The Mediation Role of School Alienation Between Perceptions of the School Atmosphere and School Refusal in Italian Students
School Atmosphere (SAt) plays a crucial role in shaping students’ academic success and emotional well-being. When students perceive a negative SAt, this can lead to feelings of School Alienation (SAl), which are associated with School Refusal (SR). Despite previous research on school climate and SR,...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| author | Luana Sorrenti Angelo Fumia Concettina Caparello Carmelo Francesco Meduri Pina Filippello |
| author_facet | Luana Sorrenti Angelo Fumia Concettina Caparello Carmelo Francesco Meduri Pina Filippello |
| author_sort | Luana Sorrenti |
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| description | School Atmosphere (SAt) plays a crucial role in shaping students’ academic success and emotional well-being. When students perceive a negative SAt, this can lead to feelings of School Alienation (SAl), which are associated with School Refusal (SR). Despite previous research on school climate and SR, the dimension of SAt, which encompasses the intangible aspects (quality of relationships and justice perceptions) of the school environment, remains a topic of limited examination. Furthermore, the mediating role of SAl between these variables remains underexplored. This study aims to examine how SAl (learning alienation, teacher alienation, and classmate alienation) mediates the relationship between students’ perceptions of SAt (educational climate, student–teacher relations, student relations, sense of belonging, and interpersonal justice) and SR (anxious anticipation, difficult transition, interpersonal discomfort, and school avoidance). Data were collected from 528 Italian high school students (aged 14–20), and using structural equation modeling (SEM), the direct and indirect relationships between SAt variables, dimensions of SAl, and SR were assessed. The results indicated that negative perceptions of interpersonal justice and sense of belonging were strongly associated with higher levels of learning and teacher alienation, which are linked to SR, particularly anxious anticipation and difficult transition. The results emphasize the importance of promoting fairness, belonging, and supportive student–teacher relationships to mitigate alienation and improve student success. This study highlights the need for comprehensive strategies to foster positive school environments and prevent disengagement and absenteeism, ultimately promoting academic success and student well-being. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ac4a2f1960864b279e982c4ea0438c09 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-ac4a2f1960864b279e982c4ea0438c092025-08-20T03:07:57ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022025-06-0115778610.3390/educsci15070786The Mediation Role of School Alienation Between Perceptions of the School Atmosphere and School Refusal in Italian StudentsLuana Sorrenti0Angelo Fumia1Concettina Caparello2Carmelo Francesco Meduri3Pina Filippello4Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98124 Messina, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyDepartment of Classical, Linguistic and Educational Studies, University Kore of Enna, 94100 Enna, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, ItalyDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98124 Messina, ItalySchool Atmosphere (SAt) plays a crucial role in shaping students’ academic success and emotional well-being. When students perceive a negative SAt, this can lead to feelings of School Alienation (SAl), which are associated with School Refusal (SR). Despite previous research on school climate and SR, the dimension of SAt, which encompasses the intangible aspects (quality of relationships and justice perceptions) of the school environment, remains a topic of limited examination. Furthermore, the mediating role of SAl between these variables remains underexplored. This study aims to examine how SAl (learning alienation, teacher alienation, and classmate alienation) mediates the relationship between students’ perceptions of SAt (educational climate, student–teacher relations, student relations, sense of belonging, and interpersonal justice) and SR (anxious anticipation, difficult transition, interpersonal discomfort, and school avoidance). Data were collected from 528 Italian high school students (aged 14–20), and using structural equation modeling (SEM), the direct and indirect relationships between SAt variables, dimensions of SAl, and SR were assessed. The results indicated that negative perceptions of interpersonal justice and sense of belonging were strongly associated with higher levels of learning and teacher alienation, which are linked to SR, particularly anxious anticipation and difficult transition. The results emphasize the importance of promoting fairness, belonging, and supportive student–teacher relationships to mitigate alienation and improve student success. This study highlights the need for comprehensive strategies to foster positive school environments and prevent disengagement and absenteeism, ultimately promoting academic success and student well-being.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/7/786school atmospherestudent engagementschool refusalteacher alienationstructural equation modelinghigh school students |
| spellingShingle | Luana Sorrenti Angelo Fumia Concettina Caparello Carmelo Francesco Meduri Pina Filippello The Mediation Role of School Alienation Between Perceptions of the School Atmosphere and School Refusal in Italian Students Education Sciences school atmosphere student engagement school refusal teacher alienation structural equation modeling high school students |
| title | The Mediation Role of School Alienation Between Perceptions of the School Atmosphere and School Refusal in Italian Students |
| title_full | The Mediation Role of School Alienation Between Perceptions of the School Atmosphere and School Refusal in Italian Students |
| title_fullStr | The Mediation Role of School Alienation Between Perceptions of the School Atmosphere and School Refusal in Italian Students |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Mediation Role of School Alienation Between Perceptions of the School Atmosphere and School Refusal in Italian Students |
| title_short | The Mediation Role of School Alienation Between Perceptions of the School Atmosphere and School Refusal in Italian Students |
| title_sort | mediation role of school alienation between perceptions of the school atmosphere and school refusal in italian students |
| topic | school atmosphere student engagement school refusal teacher alienation structural equation modeling high school students |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/7/786 |
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