Well-being of Secondary School Students in Kinshasa

: The aim of this study was to evaluate the academic well-being of secondary school students at a school in the city of Kinshasa. To achieve this objective, a survey (supported by school well-being and school satisfaction scales) was carried out among a sample of 106 students in the final year of secondary school at the Institut Pédagogiq ue et Technique Mokengeli. The study data were processed using elementary statistical indices (frequency and percentage of respondents to each item modality) and the chi-square test. The results of the study revealed that respondents experienced a real sense of well-being at school (in its multi-dimensionality) and school satisfaction (well-being in its unidimensionality).This well-being manifested itself in positive perceptions of students' relationships with teachers, parity relations, and reports on assessments, safety and classroom experience.


Introduction
Nowadays, schools educational objectives are no longer limited to the development of pupils' knowledge and skills; they also relate to the children's self-fulfilment at school, so that they integrate as fully as possible into society, realising their potential and living life to the full (Guimard et al., 2014;Mwenzi et al., 2022b).With this in mind, Article 29 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) recommends that schools promote the development of the child's personality, talents and abilities to their fullest potential.This same concern is voiced in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by the Loi-cadre de l'enseignement national (2014), which assigns to Congolese schools the mission in order to ensure that every person's individual growth is fully and harmoniously nurtured, which allows them to be valuable both to themselves and society.This new mission consists, according to Guimard et al. (2015), in ensuring students' well-being in all areas of their lives in society and, exceptionally, at school.In this context, the success of students is no longer reduced solely by their academic performance, but also by their well-being in the various areas of life at school.It's important noting that the discussed well-being refers to school satisfaction.In other words, it is the student's cognitive and effective assessment of the overall satisfaction of the experiences students have in the school environment (school learning, teacher-student relationships, peer relationships, etc.).In this context, the well-being at school is made up of three components: school satisfaction; positive affects linked to the positive emotions the student experiences during school experiences (feeling happy and comfortable at school) and negative affects marked by certain school experiences generating negative emotions (the tendency to feel depressed, upset or bored) (Pinel-Jacquemin, 2017).
Studies carried out in several educational systems around the world have shown that the student's well-being at school is a factor influencing many aspects of teaching-learning.From these studies, it has been found that students who are satisfied with their lives at school are more likely to develop adaptive strategies, increase their personal resources and commit themselves to success at school.Conversely, students who are dissatisfied with school have lower overall life satisfaction than their satisfied peers, and are at greater risk of developing learning disabilities, mental health problems and social integration difficulties (Randolph et al., 2009).
