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Promoting student well-being in schools: Intervention effects and the role of student–student relationships and intrinsic motivation

Mori, Julia; Nuoffer, Melanie; Saxer, Katja; Schnell, Jakob; Hascher, Tina (2026). Promoting student well-being in schools: Intervention effects and the role of student–student relationships and intrinsic motivation. British Journal of Psychology. 10.1111/bjep.70100

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Aims
We examined (1) changes in student well-being across a 10-week intervention programme comparing three sets of well-being strategies with a placebo control and (2) whether baseline student–student relationships and intrinsic motivation to participate moderated student well-being trajectories.
Sample
A total of 685 Grade 8 students (51% male; t1: Mage = 14 years, SD = 0.6) from 44 classes across 17 schools in Switzerland participated in our study.
Methods
Classes were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions or a placebo control. Student-reported well-being (three positive, three negative dimensions), student–student relationships and intrinsic motivation were assessed at baseline, mid-intervention, post-intervention and an additional 8-month follow-up. We estimated repeated-measures linear mixed-effects models. Given a non-significant main condition effect, moderator analyses contrasted high versus low baseline relationships and motivation.
Results
Across student well-being dimensions, significant time effects were observed, but few condition or interaction effects were found. Student well-being declined over time, irrespective of condition. Students with stronger baseline student–student relationships and/or higher baseline intrinsic motivation reported higher scores on positive well-being dimensions.
Conclusions
Individual resources—student–student relationships and intrinsic motivation—were more strongly related to student well-being than participation in a specific condition. Interventions may need to deliberately strengthen such resources and tailor their components to student and classroom contexts.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

PHBern Contributor:

Saxer, Katja, Schnell, Jakob, Hascher, Tina

ISSN:

0007-1269

Language:

English

Submitter:

Katja Saxer

Date Deposited:

04 Jun 2026 10:01

Last Modified:

05 Jun 2026 07:16

Publisher DOI:

10.1111/bjep.70100

Uncontrolled Keywords:

intervention, intrinsic motivation, secondary education, student well-being, student–student relationships

PHBern DOI:

10.57694/8081

URI:

https://phrepo.phbern.ch/id/eprint/8081

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