Subjektives Wohlbefinden von Schülerinnen und Schülern : Welche Faktoren auf der Ebene der Schule/Schulorganisation, des Unterrichts sowie des Individuums sind bedeutungsvoll für das schulische Wohlbefinden von Schülerinnen und Schülern? : Eine qualitative Auswertung von Gruppendiskussionen mit Schülerinnen und Schülern der Sekundarstufe I im Schweizer Kanton Bern.

This dissertation addresses the subjective well-being of school pupils and considers the associated factors which either promote or inhibit their well-being at school. The significance of well-being at school particularly comes to the fore where schools face the challenge of developing lasting and measurable knowledge and skills in pupils with the aim of preparing them for the tasks of later life. Well-being at school can also play a key role inasmuch as the pupils’ acquisition of skills is supported by their positive feelings and attitudes towards school because these emotions and mindsets provide a stabilising and trusting basis for learning and development (cf. e.g. Hascher, Hagenauer & Schaffer, 2011). The identification of influential variables is called for, particularly for the purposes of providing targeted support for well-being at school and preventing unwanted regressions – which have, however, been empirically demonstrated in pupils in later school years (cf. Czerwenka et al, 1990). This study therefore explores which factors at the school/school administration level, the lesson level and the individual level are significant to the subjective well-being at school from the perspective of the secondary school pupils that were surveyed, and whether differences between boys and girls can be established in these respects.
The response to the research questions is based on a methodologically qualitative approach. Male and female secondary-level pupils (year 8) from schools in the Swiss Canton of Bern were asked questions in 16 single-sex group discussions. Their comments and opinions were evaluated using the qualitative content analysis method set out by Mayring (2010). In this regard, the following main conclusions were drawn as an overview:
At the school/school administration level, both boys and girls find that the high frequency of examinations and the poor scheduling of the examinations that they are required to pass put a strain on them. According to their comments, the generally long school days and the amount of homework, exam preparation and apprenticeship applications that they are required to do at the same time also lead to stress and a feeling among the pupils of being overloaded.
At the lesson level, well-being among pupils is promoted by lessons that are not boring (in terms of subject matter) and are sufficiently varied in their methodological format. With regard to a teacher’s character and personality traits, both sexes feel that a teacher has a positive impact on their well-being at school when he or she is sociable, close to the pupils, kind, and self-critical with an open, relaxed and humorous manner around the pupils. It is striking, however, that the groups of boys cite the aspect of the teacher’s character and personality traits and the quality of the relationship between the teacher and the pupils as a factor relevant to their level of well-being much more frequently and in more detail than the girls.
At the individual level, girls link their well-being at school to a high degree to their learning-related emotions and motivational orientation. In contrast to the boys, the girls emphasise the importance of achieving good grades much more frequently, which also plays a crucial role in girls experiencing positive emotions. The micro-social environment of pupils – their peers and their parents – is also a relevant factor governing their well-being. Whereas boys see their peers as an important motivator in coming to school and as a significant factor in their enjoyment of school, girls emphasise the importance of their peers as an important emotional crutch for problems (at school) and failures at school (e.g. bad grades). Both boys and girls see their parents as an important and reliable source of support for learning which also contributes to their sense of well-being at school.