Well-being during school lessons among boys and girls in 5th to 7th grade in elementary schools in Iceland: The effects of school, family and peer related factors

Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að kanna líðan í kennslustundum á meðal íslenskra drengja og stúlkna í 5. -7. bekk grunnskóla. Einnig að kanna hvort þættir tengdir skóla, fjölskyldu og jafningjahópum geti spáð fyrir um líðan í kennslustundum. Notast var við gögn úr könnun Rannsóknar og greiningar, þar sem spurningalistar voru lagðir fyrir alla nemendur í 5. – 7. bekk grunnskóla á Íslandi í febrúar 2009. Nánast allir nemendur sem mættu daginn sem spurningalistinn var lagður fyrir tóku þátt. Tvíundagreining (multivariate logistic regression) var notuð til að kanna aðal-, miðlunar- og samvirkniáhrif. Niðurstöður sýndu að þættir tengdir skóla, fjölskyldu og jafningjahópum spáðu allir marktækt fyrir um vellíðan í kennslustundum. Þær sýndu líka að breytur tengdar skólanum skýrðu kynjamuninn á vellíðan í kennslustundum og að finnast námsefnið í skólanum skemmtilegt miðlaði fullkomlega áhrifum kyns á vellíðan í kennslustundum. Það hafði sterkari áhrif á vellíðan drengja en stúlkna í kennslustunum að öll fjölskyldan talaði oft saman. Aftur á móti hafði það sterkari áhrif á vellíðan stúlkna en drengja í kennslustundum að eiga marga vini í skólanum. Niðurstöður gefa til kynna að þættir tengdir skóla, fjölskyldu og jafningjahópum hafi áhrif á vellíðan í kennslustundum. Þær undirstrika líka mikilvægi þess að námsefni skólanna höfði jafnt til stúlkna sem drengja.The aim of the study was to examine self-reported well-being during school lessons among Icelandic boys and girls, in 5th to 7th grade in elementary schools. Furthermore, to examine whether school, family, and peer related factors predict well-being during school lessons and if these factors explain the difference between the genders. The data used in the study was gathered by the Icelandic Center for Social Research and Analysis. The sample was cross-sectional, nationally representative and included the population of Icelandic students who attended 5th to 7th grade in 2009 and were present at the day of administration. Multivariate logistic regression was used to test main, mediation, and moderating effects. The results showed that school, family, and peer related factors all predicted well-being during school lessons. They also showed that the school predictor variables explained the gender difference in well-being during school lessons. Finding the subjects taught at school fun fully mediated the effects of gender on self-reported well-being during school lessons. The whole family talking often together affected the boys´ well-being during school lessons more than girls, and having many friends at school affected the girls´ well-being during school lessons more than boys. The results suggest that school, family, and peer related factors all contribute to boys´ and girls´ well-being during school lessons. They also underscore the importance that the subjects taught at school appeal to both boys and girls