Adolescent socio-emotional well-being is shaped by personal strengths and by the relational settings in which development occurs. Covitality provides a positive psychology framework for examining the co-occurrence of multiple socio-emotional strengths. This cross-sectional study examined concurrent associations between Covitality and sociodemographic characteristics, digital experiences, and contextual resources in 1,410 Ecuadorian adolescents. Covitality was assessed with the Social Emotional Health Survey–Secondary, whereas digital experiences and contextual indicators were derived from the EU Kids Online framework. Four theory-informed hierarchical regression models were estimated. The final model yielded an adjusted R² of .469. Family context, school context, peer support, and life satisfaction showed positive conditional associations with the global Covitality score, whereas the digital variables were not statistically significant after the contextual indicators were included. Because the global Covitality score contains relational components that are conceptually proximal to the external family, school, and peer indicators, and because life satisfaction is a closely related external well-being correlate, these associations and the increase in explained variance should be interpreted with caution. The findings extend evidence on adolescent Covitality to Ecuador and identify concurrent correlates that may inform hypotheses for educational and preventive research, without establishing causal or protective effects.
The increasing amount of time school-aged children spend using screens has raised concerns about its potential impact on cognitive development and academic achievement. This study examined the potential mediating role of working memory in the relationship between screen use and academic achievement in typically developing children. A total of 117 Spanish schoolchildren (51 girls and 66 boys; aged 6–8 years) enrolled in the second and third grades of primary school participated. Primary caregivers reported their children's daily screen time and completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function to assess executive functioning in everyday life. Reading and mathematics skills were assessed using standardized tests. These findings highlight the importance of considering cognitive processes and the relationship between screen use and academic performance. Limitations of the study include a non-representative sample and the lack of consideration of the type of screen use. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the direction of these associations and to inform evidence-based recommendations regarding screen use during childhood.
This cross-sectional study examined associations between perceived social environment support, resilience, and achievement motivation among 138 Grade X and XI boarding-school students. Participants completed questionnaires assessing achievement motivation (30 items), social environment support (20 items), and resilience (15 items). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression, and exploratory independent-samples t tests. Social environment support and resilience were positively associated with achievement motivation, jointly explaining 40.2% of its variance. After Holm correction, close-friend support was the only social-support dimension retaining statistical significance (adjusted p = .016); parental, teacher, and classmate support were not significant. Likewise, emotional regulation was the only resilience dimension remaining significant (adjusted p = .045); future orientation and seeking new experiences were not significant. Grade XI students reported significantly higher resilience than Grade X students, whereas female students perceived significantly greater social environment support than male students. Achievement motivation showed no significant differences by grade level or gender. These findings underscore the associations of interpersonal support and psychological resources with achievement motivation in boarding-school contexts. However, the cross-sectional design and single-school sample preclude causal inference and limit generalizability.
This study analyzes how Interactive Groups (IGs) have been implemented in 62 schools participating in the Learning Communities project that apply this Successful Educational Action. Specifically, it examines the training received by teachers, the educational stages and subject areas in which IGs are implemented, their purpose, frequency of implementation, and the profiles of participating volunteers. Data were collected through semi-structured, communicative interviews with members of the school leadership team and/or the project coordinator at each school. The results show that while initial teacher training is brief, a high proportion of schools actively seek additional specialized training. IGs are implemented primarily on a weekly basis, with a clear emphasis on instrumental subjects. While informants report that IGs are currently used mainly to reinforce prior learning and promote cooperation, the broader pedagogical potential of dialogic learning is also acknowledged. The findings also highlight the need to increase the number of volunteers involved. The study concludes that there is a need to expand teacher training in this methodology and to implement more effective strategies for volunteer recruitment. It also suggests increasing the frequency of implementation to consolidate IGs as a transformative tool for instrumental learning through dialogue.
Well-being is a condition in which individuals are able to meet the basic needs that support their development. This study aimed to integrate previously conducted qualitative studies focusing on students’ well-being in educational settings by means of a meta-study method. A systematic search was conducted in the Scopus database for studies published between 2019 and 2024. From 1432 initial records, 12 qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria. The study selection process followed the PRISMA framework, and the included studies were subjected to qualitative thematic content analysis. This meta-study discusses the methods and data analysis used, reviews the theories underlying the research, examines the results of the studies, and synthesizes everything to produce a more complete picture. The study results showed that students’ well-being was influenced by five interrelated dimensions, namely Academic and Cognitive Aspects, Emotional and Psychological Aspects, Social and Interpersonal Aspects, Physical and Environmental Aspects, and Spiritual Aspects. Psychological stability through self-efficacy, resilience, and stress management was a key foundation in shaping effective academic and social achievement. This study bridged various qualitative results that were previously scattered and provided a theoretical and practical basis for the development of a more integrated and student-centered education policy.
