Behind the classroom door: variations in teaching practices and lower-secondary students’ subjective well-being

2025/11/14 by Matthew Cashman, Mattias Strandh, Björn Högberg
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Education, Achievement, and Giftedness #Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction #Youth Education and Societal Dynamics

paper · doi:10.1080/00313831.2025.2587963

crossref issued 2025/11/14 · crossref published 2025/11/14 · crossref published-online 2025/11/14 · openalex created_date 2025/11/14 · openalex publication_date 2025/11/14 · crossref created 2025/11/14 · crossref deposited 2025/11/14 · crossref indexed 2026/07/27 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Background This study aimed to identify distinct patterns of teaching practices in Swedish compulsory schools and their influence on adolescents’ subjective well-being, focusing on school satisfaction and stress. We differentiated among teacher-centered, student-centered, and student-dominated practices using a person-oriented approach.Methods Data were drawn from a nationally representative sample of 9th-grade students in the Swedish Evaluation through Follow-Up Survey. Latent class analysis identified teaching practice subtypes based on student perceptions, and linear regressions assessed differences in subjective well-being across these subtypes.Results Three distinct classes emerged: student-centered, student-dominated, and teacher-centered practices. Student-centered practices correlated with moderate school satisfaction, while student-dominated practices showed the highest satisfaction but increased stress. Teacher-centered practices resulted in the lowest satisfaction among the classes.Discussion Findings indicate that student-centered and student-dominated practices likely enhance subjective well-being, though overly autonomous settings may increase stress, underscoring the need for balanced instructional approaches.

Citations

• Classroom climate and children’s academic and psychological wellbeing: A systematic review and meta-analysis
• Latent Class Analysis: A Guide to Best Practice
• The relationships between school climate and adolescent mental health and wellbeing: A systematic literature review
• Advances in subjective well-being research
• Scaffolding and Achievement in Problem-Based and Inquiry Learning: A Response to Kirschner, Sweller, and Clark (2006)
• Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work: An Analysis of the Failure of Constructivist, Discovery, Problem-Based, Experiential, and Inquiry-Based Teaching
• Model Selection and Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC): The General Theory and its Analytical Extensions
• Practitioner’s Guide to Latent Class Analysis: Methodological Considerations and Common Pitfalls
• Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being.
• Effects of Teaching Practices on Life Satisfaction and Test Scores: Evidence From the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)

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• A multilevel study of peer victimization and its associations with teacher support and well-functioning class climate
• The longitudinal development of students' <scp>well‐being</scp> in adolescence: The role of perceived teacher autonomy support