• Comprehensive school health initiatives like WHO's 'health promoting school' need theoretical grounding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a theoretically grounded School Well-being Model based on sociological welfare theory.
• To integrate well-being into school planning and evaluation.
• To define well-being within the school context, encompassing multiple dimensions.

Main Methods:

• Development of the School Well-being Model based on Allardt's sociological theory of welfare.
• Categorization of well-being indicators into school conditions (having), social relationships (loving), means for self-fulfilment (being), and health status.
• Consideration of external factors like home and community environments.

Main Results:

• The model defines well-being as interconnected with teaching, education, learning, and achievements.
• Key indicators include school conditions, social connections, opportunities for self-fulfillment, and health status.
• Unique aspects include the focus on the well-being concept, health definition, and 'means for self-fulfilment' subcategory.

Conclusions:

• The School Well-being Model provides a robust framework for assessing and enhancing student well-being.
• It facilitates the development of theoretically sound subjective and objective well-being indicators.
• Integrating well-being holistically supports school development and student outcomes.