Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T09:05:21.381Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Model on the Contribution of School Assets to the Achievement of Adolescents’ Well-Being and Academic Performance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2017

Miguel-Ángel Pertegal*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Sevilla (Spain)
Alfredo Oliva
Affiliation:
Universidad de Sevilla (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Miguel Ángel Pertegal. Dpto. Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación. Universidad de Sevilla. C/Camilo José Cela, s/n. Sevilla, Spain. 41300. Phone: +34–954551722. E-mail: mpertegal@us.es

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine a model on the contribution of school assets on the development of adolescent´s well-being and school success. The sample comprised 1944 adolescents (893 girls and 1051 boys) aged between 12 and 17 years (M = 14.4; SD = 1.13), from secondary schools in Western Andalusia, which completed some self-report questionnaires. The results of structural equation modeling showed the goodness of fit of the initial theoretical model. This model confirmed the importance of school connectedness as a key factor in the relationships between other school assets (social climate; clarity of the rules and values, and positive opportunities and empowerment) and commitment to learning, academic performance and life satisfaction. However, the re-specification of the initial model considered two complementary paths with theoretical sense: first, a direct influence between clarity of the rules and values and commitment to learning, and second, between academic performance and life satisfaction. This model obtained better goodness of fit indices than the first one: χ2 = 16.32; gl = 8; p = .038; χ2/gl = 2.04; SRMR = .018; RSMEA = .023 (95% C.I. = .005; 040); NNFI = .98; CFI = .99. From our study, the need to invest in initiatives focused on the promotion of adolescents’ links with their school emerges as a key goal to contribute towards, at the same time, both a good academic performance and a better life satisfaction.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

How to cite this article:

Pertegal, M.-A., & Oliva, A. (2017). A model on the contribution of school assets to the achievement of adolescents’ well-being and academic performance. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 20. eXX. Doi:10.1017/sjp.2017.47