As a result, they tend to score higher on assessments than their dissatisfied peers.Conversely, students who are dissatisfied with school have lower overall life satisfaction than their satisfied peers, and are at greater risk of developing learning disabilities, mental health problems and social integration difficulties (Spitz et al., 2007).The studies showcasing the significance of well-being in students' school adjustment have sparked a discussion regarding the school's role in cultivating learners' well-being.Two contradictory trends emerge from this debate.The first, embodied in the studies by Huebner (1991), Huebner and Aldeman (1993), and Ash and Huebner (1998), postulates that school education has a direct and/or indirect influence on students' school well-being or quality of life.Ash and Huebner (1998) assert that school completion positively influences learners' quality of life or school well-being to varying degrees.However, in most cases, this effect seems to be indirect rather than direct.As a result, it can be concluded that the school training probably contributes to the development of a number of competencies which, in turn, have a positive and lasting influence on students' quality of life or school well-being.In the same vein, several other authors assert that the school training has a positive influence on school engagement, which in turn plays a moderating role on several dimensions of student well-being at school, such as the quality of social interactions or the student's psychosocial skills (Appleton et al., 2006;Case, 2007;Jimerson et al., 2003;Kuh, 2001;Pontius & Harper, 2006;Willms, 2003), the positive perception of support received (Berger & Milem, 1999;Kuh, 2001), the quality of personal development (Astin, 1999;Case, 2007;Reeve et al., 2004), the feeling of personal fulfillment (Case, 2007) and the development of a sense of competence (Berger & Milem, 1999;Case, 2007;Pontius & Harper, 2006).
The second trend suggests that when a student starts school, they may experience various pressures that can result in feelings of anxiety.Interestingly, this anxiety is seen as a sign of uneasiness or discomfort within the school environment.Indeed, several authors (Bofula et al., 2023;Mwenzi & Moyamani, 2023;Mwenzi & Ndibeyang, 2023;Ngub'usim Mpey Nka et al., 2017;Philippe, 2017) assert that secondary school confronts students with all kinds of stress-and anxiety-generating changes, requiring them to make multiple adaptations to their new school and personal environment.
For some vulnerable students, the stress can take on unbearable proportions, suffocating their minds and spirits and giving rise to dysfunctional strategies, such as escaping into sleep, avoidance, altering habits involving the consumption of products, alcohol, or other harmful substances, as well as adopting non-violent and inclusive attitudes towards oneself and others (Saleh et al., 2015).Huebner and Gilman's (2006) study of students reveals that dysfunctional strategies are chosen by a quarter of students, with avoidance and escape strategies being the most common.It is against this backdrop that several studies draw a psychological profile of students marked by depressive symptoms that indicate total dissatisfaction or a generalized sense of malaise on the part of students (Brault-Labbé & Dubé, 2010;LMDE & Chiltz, 2016;Spitz et al, 2007).
In the Congolese context, the issue of student well-being at school is rarely documented.The few studies carried out in this area of well-being have been conducted among students and teachers at a few universities in the city of Kinshasa (Banza Nsomwe-a-Nfunkwa et al., 2023;Mwenzi et al., 2023).The present study therefore set out to fill this gap in the literature by assessing the academic well-being of secondary school pupils in a school in the city of Kinshasa.

