Primary and lower secondary school students’ social support profiles and study wellbeing

Abstract

This study explored an individual variation in perceived social support from teachers, peers, and guardians and their association with experienced study engagement and study burnout. Two cohorts of students participated in the study: fourth graders from primary school (age 10, n = 2401) and seventh graders from lower secondary school (age 13, n = 1529) in Finland. The analysis was conducted using latent profile analysis. Several equivalent profiles with different configurations of perceived social support from three sources were identified in both age groups. The profiles differed from each other in terms of study engagement and study burnout. Moreover, social support from different sources had somewhat different functions on students’ study wellbeing, although teacher and peer support seemed to play particularly central roles.