The Multidimensional Well-Being of Students-At-Risk and their Peers

By Munirah Binte Shaik Kadir
Education Research Scientist, Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice, NIE, NTU
Published: 1 July 2024

 

Overview

Children who are likely to have poor school adjustment and leave school prematurely can be considered as students at risk (Kaufman et al., 1992). Some indicators that students are at risk for poor school outcomes include low school attendance rates, poor academic performance, and frequent behavioral issues. These students usually come from disadvantaged backgrounds (e.g., low socio-economic status and neglectful families), which may lead them to disengage from school easily (Caleon et al., 2016; Fortin et al., 2006). Research shows that children from disadvantaged backgrounds tend to have lower well-being than their non-at-risk peers and are at a higher risk of dropping out of school (Clarke & Thévenon, 2022). Therefore, early intervention is necessary to help these students close the gap with their non-at-risk peers.  

 

The Singapore context

Students-at-risk are also referred to as ‘vulnerable’ or students with ‘high-needs’ by the Ministry of Education in Singapore (MOE). MOE recognizes that these students have higher needs than their peers.  MOE provides schools with a set of rubrics to identify students-at-risk, so that these students can be given the support and resources that they need, to enhance their well-being and reduce the risk of them leaving the school system prematurely. MOE provides additional support to schools with a significant number of students-at-risk to “strengthen the safety net and address barriers to school attendance and learning for these at-risk students” (MOE, September 2020).

 

Well-being of children  

Well-being is multidimensional in nature, and it encompasses all aspects of healthy and successful living, including psychological, social, physical, emotional, and other dimensions (Rees et al., 2010). The well-being of children is a critical area of research in developmental psychology and related fields, as the developmental trajectory of children is shaped by their well-being (Benoit & Gabola, 2021). In the long term, the well-being of children affects major domains of their lives in adulthood (Richardson & Ali, 2014). Research has shown that well-being also affects school engagement and student achievement (Kaya & Erdem, 2021). 

 

Well-being of students-at-risk and their non-at-risk peers  

Coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, students-at-risk are expected to have lower well-being than their peers (Clarke & Thévenon, 2022). Comparing the well-being of students-at-risk and their non-at-risk peers will provide insights on how well our students are doing and would allow schools to formulate better-tailored implementations to help these students actualize their potential, mitigating their premature education journeys. Therefore, my team and I conducted a mixed-methods study in a primary school in Singapore to investigate the well-being of children in primary 4, 5 and 6 (i.e., Grades 4-6). Students-at-risk and their non-at-risk peers were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire on multiple dimensions of well-being. Selected students-at-risk were interviewed to find out about their well-being in greater depth. 

 

Findings from a recent study in a primary school in Singapore

The results of the mixed-methods study revealed that students at risk had significantly lower emotional well-being than their non-at-risk peers. This suggests that students at risk experience positive emotions such as happiness and life satisfaction less frequently. Students at risk were also reported to have poorer physical health and experience low peer acceptance. On a positive note, students at risk were found to have higher social well-being in terms of teacher relationships. This suggests that the students may have received substantial support from their teachers in the school. There were no statistically significant differences found in several well-being domains such as mental or psychological well-being. During the interviews, students-at-risk described how they struggled to control their emotions when triggered and would like help to manage their emotions. They want their peers, parents, and teachers to make time for them, understand them better, and hear them out. They also look forward to attending the after-school programme organized by the school as they enjoyed the activities as well as interacting with the teachers during the 3-hour sessions three times a week. 

 

In Practice

Early intervention can help close the gap or stop the gap from widening between students-at-risk and their non-at-risk peers. As shown from the study, an after-school programme for students-at-risk is effective in supporting them academically and emotionally. During the programme, students-at-risk were given free lunch, homework support, counselling from teachers, and engaged in social-emotional and physical activities.

 

Key Takeaways

Students-at-risk in primary school are similar to their non-at-risk peers in most well-being domains, indicating that the school is doing enough to support these students at a young age. From the study, we found that students-at-risk are aware of their shortcomings and want to improve themselves. They want to be supported, heard, understood, and accepted by their teachers and peers.

 

References

Benoit, V., & Gabola, P. (2021). Effects of positive psychology interventions on the well-being of young children: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(22), 12065. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182212065

 

Caleon, I. S., Tan, J. P. L., Wui, M. G. L., Leen, C. C., King, R. B. (2016). Academically at-risk adolescents in Singapore: The Importance of Teacher Support in Promoting Academic Engagement. In R. King & A. Bernardo (Eds.), The psychology of Asian learners (pp. 519-539). Springer, Singapore. https://doi-org.libproxy.nie.edu.sg/10.1007/978-981-287-576-1_32

 

 

Clarke, C. & Thévenon, O. (2022). Starting unequal: How’s life for disadvantaged children?. OECD Papers on Well-being and Inequalities, No. 06. Paris: OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/a0ec330c-en.

 

Fortin, L., Marcotte, D., Potvin, P., Royer, É., & Joly, J. (2006). Typology of students at risk of dropping out of school: Description by personal, family and school factors. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 21(4), 363–383. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173508

 

Kaufman, P., Bradbury, D., & Owings, J. (1992). National education longitudinal 1998 characteristics of at-risk students in NELS:88. U.S. Department of Education: Office of Education Research and Improvement. NCES-92-042.

 

Kaya, M., & Erdem, C. (2021). Students’ well-being and academic achievement: A meta-analysis study. Child Indicators Research, 14(5), 1743-1767.

 

Ministry of Education (MOE). (2020, September 3). Enhancements to career schemes for school staff to achieve better student outcomes [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/press-releases/enhancements-to-career-schemes-for-school-staff-to-achieve-better-student-outcomes

 

Rees, G., Goswami, H. & Bradshaw, J. (2010). Developing an index of children’s subjective wellbeing in England. London: The Children’s Society.

 

Richardson, D. & Ali, N. (2014). An evaluation of international surveys of children. OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 146. OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/5jxzmjrqvntf-en.

 

Citation

Kadir, M. S. (2024, July 1). The multidimensional well-being of students-at-risk and their peers. Child and Human Development, Life@NIE SG. https://www.ntu.edu.sg/nie/about-us/programme-offices/office-of-teacher-education/child-and-human-development/well-being/the-multidimensional-well-being-of-students-at-risk-and-their-peers