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Young people’s perceptions of wellbeing: The importance of peer relationships in Slovak schools

ABSTRACT This article explores the wellbeing experiences of 15-year-old students in Slovakia, who have repeatedly scored among the lowest ranks in the international reports on wellbeing (Program for International Student Assessment [PISA] 2003; PISA 2012; Health Behavior in School-Aged Children [HBSC] 2009/2010). In a qualitative enquiry, students from one urban and one rural school in Slovakia were invited to participate. Semistructured interviews (n = 8) and two focus groups (n = 12) were conducted in total. The focus groups engaged in a creative activity and prepared a banner for the next year cohort. The analytical approach of Moustakas’ transcendental phenomenology revealed that students consider peer relationships as crucial to their wellbeing experiences in school. They would welcome having more guidance in developing their communication and interpersonal skills as part of the official curricula. As Slovak education places considerable emphasis on academic learning and performance, the findings imply that giving students a more active voice promotes meeting their educational and developmental needs.