New article published in Social Psychology of Education

The study “The development of students’ school enjoyment in lower secondary school and its effect on academic achievement” by Alyssa Grecu, Saikat Ghosh and Nele McElvany examines how students enjoyment of school develops from Grade 4 through the course of lower secondary school and how these changes relate to academic performance, with particular attention to gender differences. 

Drawing on longitudinal data from the National Educational Panel Study in Germany, the authors analyse the trajectories of more than 8,000 students from Grade 4 to Grade 7.

Their findings show a steady decline in school enjoyment across this period, with boys experiencing a stronger decrease than girls. At the same time, higher levels of school enjoyment are consistently associated with better achievement in German and mathematics. 

The results underline the importance of positive school experiences for students’ well-being and learning success and point to implications for school development, teacher training and curriculum design aimed at fostering supportive and inclusive learning environments.

To the Article: Article in Social Psychology of Education