Research Problem
The role of the school in students' well-being is well established.Indeed, the school is recognised as an environment that is supportive of health promotion interventions, as it offers privileged access to all children and adolescents (Simar et al., 2018).For this reason, the school environment is also considered as a factor in its own right that can affect students' well-being.This consideration is due to the fact that young people spend a significant amount of time at school.As such, the school environment is one of the contextual dimensions measured by the international HBSC (Health Behaviour in Schoolaged Children) survey, coordinated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and focusing on healthrelated behaviours among young people aged 11 to 15 (Baudoin & Galand, 2021).More specifically, from a health promotion perspective, the Health Promoting School approach has been proposed by the WHO to provide a framework for health promotion activities and programs in the school context.
Promoting students' mental health and well-being is one of the objectives of this approach, alongside the adoption of healthy behaviours in terms of diet, physical activity and substance use.
Various scientific studies therefore refer to this approach or evaluate programs set up in schools within this framework (Langford et al., 2014).The situation in Congolese schools, in the context of student wellbeing, is very worrying.
Congolese schools, in most cases, face an unhealthy environment marked by poor living and working conditions.Only a few schools are exceptions, meeting the school standards set by legal texts.In most cases, Congolese schools do not meet the environmental, pedagogical and sanitary requirements of 21st century schools.This particular school context means that pupils do not feel safe at school.As a result, the school climate in these schools is problematic (Mwenzi & Ndibeyang, 2023).Given the challenging situation faced by Congolese schools, it is crucial to examine the factors that could facilitate the enhancement of working and living conditions within these institutions.School well-being is one of these factors.Indeed, studies of well-being in the Congolese context make it possible to assess the environment of Congolese schools, which is essential if we are to raise the standard of education in these establishments.These studies have the advantage of identifying aspects of the school environment that negatively affect school well-being.Such identification, using the SWOT approach, makes it possible to propose a series of strategies for improving the Congolese school environment.With such studies, it is possible to draw up an organisational diagnosis of schools, identifying their strengths, weaknesses, threats and, above all, opportunities to enhance the quality of training provided in Congolese schools.These studies could enable Congolese schools to meet the characteristics of the schools of tomorrow (of the future), one of whose features is the feeling of well-being of pupils at school.
In the DRC, studies evaluating pupils' well-being at school are rare.These include studies by Lufungula (2011) and Wantuadi (2019).In his study concerning the well-being of Congolese schoolchildren and difficulties in adapting to learning conditions, Lufungula (2011) found that pupils in Congolese schools did not feel happy in their respective schools, whatever the management regime.In fact, the OECD's (2015) PISA survey revealed that over 50% of pupils in the European Union were dissatisfied with their schools.
In the same vein, Wantuadi (2019) conducted a study relating the well-being at school to the academic success of pupils at the Lycée Lycée Technique Omisalisa in Bandalungwa.The author found that pupils at this Lycée demonstrated a pronounced state of school well-being.The author found that students at this Lycée demonstrated a pronounced state of academic well-being.Unfortunately, both studies were based on a questionnaire survey.No validated measures of well-being were used in these studies.This limitation, linked to the validity of the instrument used to measure the school well-being, prompted the present study, which set out to document the school well-being of secondary-level pupils at a school in the city of Kinshasa (in this case, the Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli).Specifically, two scales assessing the well-being whose metrological qualities (validity, fidelity) have been attested in this study.These were the scales of student well-being at school by Guimard et al. (2015) and the school satisfaction by Guimard et al. (2014).Unlike the questionnaire used in Congolese studies, these scales assessed the well-being using validated items adapted to the Congolese educational context.
This study also aimed to verify in the Congolese context the applicability of the results of previous studies carried out outside the DRC.It enabled the quality of life and satisfaction of pupils at school through their well-being diagnose.As such, it can assist in indirectly illustrating the reasons for dropout and disinterest in education among specific pupils from the Democratic Republic of Congo.Indirectly, the main interest of this study was to help reducing the dropout rate among Kinshasa's pupils.Indeed, different studies have shown that pupils tended to run away from school more often when they feel unhappy at school (Mwenzi & Ndibeyang, 2023).Such runaways can only prevent students from taking advantage of their right to a quality education in line with the goals of a sustainable development.Thus, studying the well-being of Kinshasa's schoolchildren made it possible to identify the factors enabling the achievement of sustainable development goal 4 on equal access to quality education for all, and the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities.

