The Impact of School Well-Being on Educational Identity During School Transition: A Longitudinal Profile Analysis

This longitudinal study examined how trajectories of school well-being across four years influence educational identity in early adolescence. A sample of 452 Italian students (50.9% female, Mage = 8.58, SD = 0.68) was followed from 3rd to 8th grade. School well-being was evaluated at each time point, while educational identity was measured at the final time point. Using a person-centered approach, three profiles emerged: the first (12.17%) showed low and declining school well-being, the second (57.30%) presented medium levels with a moderate decrease, and the third profile (30.53%) characterized higher levels of school well-being. Results showed a significant effect of profile membership on educational commitment in 7th graders, with students in Profile 1 reporting significantly lower levels of educational commitment than those in Profile 3. We found a significant effect of profile membership on 8th-grade in-depth exploration, with students in Profile 3 reporting greater in-depth exploration than those in the other two profiles. No significant results emerged for reconsideration of commitment. Lastly, results highlighted a significant difference between females in Profiles 3 and 1 regarding 7th-grade in-depth exploration. Overall, findings underscore the importance of promoting school well-being to foster positive identity development during critical transitions.