Examining how flexi schools support the psychological wellbeing of marginalized youth: a longitudinal study

Abstract

There exists little quantitative data on longitudinal life outcomes, such as employment and wellbeing, for marginalized students who reconnect with learning via flexible learning. This article reports on longitudinal associations between satisfying psychological wellbeing at school and quality of life after school. Forty-one past students of a flexible learning campus in a regional Australia City, aged between 18 and 31 years responded in an online survey, available over a 6-month period, on the school Facebook page. The survey measured satisfaction of psychological needs when at school (autonomy, relatedness and competence), and current quality of life factors (income, employment, positive relationships, emotions and accomplishment etc.). Bivariate correlation results suggested that greater satisfaction of basic psychological wellbeing at school is directly associated with improved psychology and wellbeing factors in later life. This has implications for research supporting investment in psychological wellbeing at school based on longitudinal wellbeing benefits.

Keywords

• Marginalized
• adolescent
• quantitative
• education
• alternative education
• self-determination