School well-being among young people: is it influenced by the parents' socioeconomic background?

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore whether the socioeconomic background of the parents has an impact on the school well-being of young people aged 14-18. The literature concerning the position of young people with a lower socioeconomic background in education, reports the so-called gaps between home and school, unequal opportunities, unequal treatment, etc. As a consequence, it is possible that their school well-being is lower too. To investigate this research question, a survey was conducted among 1265 young people in Flanders. This study found no evidence that young people with a lower socioeconomic background have a lower school well-being. When investigating boys and girls separately, a small correlation appears between the educational qualification and the school well-being of the girls. Several explanations are discussed, and recommendations for further research are made