WELL-BEING AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF B.Ed. STUDENTS IN RELATION TO SOME SELECTED VARIABLES

Abstract

This study examines the well-being and academic achievement of B.Ed. students, taking into account economic status, family background, and academic stream. The study adopts a descriptive research method. The data for the study has been collected from 250 B.Ed. students studying in the II semester using random sampling technique. To assess well-being, a standardized tool namely Well-being Scale (WBS-RK), developed by Kaur in 2014, has been utilized. This scale measures well-being across five key dimensions: Physical, Mental, Social, Emotional, and Spiritual well-being, as well as overall well-being scores. Academic achievement is quantified using endsemester (Ist semester) exam scores. Statistical analysis is carried out using SPSS, and the t-test was used to assess whether there were statistically significant differences in well-being and academic achievement between groups belonging to different economic backgrounds, types of families, and academic streams. The study's findings reveal several noteworthy trends that most B.Ed. students exhibit average to high levels of well-being and academic achievement, suggesting a generally positive educational environment. Economic status, surprisingly, has a limited impact on students' overall well-being and academic performance. However, it does exert a noticeable effect on the spiritual well-being of students especially in favour of students from higher economic backgrounds. In contrast, their academic achievement did not significantly differ from their more economically advantaged counterparts. Similarly, family type appeared to have a limited impact on well-being, with most of the well-being dimensions of WBS showing no significant variation. However, Spiritual well-being, again, stood out as an exception. Students from joint families exhibited higher levels of spiritual well-being compared to their counterparts from nuclear families. This suggests that family dynamics may influence the spiritual aspect of well-being among B.Ed. students. In terms of academic achievement, the type of family did not appear to be a significant factor, with academic performance remaining consistent across students from nuclear and joint families. The academic stream, on the other hand, proved to be a more influential factor. While dimensions like Physical Well-Being, Mental Well-Being, and Social Well-Being remained consistent across students in both science and arts streams, the Emotional dimension of well-being and overall well-being emerged as distinctive areas. Science students reported significantly higher scores in these dimensions compared to their peers in xiii the arts stream. This suggests that the academic stream may have a noteworthy impact on the emotional and overall well-being of B.Ed. students. However, it's important to note that academic stream did not significantly affect their academic achievement. In conclusion, these findings provide insights into the ways in which a student's financial situation, family background, and academic choices can influence their well-being and academic performance within the B.Ed. program. KEYWORDS: Well-Being, Academic achievement, B.Ed. students, Spiritual wellbeing, Emotional well-being, Economic background, Types of family, Academic stream.