Research Aim and Research Questions
The aim of this study was to assess the academic well-being of students at the Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli.This general objective gave rise to the following two questions: (1) do students at the Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli demonstrate a high level of school well-being in its various dimensions (relationship with teachers, peer relations, relationship with assessments, feeling of safety, satisfaction in the classroom, school activities and school satisfaction)? ( 2) does the well-being of these students vary according to certain socio-demographic characteristics of the latter (gender, age and class)?
Two hypotheses were proposed to answer these research questions: (1) at the Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli pupils demonstrate a high level of well-being at school, in all its dimensions ; (2) the well-being of these pupils would vary according to certain socio-demographic characteristics of the latter (gender, age and class).

Research Methodology
The survey method in order to collect the study data in the target school was used.This method was supported by the use of two scales assessing the school well-being and satisfaction.

Participants
The study specifically examined the group of students who were in the last year of their secondary education at the school under investigation (Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli).Specifically, the school's 5th and 6th grade humanities students enrolled for the 2021-2022 school year, with a total enrolment of around 296 subjects, 180 in General Pedagogy and 116 in Commercial Computer Science.The Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli is a Protestant school located on avenue Lombo 116 in the commune of Lemba, not far from the Super Lemba traffic circle.It offers secondary-level education in two sections: pedagogical (general pedagogy) and technical (business and management).
Due to the unavailability of randomly selected students during the fieldwork period, a less than representative sample of 106 students from the 5th and 6th years of the humanities (equivalent to the 3rd and 4th years of the humanities in the new configuration of secondary education) was used.For this purpose, subjects who were available to participate in the study were used.The use of this type of sample was dictated by the refusal of randomly selected students to participate in this study.In order to ensure ethical integrity in the study, it was imperative for to prioritise the respect for participants' voluntary consent to participate.Hence, it was crucial to utilise a sample that might not necessarily reflect a broader population.The use of this sample was also determined by the need to respect research ethics, which require informed consent from respondents, guaranteeing the anonymity of the information obtained.Despite the difficulty of generalising results from this type of sample, the results obtained with such a sample are valid and provide relevant information on the target subject group.This sample varied according to the following socio-demographic variables: (1) gender, (2) age and (3) class.In terms of gender, the sample was made up of 58 boys and 48 girls.In terms of age, there were 41 subjects aged 15-17 and 65 subjects aged 18-22.Finally, in terms of classroom, there were 25 subjects from the fifth year of the pedagogical humanities, 25 from the fifth year of the commercial humanities, 32 from the sixth year of the pedagogical humanities and 24 from the sixth year of the commercial humanities.

Instrument and Procedures
Two scales were used to collect the study data.These were the scales: (1) of overall school satisfaction by Guimard et al. (2014) and ( 2) of student well-being at school by Guimard et al. (2015).The study period refereed to the school year.
The well-being-at-school scale, commonly known as the BE-school Questionnaire, was developed by Guimard and colleagues on the basis of data from the international literature and their own work on children's well-being and quality of life at school (Florin & Bacro, 2017;Guimard et al., 2014;Préau & Florin, 2013).This multidimensional scale is made up of 28 items, the aim of which is to capture the different aspects of school life that contribute not only to students' level of satisfaction, but also to their integration into the peer group and the absence of negative affects that can be felt at school.The format of the items on this scale is inspired by Harter's Self Perception Profile (Harter, 1982).
For each item, the child is presented with two categories of students, usually distinguished by a simple negation ("Some students are afraid of..." vs. versus "Other students are not afraid of...").Pupils are asked to choose the one they most resemble.They are then asked to specify their answer by indicating whether the category of students they have chosen is really or almost like them.Answers are distributed on a 4-point scale, with a score of 4 corresponding to the best assessment.There are 6 dimensions assessed: relations with teachers, school activities, satisfaction with the classroom, peer relations, feeling of security and relationship with assessments.
The version used in the present study has undergone some modifications in terms of presentation.Firstly, the item statements were not presented in two categories; only the category of statements referring to a positive situation was retained.Thus, when confronted with these statements, the subjects were asked to express their degree of approval or disapproval.Secondly, the different response modalities by inviting subjects to say whether they totally disagreed, disagreed, agreed or totally agreed with the different statements on the scale were modified.
The school satisfaction scale used in the present study was developed by Guimard et al. (2014).Included in the abridged version of the Multidimensional Sudents Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS) by Huebner et al. (2012).It consists of 5 items capturing very global representations of students' satisfaction at school (example items: "I learn a lot at school"; "School is interesting").Students were asked to choose their response on a 6-point scale ranging from 1 (absolutely disagree) to 6 (absolutely agree).In this study, we determined it appropriate to evaluate students' satisfaction with their school using a 4-point scale that includes responses from strongly disagree, disagree, agree, and strongly agree.
The study of the internal consistency of these two scales demonstrated their good internal homogeneity, as the associated Cronbach's alphas values were above the minimum acceptability threshold of .70 for a fidelity coefficient.Indeed, the Cronbach's alphas values for the different dimensions of the school well-being scale are respectively .71,.74,.76,.72,.76 and .77for relations with teachers, school activities, satisfaction with the classroom, peer relations, feeling of safety and rapport with assessments.On the school satisfaction scale, the alpha value was .81.

