Understanding school-related well-being in primary education: A systematic review and integrated framework

Dac-Thanh Nguyen; Phuong Xuan Vu; Nguyen Tan Loi

doi:10.33902/JPSP.202647001

Dac-Thanh Nguyen ¹, Phuong Xuan Vu ², Nguyen Tan Loi ¹ ^*

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¹ Faculty of Educational Sciences, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
² Faculty of Cultural Industries, Thu Dau Mot University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
^* Corresponding Author

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ARTICLE INFO

Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 2026 - Volume 8 Issue 3, Article No: e47001
https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.202647001

Article Type: Review Article

Published Online: 02 Sep 2026

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ABSTRACT

School-related well-being has received increasing attention as schools are expected to support children’s broader development alongside academic achievement. However, evidence remains fragmented because of inconsistent conceptualisations, varied measurement approaches, and limited integration of how school-related well-being is understood in primary education. This systematic literature review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines to synthesise research on school-related well-being in primary school contexts. Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and five major publisher platforms were searched for English-language studies published between 2016 and 2026. Following a post-hoc eligibility re-audit, 18 primary empirical studies met the inclusion criteria and were analysed using thematic synthesis. The findings show that school-related well-being is commonly conceptualised as a multidimensional construct reflecting students’ emotional, cognitive, relational, and developmental experiences at school, although overlap with related constructs remains. Measurement approaches varied considerably, limiting comparison across studies. School-related well-being was associated with relational and instructional conditions and may be linked to positive educational outcomes, including engagement, motivation, academic self-concept, social functioning, and health-related experiences. Based on the synthesis, the review proposes an integrated conceptual framework linking school conditions, students’ school experiences, and educational outcomes. The findings highlight the need for clearer conceptual boundaries, more consistent measurement, and further longitudinal, comparative, and context-sensitive research.

KEYWORDS

educational outcomes primary education school environment school-related well-being systematic literature review

In-text citation: (Nguyen et al., 2026)
Reference: Nguyen, D.-T., Vu, P. X., & Loi, N. T. (2026). Understanding school-related well-being in primary education: A systematic review and integrated framework. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 8(3), e47001. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.202647001

In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Nguyen DT, Vu PX, Loi NT. Understanding school-related well-being in primary education: A systematic review and integrated framework. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology. 2026;8(3), e47001. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.202647001

In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Nguyen DT, Vu PX, Loi NT. Understanding school-related well-being in primary education: A systematic review and integrated framework. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology. 2026;8(3):e47001. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.202647001

In-text citation: (Nguyen et al., 2026)
Reference: Nguyen, Dac-Thanh, Phuong Xuan Vu, and Nguyen Tan Loi. "Understanding school-related well-being in primary education: A systematic review and integrated framework". Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology 2026 8 no. 3 (2026): e47001. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.202647001

In-text citation: (Nguyen et al., 2026)
Reference: Nguyen, D.-T., Vu, P. X., and Loi, N. T. (2026). Understanding school-related well-being in primary education: A systematic review and integrated framework. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 8(3), e47001. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.202647001

In-text citation: (Nguyen et al., 2026)
Reference: Nguyen, Dac-Thanh et al. "Understanding school-related well-being in primary education: A systematic review and integrated framework". Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, vol. 8, no. 3, 2026, e47001. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.202647001

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