Self-Regulation as a Mediator and Moderator Between School Stress and School Well-Being: A Multilevel Study

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between school stress and school well-being, focusing on the mediating and moderating role of self-regulation. This cross-sectional study uses hierarchical linear modeling to assess how two aspects of school stress—perceived school stress at the individual level (students’ subjective appraisal of how stressful specific school demands are) and classroom stressor exposure at the group level (the aggregated frequency of stressful events occurring in each classroom)—are linked to student school well-being. The sample included 702 Polish primary school students (Grades 4, 6, and 8, approx. ages 10–15). Results indicate that while higher perceived school stress is associated with lower well-being, classroom-level stressor exposure also contributes to variations in student well-being. Self-regulation was positively associated with school well-being and partly accounted for the association between perceived stress and well-being. However, no significant moderating effect of self-regulation was found, suggesting that while self-regulation helps explain the link between stress and well-being, it does not necessarily attenuate the association between stress and well-being. These findings highlight the importance of both individual self-regulation skills and structural interventions aimed at reducing classroom stressors to promote student well-being.