Data Analysis
To process the data from this study, the IBM SPSS version 26 statistical software was used, which enabled obtaining the frequencies and percentages of the data.It also enabled obtaining the observed values of the Chi-Square test for the differential analysis of the results.Frequencies and percentages enabled testing the first hypothesis concerning the level of students' school well-being.For each question, the percentages of subjects who totally agreed and agreed with the question statement were added up.Thus, when it was found that there were more than fifty percent in agreement, we concluded to a positive evaluation of the indicator.The chi-square test enabled testing the study's second hypothesis concerning the effect of variables on student well-being.

Research Results
The results of the study are presented in the following lines in a global way, without taking into account the specificities of socio-demographic variables.This presentation, although global, was made question by question, according to the two scales used in the present study (the school well-being scale and the school satisfaction scale).

Results on the School Well-being Scale
The academic well-being scale was made up of six themes (Relationships with teachers, School activities, Satisfaction with the classroom, Joint relationships, Sense of security and Relationship to assessments).We present the results theme by theme, specifying the frequencies and percentages of each degree of approval and disapproval for each item in the theme.The results are presented in the following lines in a global way, without taking into account specific socio-demographic variables.This presentation, although global, is question-by-question, according to the two scales used in this study (The school well-being scale and the school satisfaction scale).Note.TD: Totally Disagree, D: Disagree, A: Agree and SA: Strongly Agree Source: author's own development.
From Table 1 it emerges that 82.1% of study subjects, to varying degrees, say that their school teachers help them sufficiently with academic activities, versus 17.9% who take the opposite view.From the same table, it is visible that 72.6% of respondents, to varying degrees, disapprove of their school teachers' tendency to praise them when they give good answers to assessment questions, versus 27.4% of subjects who support this statement.The same table shows that 84.9% of subjects, at different levels, would like their school's teachers to be able to explain more difficult subjects, versus 15.1% of subjects who hold the opposite view.What's more, 51.8% of subjects claim that their teachers know how to draw learners' attention, versus 48.2% of subjects who hold the opposite view.Finally, 67.9% of respondents, ©Copyright 2024 by the author(s) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
at different levels, affirm that their teachers have no difficulty in enforcing discipline in the classroom, against 32.1% of subjects who hold the opposite view.Table 2 shows that 61.4% of subjects, at different levels, are happy to learn new things at their school, compared with 38.6% who have the opposite opinion.In the same vein, 67.9% of respondents, at different levels, think they have enough work to do, compared with 32.1% who think the opposite.What's more, 59.5% of subjects, with varying degrees of intensity, greatly appreciate the assessment period at school.The majority of subjects in the study (64.1%) claim to work a lot at school.Finally, 53.7% of respondents are happy to attend their school, compared with 46.3% who feel the opposite.Table 3 shows that 56.6% of respondents, to varying degrees, say they strongly like their classrooms.In the same context, 67% of subjects are happy to be in their classrooms.What's more, 66% of respondents, to varying degrees, are happy with their teachers and like them a lot.Finally, 63.2% of subjects, to varying degrees, are happy with the state of their classrooms.Table 4 shows that 57.5% of respondents, to varying degrees, find it easy to make friends at school.In the same vein, 71.7% of subjects, albeit to varying degrees, claim to be well liked by other students at their school, compared with 28.3% who hold the opposite view.What's more, 53.8% of respondents, with varying degrees of intensity, claim to have lots of friends in their school.Finally, 53.8% of subjects, to varying degrees, claim to get on well with the other pupils in their school.Table 5 shows that 74.5% of respondents, to varying degrees, say they are not afraid of having their belongings stolen in their school, compared with 25.5% who are.In addition, 69.9% of subjects are not worried when they are in their school.In the same vein, 56.6% of respondents said they were not afraid of being physically threatened by other students in their school.Another 52.8% said they were not afraid of strangers bothering them at school.Finally, 62.3% of subjects were afraid of something happening to them on the way to school.Table 6 shows that 63.2% of respondents, to varying degrees, say they are not afraid of schoolwork.In the same vein, 63.2% of subjects, at different levels, are not afraid of showing their schoolwork to their colleagues, compared with 36.8% who hold the opposite view.The same table shows that 67% of subjects, to varying degrees, are not afraid of making mistakes when doing their schoolwork.In addition, 63.2% of subjects, to varying degrees, are not afraid when their teachers talk to them.Finally, 54.8% of respondents, albeit at different levels, are afraid of getting bad marks at the end of the school year, compared with 45.2% of subjects who have no such fear.

