Well-being from primary to secondary school: Examining the School-Related Well-Being scale (SRW) with the Rasch model

Well-being at school can be defined as the prevalence of positive cognitions and emotions over negative ones for the members of the school environment (Hascher, 2007). Examining how well-being changes at different ages is central to plan actions to support it. Previous findings indicated a detrimental trend for learning-related motivational and affective constructs with development (Bouffard et al., 2001; Liu et al., 2016; Okun et al., 1990; Park, 2005; Pekrun & Stephens, 2012; Raccanello et al., 2013). However, data on a possible similar pattern for well-being are still scarce, also for the lack of brief and valid instruments to measure it. We investigated age and gender differences in students’ well-being in the transition from primary to secondary school, by adapting and validating the Italian version of the unidimensional six-item School-Related Well-Being (SRW) scale (Loderer et al., 2016). The participants were 432 Italian fourth (Mage = 9.54, 45% F) and seventh-graders (Mage = 12.50, 50% F). They completed the SRW and the Student Well-Being Questionnaire (SWQ; Hascher, 2007). We also obtained grades. We utilized the R-software. First, we confirmed the internal validity of the SRW scale through a dual approach, combining exploratory/confirmatory factor analyses with the Rasch model. Concerning the external validity, the SRW scale correlated positively with the SWQ and grades. Second, through linear mixed models we found that the SRW scores were higher for fourth-graders vs. seventh-graders, F(1, 341.20) = 47.934, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.12, and females vs. males, F(1, 415.48) = 32.167, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.07. Our findings confirmed the goodness of the SRW scale as a brief unidimensional instrument, taking advantage of the strengths of the Rasch model, and confirmed a detrimental trend for well-being. Future interventions and educational policies should pay attention to monitor and support students’ well-being at different developmental stages.