Determinants of well-being of middle-school students in Moroccan urban and rural areas: A comparative study

CONTEXT: Well-being in schools is often considered in relation to the educational and academic success of students. However, it is difficult, at present, not to consider the well-being of a student without an ecological and holistic perspective, in view of the interaction principles implemented in schools. This research aimed to identify the representations hold by Moroccan teenagers about well-being. It aimed, also, to do a comparison between two groups of teenagers: one belonging to urban and the other to rural areas. METHODS: This quantitative study concerns a sample of 1444 pupils (755 girls and 689 boys) enrolled in middle school. Research instrument for this study was questionnaire that includes 15 questions relating to well-being at school, relationships with the teacher, relationships between students, violence experienced, and coeducation. RESULTS: From the analysis of data, pupils in the rural areas seem to be most sensitive to the “emotional” aspects of the teacher–pupil relationship. The girls are more satisfied in middle school than boys. This fact seems to be a very important factor in their retention and in reducing their dropout rate. As expected, academic success is highlighted in the two groups of students as an indicator of well-being. However, the fact of not knowing which orientation to choose constitutes a factor of ill-being for pupils, especially for girls. The results show also that well-being is not taken care of in the two environments (urban and rural). This will explain the results of Moroccan students assessed by the Program for the Monitoring of Student Achievement. CONCLUSIONS: Training programs should focus on the development of teachers communication skills, ability to manage behavioral problems of their students and use teaching approaches to develop positive relationships between students.