School Satisfaction Scale Results
This scale consists of five items.The subjects' reactions to these questions are presented in the following table.A reading of Table 7 reveals that 66% of respondents claim, to varying degrees, to learn a lot at their school, compared with 34% who take the opposite view.The same table shows that 58.5% of subjects are happy to go to school.What's more, 56.6% of respondents, to varying degrees, claim to feel good about their school.Similarly, 55.7% of respondents, to varying degrees, say their school is interesting.Finally, 54.87% of subjects, with varying nuances, said they liked the activities offered at their school.

Differential Analysis of Results
In this section of the study, the responses of weather the participants to the well-being assessment at school differed based on socio-demographic factors such as gender, age, and class were investigated.To this end, seven questions were targeted for the present differential analysis.These were questions 1, 8, 12, 18, 21 and 28 for the six themes of the school well-being scale.For the school satisfaction scale, question 3 was targeted.To test the influence of these variables, the chi-square test (χ2) obtained with IBM SPSS version 26 statistical software was used.Source: Author's own development.
Table 8 shows that the gender variable did not influence the academic well-being of the study subjects, as all the associated probabilities are above the theoretical probability (0.05).Source: author's own development.
Table 9 shows that the age group variable did not differentiate the perception of school well-being of the subjects in the study, since all the probabilities associated with it are far higher than the theoretical probability (0.05).Relations with Partners (Q.18) 9,90 0,42 Not significant Sense of Security (Q.21)6,08 0,32 Not significant Relationship to Assessments (Q.28) 6,12 0,31 Not significant Satisfaction at school School Satisfaction (Q.3) 5,25 0,31 Not significant Source: Author's own development.
Table 10 shows that the class variable did not exert a significant influence on the academic wellbeing of the subjects in the study, as all the associated probabilities were above the theoretical probability (0.05).

