Portuguese students are happier than teachers

The results of a study entitled “Well-being and happiness in Portuguese schools” were released and reveal the perceptions of students and teachers about their well-being. The study surveyed 5,038 teachers and 3,130 students aged between 9 and 20, both in public and private education.

Students, on average, report higher levels of happiness compared to teachers. The average happiness for students is 3.8 on a scale of one to five, while for teachers it is 3.29. Furthermore, students have a more optimistic view of the future, showing a substantial difference between their current well-being and that expected five years from now.

Factors that impact students’ well-being include family, peers, teachers, and emotional regulation abilities. Boys have a greater self-perception of well-being than girls, who value family more. School performance, teachers and belonging to a public school are also considered relevant factors.

For teachers, the most relevant variables to explain general well-being are the school climate, the relationship with students and the ability to regulate emotions. Public school teachers have slightly lower levels of well-being compared to their private sector colleagues. Environmental concerns negatively impact the well-being of teachers, who express greater concerns on these topics compared to students.

The study was conducted by researchers from several institutions, including the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, the Católica Porto Business School, the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences of the University of Lisbon and the Institute of Environmental Health of the Faculty of Medicine from the University of Lisbon, in collaboration with the Aventura Social team, the Escola Amiga da Criança project and with the support of Environment Global Facilities (EGF).

The results of the study will be presented in a session at the Lisbon Oceanarium, moderated by psychologist Eduardo Sá. Professors and researchers Maria Conceição Silva (Portuguese Catholic University), Helena Águeda Marujo (Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences) and Margarida Gaspar de Matos (Institute of Environmental Health and Portuguese Catholic University) will participate in the presentation.

The study “Well-being and happiness in Portuguese schools” was conducted by researchers from several institutions, including the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, the Católica Porto Business School, the Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences of the University of Lisbon and the Institute of Environmental Health of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, in collaboration with the Aventura Social team, the Escola Amiga da Criança project and with the support of Environment Global Facilities (EGF).

The results of the study were presented in a session at the Lisbon Oceanarium, moderated by psychologist Eduardo Sá. Professors and researchers Maria Conceição Silva (Portuguese Catholic University), Helena Águeda Marujo (Higher Institute of Social and Political Sciences) and Margarida Gaspar de Matos (Institute of Environmental Health and Portuguese Catholic University) participated in the presentation.