Insights into School Well-Being: Development and Validation of the Appwel Measurement Instrument in Flemish Secondary Education

Abstract

In contemporary education, schools are increasingly expected to foster students’ subjective well-being alongside academic achievement, as both are recognized as mutually reinforcing conditions for learning, success, and long-term outcomes. This study presents Appwel, a scalable instrument assessing pupils’ self-reported school experiences. It contains 21 statements rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Appwel was developed through a sequential three-phase process. First a Delphi study (N = 40) identified key concepts, which informed questionnaire development. Second, an exploratory factor analysis in a large, voluntary sample of Flemish secondary school students (N = 44,870) examined the underlying structure. Third, a confirmatory factor analysis in an independent student sample (N = 56,624) provided initial evidence of validity and reliability for a four-factor model with satisfactory fit and internal consistency across gender and grade. The final structure comprised class climate and engagement, peer relationships, academic self-concept, and authenticity and support, offering a practically applicable framework for monitoring students’ school well-being. Grounded in internationally established models of school well-being, Appwel is context-specific to the adolescent school setting; however, its theoretically informed format allows for careful adaptation and future examination of its applicability across different educational, cultural, and longitudinal contexts.