Discussion
Overall, the results reveal that the subjects in the presented study experience a strong sense of well-being at school, as they positively rated all dimensions of the school well-being scale.Specifically, all indicators of five dimensions (relationship with teachers, school activities, satisfaction in the classroom, peer relationship, relationship with assessments) were positively rated.In terms of feeling safe, only one of the five indicators was rated negatively.On the school satisfaction scale, four of the five indicators were positively rated.It can be therefore concluded that the study subjects are satisfied with their school.This high level of school satisfaction reflects students' strong motivation to study at the Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli.
This particular student satisfaction with the school can be justified by the strong reputation of this institute compared to other secondary schools.Indeed, several studies (Mwenzi et al., 2022a;Mwenzi et al., 2023) highlight the correlation between a student's self-confidence and the reputation of the educational institution they attend (or satisfaction with schooling).As a result, they experience less stress about their future at school.It's against this backdrop that the study subjects say they find the Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli interesting and enjoy the activities it organizes.
In addition to the school's reputation, the active, participative and student-centered teaching methods also contribute to this sense of well-being.Indeed, active methods have the advantage of placing students at the center of their training.Their activity is solicited at all times.This high level of involvement can help boost self-esteem, which in turn can have an impact on students' academic progress.The role of teaching practices in this strong sense of well-being is not to be overlooked.Indeed, studies have shown that these practices had a positive impact on students' well-being.The list of such practices includes: (1) teachers' social support, (2) support for autonomy (vs.control) and participation, (3) classroom management and discipline, (4) support for learning 16 and finally (5) emphasis on performance (pressure, social comparison, etc.) (Baudoin & Galand, 2021).For these authors, when these practices are evaluated positively in a pedagogical context, they contribute to a particular development of student well-being.Observation at the Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli shows that these practices are positively evaluated.So it's only natural that students at this institute should feel a sense of well-being at school.What's more, studies have shown that good quality training creates a sense of pride in learners (Guimard et al, 2015).This pride increases academic self-esteem, which in turn is an adjunct to wellbeing at school.As the feeling of security is also positively evaluated, it can be concluded that the Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli is a secure environment.These results reinforce those of Wantuadi (2019), who found a strong sense of security among students at Lycée Tomisalisa.In view of the general trends in the paper's results, it can be affirmed that the Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli makes a positive contribution to improving the mental health of its pupils by significantly enhancing their well-being.These results testify to the effectiveness of the training provided at Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli relative to its objective of contributing to the development of students by enabling them to realise their full potential in order to participate actively in economic and social life (Guimard et al. 2015).
The results of the study are in line with those of Pascarella and Terenzini (2005), who found that American college education had a positive influence on learners' quality of life or psychological wellbeing.The results are also in line with those of Doucet ( 2014), who found that Canadian learners in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region experienced high school satisfaction.Wantuadi's (2019) findings that students at Lycée Omisalisa experienced a sense of academic well-being are reinforced.Such a sense of well-being at school allows confirming the first hypothesis that students at the Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli would demonstrate a pronounced state of well-being at school.
The differential analysis revealed that none of the socio-demographic variables (gender, age and class) influenced the study subjects' perception of well-being at school.The non-influence of the class variable calls into question the results of Konu and Rimpelä (2002), who found that a subject's evaluation of well-being varies according to his or her level and stream of study.The non-influence of age calls into question Kong's (2008) conclusion that younger learners were more satisfied at the training institution than older ones.With regard to the lack of influence of gender, the presented results call into question Kong's (2008) finding that girls are more satisfied with the training institution than boys.The lack of influence of socio-demographic variables on students' well-being at school leads us to invalidate our second hypothesis, according to which students' well-being would vary according to certain socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age and class).
This study, while presenting acceptable results, has some limitations related to the number of schools considered in the study, sample size, sample type and the nature of the results presented.The present study was carried out in just one secondary school.Multiple schools would have been ideal.In terms of sample size, it would have been ideal to have a larger sample size to ensure the qualitative representativeness of the subjects.However, due to limitations within the field, we were compelled to utilise a sample that was not highly representative.The ideal would have been to have a highly representative sample.Finally, in terms of the results presented, a statistical approach based on frequency and percentage was favoured.Central tendency and dispersion statistics were also available.
One of the limitations of this study is linked to the nature of our sample, which does not allow the results to be generalised to the entire population.However, the results of this study provide a general picture of the situation of well-being, which can be the basis for a number of changes in teaching practices.On the basis of these results, it is important suggesting that teachers in various schools in the city of Kinshasa review their teaching practices.This review of teaching practices should be reflected in: (1) the tendency of female teachers to support pupils in different pedagogical activities, (2) the tendency of male teachers to stimulate pupils' autonomy in pedagogical activities and (3) good classroom management and discipline.
Based on the results of the study, other schools can improve their school climate, using the situation at Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli as a model.This improvement should result in: (1) quality interactions between students and teachers, (2) a strong sense of security at school, (3) organizational justice and (4) a good working climate.All these elements contribute to a greater sense of well-being among students.

