Predictors of school satisfaction among adolescents in Jordan: a cross-sectional study exploring the role of school-related variables and student demographics

Figures & data

Table 1 Study participants

Characteristics and variables
Sex
Boys	442 (47.3%)
Girls	491(52.7%)
Age, years	14±1.23 14 (11–18)
Body-mass index	33.6±12.4 31 (11–48)
Mother’s education
No high school	63 (6.8%)
High school	260 (27.9%)
Diploma	226 (24.2%)
Bachelor	293 (31.4%)
Master's/PhD	91 (9.7%)
Father’s education (n=932)
No high school	64 (6.9%)
High school	146 (15.7%)
Diploma	148 (15.9%)
Bachelor	355 (38%)
Master's/PhD	219 (23.5%)
Father’s occupation
Unemployed	16 (1.7%)
Retired	81 (8.7%)
Full-time employee	326 (35%)
Professional practice	226 (24.2%)
Military	49 (5.2%)
Domestic work	235 (25.2%)
Mother’s occupation (n=915)
Housewife	603 (65.9%)
Retired	58 (6.4%)
Full-time employee	206 (22.5%)
Professional practice	33 (3.6%)
Military	1 (0.1%)
Domestic work	14 (1.5%)

Note: Data presented as n (%), mean ±SD, or median (range).

Table 2 School-related variables (n=933)

Variables
School pressure	54.3±16.1, 52.6 (21–100)
Teacher support	54.2±21.1, 50 (20–100)
Peer support	43.9±19.9, 40 (20–100)
Parent support	36.2±26.6, 20.6 (20–100)
Rules at school are fair	52.2±21.1, 50 (20–100)
School satisfaction	56.7±54.1, 20.7 (20–100)
Grade
Sixth	137 (14.7%)
Seventh	175 (18.8%)
Eighth	238 (25.5%)
Ninth	297 (31.8%)
Tenth	86 (9.2%)
Plans (n=932)
College/university	845 (90.6%)
Vocational education	14 (1.5%)
Apprenticeship	6 (0.7%)
Working	16 (1.7%)
Unemployed	5 (0.5%)
Do not know	46 (5%)
Academic performance from teachers’ point of view
Very good	482 (51.6%)
Good	276 (29.6%)
Average	118 (12.7%)
Below average	57 (6.1%)
Tiredness in morning
Rarely or never	138 (14.8%)
Occasionally	371 (39.8%)
1–3 times/week	173 (18.5%)
4 or more times/week	251 (26.9%)
Alone at school
Has not happened	655 (70.2%)
Once or twice	135 (14.5%)
Sometimes	98 (10.5%)
Once/week	14 (1.5%)
Several times/week	31 (3.3%)
Truancy/week
0 days	217 (23.2%)
1 day	206 (22.1%)
2 days	172 (18.4%)
3 days	155 (16.6%)
4 days or more	183 (19.6%)
Type of school
Public	567 (60.7%)
Private	366 (39.3%)

Note: Data presented as n (%), mean ±SD, or median (range).

Table 3 Demographic and school-related factors correlated with school satisfaction (n=933)

	Correlation index	P-value
Age	0.17**	<0.001
Body-mass index	−0.10**	0.001
Peer support	0.33**	<0.001
Teacher support	0.54**	<0.001
Parent support	0.21**	<0.001

Note: **P<0.01 level (two-tailed) using Pearson correlation.

Table 4 Linear regression analysis of predictors of adolescents’ school satisfaction (n=933)

	B*	SE	β	P
Tired in the morning	−1.6	0.54	− 0.08	0.003
Rules are fair at my school	4.3	0.44	0.28	<0.001
Peer support	0.12	0.03	0.11	<0.001
Teacher support	0.24	0.03	0.25	<0.001
Age, years	1.1	0.42	0.06	0.008
Male sex	2.7	1.05	0.06	0.01

Notes: *Coefficient estimation. Predictors of adolescents’ school-satisfaction final model = 0.05, F=10.4, P<0.001, R² =0.41. Excluded variables: school grade, female sex, plans, academic achievement, alone at school, truancy, parent support, body-mass index, parents’ support, type of school, school pressure, mother's occupation, mother's education, father's occupation, and father's education.

Table S1 Description of study variables

	Measurement	Answer options	Score range	Cronbach’s α
Academic performance	What do your teachers think about your school performance compared to classmates?	1=below average, 2=average, 3=good, 4=very good	Results described in frequencies and percentages	—
School pressure	My parents expect too much from me at school My teachers expect too much from me at school How much pressure do you feel because of the work you have to do at school?	1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3=neutral, 4=disagree, 5=strongly disagree 1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3=neutral, 4=disagree, 5=strongly disagree 1=not at all, 2=a little, 3=some, 4=a lot	(3–14) *(21–100)	0.46
Teacher support	I am encouraged to express my own views in my class Our teachers treat us fairly When I need extra help, I can get it My teachers are interested in me as a person	1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3=neutral, 4=disagree, 5=strongly disagree 1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3=neutral, 4=disagree, 5=strongly disagree 1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3=neutral, 4=disagree, 5=strongly disagree 1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3=neutral, 4=disagree, 5=strongly disagree	(4–20) *(20–100)	0.79
Peer support	The students in my class enjoy being together Most students in my class are kind and helpful The students accept me as I am	1=always, 2=often, 3=sometimes, 4=rarely, 5=never 1=always, 2=often, 3=sometimes, 4=rarely, 5=never 1=always, 2=often, 3=sometimes, 4=rarely, 5=never	3–15 *(20–100)	0.73
Parent support	If I have problems at school, my parents are ready to help My parents are willing to come to school to talk to teachers My parents encourage me to do well at the school	1=always, 2=often, 3=sometimes, 4=rarely, 5=never 1=always, 2=often, 3=sometimes, 4=rarely, 5=never 1=always, 2=often, 3=sometimes, 4=rarely, 5=never	3–15 *(20–100)	0.78
Fairness of rules	The rules at this school are fair	1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3=neutral, 4=disagree, 5=strongly disagree	1–5 *(20–100)
School satisfaction	Our school is a nice place to be How do you feel about school at present? I feel I belong at this school How often do you think that going to school is boring? Do you think that going to school is boring?	5=strongly agree, 4= agree, 3=neutral, 2=disagree, 1=strongly disagree 4=I like it a lot, 3= I like it a bit, 2=I don’t like it very much, 1=I don’t like it at all 5=strongly agree, 4=agree, 3=neutral, 2=disagree, 1=strongly disagree 1=always, 2=often, 3=sometimes, 4=rarely, 5=never 1=very often, 2=often, 3=sometimes, 4=rarely, 5=never	5–24 *(20–100)	0.40
Plans	What do you think you will be doing when you finish high school?	College/university Vocational education Apprenticeship Working Unemployed Don’t know	Data described in frequencies and percentages
Truancy	How many days have you skipped classes) or school this term?	0 days 1 day 2 days 3 days 4 or more days	Data described in frequencies and percentages
Feeling alone at school	How often has it happened this term that other students did not want to spend time with you at school and you ended up being alone?	It hasn’t happened this term Once or twice Sometimes About once a week Several times a week	Data described in frequencies and percentages
Tiredness in the morning	How often do you feel tired when you go to school in the morning?	Rarely or never Occasionally (once in a while) 1–3 times a week 4 or more times a week	Data described in frequencies and percentages

Note: *After normalization.