Understanding students’ experiences of well-being in secondary school: Rethinking policy and practice

Parker, Sarah Elizabeth (2025) Understanding students’ experiences of well-being in secondary school: Rethinking policy and practice. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

This study seeks to explore the well-being of adolescent students, aged 13-16 years, within the context of secondary school. Adolescents have been chosen as the centre of interest for this study because research suggests that the overall well-being of adolescents is low and their happiness with school is declining. In England, indicators of adolescent well-being have consistently fallen below international averages (The Children’s Society, 2024; OECD, 2022). The aim of this study is to contribute to the knowledge and understanding of how adolescent students experience well-being in schools through their own voices. This is, for those involved in education, particularly schools, to consider the relevance and effectiveness of their policy and practice around well-being.

The Brazilian philosopher and educator Paulo Freire whose teachings provide both a theoretical clarity and a practical application to matters of education, underpin this study. A participatory design was used for this qualitative research study. This involved Phase One working with ten students, from one school as co-researchers, to choose the methods and areas to be discussed during the collection of data from both student and staff participants in Phase Two of the study. The subsequent data was collected in two schools, from 33 students via focus group interviews and from nine staff via semi-structured conversations. Braun and Clarke’s Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used as the analytical framework. The findings suggest that: well-being in schools is often (mis)understood as mental health, questioning how effectively schools can support student well-being; that there is a tension for schools supporting ‘being’ well in a performance culture which prioritises ‘doing’ well; that societal and hierarchical norms operating in a school have a significant impact on adolescent well-being; and that the voice and agency adolescent students have over their well-being is schools is limited.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Education and Lifelong Learning
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	16 Jul 2026 07:47
Last Modified:	16 Jul 2026 07:47
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/103868
DOI:

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