References

Abad, F. J., Olea, J., Ponsoda, V., & García, C. (2011). Medición en ciencias sociales y de la salud [Measurement in social sciences and health]. Madrid, Spain: Síntesis.Google Scholar
Benson, P. L., Scales, P. C., Hamilton, S. F., & Sesman, A. Jr. (2006). Positive youth development: Theory, research and applications. In Lerner, R. M. (Ed.), Theoretical models of human development (pp. 894941). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Blum, R. (2005). School connectedness: Improving the lives of students. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.Google Scholar
Cohen, J., McCabe, E. M., Michelli, N. M., & Pickeral, T. (2009). School climate: Research, policy, teacher education and practice. Teachers College Record, 111, 180213.Google Scholar
Diener, E., Scollon, C. N., & Lucas, R. E. (2009). The evolving concept of subjective well-being: The multifaceted nature of happiness. In Diener, E. (Ed.), Assessing well-being. The collected works of Ed Diener (pp. 67100). New York, NY: Springer.Google Scholar
Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74, 59109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Furlong, M. J., & Christenson, S. L. (2008). Engaging students at school and with learning: A relevant construct for all students. Psychology in the Schools, 45, 365368. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20302 Google Scholar
Galíndez, E., & Casas, F. (2010). Adaptación y validación de la Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS) con adolescentes [Adaptation and validation of the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS) with teenagers]. Estudios de Psicología, 31, 7987.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gardner, M., Roth, J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2008). Adolescents’ participation in organized activities and developmental success two and eight years after high school: Do sponsorship, duration, and intensity matter? Developmental Psychology, 44, 814830. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.44.3.814 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilman, R., & Huebner, E. S. (2006). Characteristics of adolescents who report very high life satisfaction. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35, 293301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-006-9036-7 Google Scholar
Hernández, S. R., Fernández, C., & Baptista, L. P. (2010). Metodología de la Investigación [Research Methodology]. (5a Ed.). México: Mc Graw Hill.Google Scholar
Hox, J. (2010). Multilevel analysis: Techniques and applications (2a Ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
Huebner, E. S. (1991). Further validation of the Students Life Satisfaction Scale: The independence of satisfaction and affect rating. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 9, 363368. https://doi.org/10.1177/073428299100900408 Google Scholar
Huebner, E. S., & Diener, C. (2008). Research on life satisfaction of children and youth: Implications for the delivery of school-related services. In Eid, M. & Larsen, R. (Eds.), The science of subjective well-being (pp. 376392). New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Convectional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6(1), 155. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118 Google Scholar
Lerner, R. M. (2009). The positive youth development perspective: Theoretical and empirical bases of a strengths-based approach to adolescent development. In Lopez, S. J. & Snyder, C. R. (Eds.), Oxford handbook of positive psychology (2nd Ed., pp. 149163). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Lewis, A. D, Huebner, E. S., Malone, P. S., & Valois, R. F. (2011). Life satisfaction and student engagement in adolescents. Journal of Youth Adolescence, 40, 249262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-010-9517-6 Google Scholar
Loukas, A., Suzuki, R., & Horton, K. D. (2006). Examining school connectedness as a mediator of school climate effects. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 16, 491502. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2006.00504.x Google Scholar
Marchesi, A., & Martín, E. (2002). Evaluación de la educación secundaria. Fotografía de una etapa polémica [Evaluation of secondary education. A photograph of a controversial stage]. Madrid, Spain: Ediciones SM.Google Scholar
Martínez-Otero, V. (2009). Diversos condicionantes del fracaso escolar en educación secundaria [Different conditions of school failure in secondary education]. Revista Iberoamericana de Educación, 51, 6785.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McNelly, C. (2004). Connection to school as an indicator of positive development. In Lippman, L. & Moore, K. (Eds.), Indicators of positive youth development (pp. 289304). New York, NY: Kluwer academic/Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Murillo, F. J. (2005). Investigación sobre eficacia escolar [Research on school effectiveness]. Barcelona, Spain: Octaedro.Google Scholar
Natvig, G. K., Albrektsen, G., & Qvarnstrom, U. (2003). Associations between psychosocial factors and happiness among school adolescents. International Journal of Nurse Practitioners, 9, 166175. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-172X.2003.00419.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oliva, A. (Coord.) (2015). Desarrollo positivo adolescente [Positive adolescent development]. Madrid, Spain: Síntesis.Google Scholar
Oliva, A., Ríos, M., Antolín, L., Parra, A., Hernando, A., & Pertegal, M. A. (2010). Más allá del déficit: Construyendo un modelo de desarrollo positivo adolescente [Beyond the deficit: Building a model of positive youth development model]. Infancia y Aprendizaje, 33, 223234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pertegal, M. A. (2014). Los centros de educación secundaria como promotores del desarrollo positivo adolescente [The secondary schools as promoters of positive adolescent development]. (Published doctoral dissertation). Universidad de Sevilla, Spain.Google Scholar
Pertegal, M. A., Oliva, A., & Hernando, A. (2015). Evaluating the school assets that promote positive adolescent development from the perspective of the student [La evaluación de los activos escolares para el desarrollo positivo adolescente desde la perspectiva del alumnado]. Cultura y Educación: Culture and Education, 27, 3363. https://doi.org/10.1080/11356405.2015.1006849 Google Scholar
Proctor, C., Linley, P. A., & Malby, J. (2010). Very happy youths: Benefits of very high life satisfaction among adolescents. Social Indicators Research, 98, 519532. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-009-9562-2 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ros, I., Goikoetxea, J., Gairín, J., & Lekue, P. (2012). Student engagement in the school: Interpersonal and inter-center differences. Revista de Psicodidáctica, 17, 291307.Google Scholar
Roth, J. L., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2003). Youth development programs: Risk, prevention and policy. Journal of Adolescent Health, 32, 170182. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1054-139X(02)00421-4 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Starkman, N., Scales, P., & Roberts, C. (2006). Great places to learn: Creating asset-building schools that help students succeed (2nd Ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute.Google Scholar
Steiger, J. H. (2007). Understanding the limitations of global fit assessment in structural equation modeling. Personality and Individuality Differences, 42, 893898. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2006.09.017 Google Scholar
Suldo, S. M., Riley, K. R., & Shaffer, E. J. (2006). Academic correlates of adolescents’ life satisfaction. School Psychology International, 27, 567582. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034306073411 Google Scholar
Suldo, S. M., Shaffer, E. J., & Riley, K. N. (2008). A social-cognitive-behavioral model of academic predictors of adolescents’ life satisfaction. School Psychology Quarterly, 23, 5669. https://doi.org/10.1037/1045-3830.23.1.56 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tomyn, A. J., & Cummins, R. A. (2011). The subjective wellbeing of high-school students: Validating the personal wellbeing index-school children. Social Indicators Research, 101, 405418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-010-9668-6 Google Scholar
Zins, J., Weissberg, R., Wang, M., & Walberg, H. (2004). Building academic success on social and emotional learning: What does the research say? New York, NY: Teachers College Press.Google Scholar