Flourishing in the Face of Risk: A Qualitative Study on the Well-being of Children at Risk of Poor Academic Outcomes

Well-being is essential to a child’s development and is multidimensional. This chapter examines the well-being factors of at-risk children using the basic psychological needs theory, one of the six mini theories within self-determination theory. In this study, at-risk children refer to young students with disadvantaged backgrounds who are likely to develop poor academic outcomes and become early school leavers. Understanding the well-being of at-risk children at an early stage of life is crucial to shed light on the type of intervention that could be employed to support their well-being, enhance their school experiences, and extend their school journeys. Data from 12 at-risk primary school students and three of their teachers were collected through semi-structured interviews to understand at-risk children’s life experiences through their own voices and their teachers’ perspectives. Results of the qualitative analysis derived eight well-being factors and showed that at-risk children’s basic psychological needs of competence, autonomy, and relatedness were inadequately supported, threatening their well-being. This chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of the study and proposes intervention strategies that could support the well-being of at-risk children in primary schools.