Exploring the Impact of School Climate and Mindfulness on Psychological Well-being of Secondary School Students: A Comparative Study of Private and Government Schools
https://doi.org/10.55966/assaj.2025.4.1.070
Abstract
Schools today are expected to foster students’ holistic development, including psychological well-being, beyond just academic achievement. Despite global focus on student mental health, research in Pakistan remains limited. This study examines how school climate and mindfulness affect the psychological well-being of secondary school students in Pakistan. The study employed a cross-sectional research design, and comprised 200 secondary school students ranging age 14-17. 100 students from private schools and 100 students from government schools participated in the study. Convenient sampling was used for the collection of data via the ED School Climate Survey (EDSCLS), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and Ryff’s Psychological Well-being Scale. Analyses included Pearson’s correlation, regression, and t-tests. Results showed significant positive correlations between school climate and psychological well-being (r = .28, p < .01) and mindfulness and psychological well-being (r = .53, p < .01). School climate and mindfulness significantly predicted psychological well-being by 31% variance. T-tests indicated gender differences. Significant differences were observed between private and government school students on several variables. On the Personal Growth, Positive Relations, Safety, Acting with Awareness, Non-Judging of Inner Experience scale, government school students score higher. No significant mean differences are found between private and government school students on Psychological Well-Being, Autonomy, Environmental Mastery, Purpose in Life, Self-Acceptance, School Climate, Engagement, Environment, Mindfulness, Observing, Describing, or Non-Reactivity to Inner Experience. The study highlights the importance of school climate and mindfulness on students’ psychological health, noting limitations like convenience sampling and self-reported data. This research contributes to the understanding of how psychological well-being can be enhanced through school climate and mindfulness practices, emphasizing the need for mental health interventions within school environments.
Keywords. School Climate, Mindfulness, Psychological Well-Being, Psychological Health