Conclusions and Implications
Pupils' well-being at school is an important issue, as it is one of the factors that explain the academic success.In fact, studies have identified four dimensions of well-being that significantly affect students' academic success.These are teacher relations, school activities, sense of security and peer relations (Mwenzi et al., 2023).
The relationship between teacher relations and students' academic performance could be justified by the fact that the entire teaching-learning process is based on ongoing interactions between teachers and taught.In addition to that, these relationships also constitute a key component of the pedagogical triangle, which typically consists of the teacher, the learner, and the knowledge.So it stands to reason that a student's satisfaction with his or her relationships with teachers should lead to strong academic performance.Indeed, studies on the determinants of success at university by Pascarella and Terenzini (2005) consider teacher-teacher interaction to be a key factor in a student's adaptation to university and, consequently, in his or her academic success.
The positive relationship between school activities and school performance could be justified by the fact that these activities are the focus of academic assessments, which can result in either high or low performance.What's more, these activities form an integral part of the pedagogical triangle that sums up all the related activities in the teaching-learning process.In this triangle, they are called knowledge.The positive and significant relationship between peer relationships and academic performance, when attested, could be justified by the fact that peer exchanges are indicators of a good academic climate, which, moreover, is a guarantee of strong academic performance (Mwenzi & Ndibeyang, 2023).
The positive relationship between feeling safe and academic performance could be justified by the fact that safety is an important variable in the success of teaching-learning activities.No academic activity can be successful in an environment marked by insecurity.It is therefore vital for students to feel secure in their school environment, as this feeling can facilitate the smooth running of learning activities.
The importance of well-being in school life today justifies the large number of studies assessing it.With this in mind, the academic well-being of secondary school pupils at a school in the city of Kinshasa (Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli) was assessed, in order to find out whether the school's pedagogical context was conducive to the integral, high-quality development of its pupils.
To this end, two scales assessing the well-being at school and school satisfaction to a sample of 106 students in the final year of secondary school at the above-mentioned school were administered.The results attested to the existence of a real sense of school well-being among the surveyed subjects.This sense of well-being translates into: (1) students' good relations with teachers, (2) a good perception of school activities, (3) a feeling of satisfaction in the classroom, (4) good parity relations, (5) a feeling of safety at school and (6) good assessment reports.In addition, the subjects surveyed experienced an overall sense of satisfaction with school.This sense of well-being can be attributed to the pedagogical context of the Institut Pédagogique et Technique Mokengeli.The prevailing school climate may also explain this sense of well-being.Thus, it can be suggested that schools that aspire to strengthen students' sense of well-being at school should improve their school climate and students' working conditions, as these two dimensions can act as factors in school satisfaction.
With regard to improving the climate, two suggestions can be made concerning the feeling of safety and relations between students and teachers.With regard to students' sense of security at school, it is important that school bylaws clearly set out explicit rules for preventing violence and harassment.It would also be important to provide for sanctions in the event of violence or harassment.
As far as teacher-student relations are concerned, it's important for educators to listen to learners, get actively involved in classroom activities and praise students for their efforts and participation.These small gestures are examples of actions taken by teachers who invest themselves in their relationships with students.The results of this study may give rise to a revision of the educational aims of the Congolese education system, placing greater emphasis on the development of pupils' well-being.In accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), a modern school is one that fosters the development of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential.To foster this development, it is important that the development of well-being, as psychosocial skills, be included in the educational goals of the Congolese education system.

Suggestions for Future Research
Several avenues of research can be proposed in view of certain limitations of this work.Firstly, the study could be extended to several secondary schools in the city of Kinshasa, to provide a basis for comparison.Secondly, the school well-being could be related to several psychological or pedagogical dimensions (academic success, school motivation, pupils' work involvement).Thirdly, it is possible to identify the dimensions of the study climate that can contribute to enhancing student well-being.The effect of school quality on student well-being can also be studied.The nature of student well-being can also be studied in relation to school location (urban or rural).
©Copyright 2024 by the author(s) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
©Copyright 2024 by the author(s) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Table 1
Results for Relationships with Teachers

Table 2
Results Related to School Activities

Table 3
Classroom Satisfaction Results

Table 4 Results
Related to Parity Relations ©Copyright 2024 by the author(s) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Table 5
Results Related to Feelings of Safety

Table 6
Results Related to the Evaluation Report ©Copyright 2024 by the author(s) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Table 7
School Satisfaction Results

Table 8
Influence of Gender on Study Results (p.0.05)

Table 10
Influence of Class Variable on StudyResults (p.0.05) ©Copyright 2024 by the author(s) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.