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Filozofski fakultet, University of Banja Luka , Banja Luka , Bosnia and Herzegovina
Students’ satisfaction with life is a multidimensional construct, which encompasses the satisfaction within different domains, including a satisfaction with school. It refers to the evaluation process in which a person evaluates the quality of his or her life according to their own unique set of criteria. The goal of this research was to determine the differences in self- esteem and various aspects of satisfaction with life (and school) in relation to gender, school achievement, and high school status (public or private school). The research sample comprised 300 high school students (from 15 to 18 years of age) from six Banja Luka high schools. The following instruments were used: The Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSE), the Multidimensional students’ life satisfaction scale (MSLSS), and the questions regarding the student’s personal information. The results indicate that there is a high correlation between the self-esteem and satisfaction with life (r=.87, p<.001) and that self-esteem and other aspects of satisfaction with life accounts for 80% of satisfaction with school variance. Students showed the highest levels of satisfaction with their friends and with their living environment and the lowest levels of satisfaction were regarding school. Female students had higher scores than males on all measures, but the highest difference was found in satisfaction with school. Students with better school achievement had higher self-esteem scores, as well as higher scores on all aspects of satisfaction with life. Students from private schools had higher self-esteem and higher satisfaction with life in general, including higher scores on specific domains of satisfaction with: self, school, and family. However, the majority of these differences were mainly a product of a school achievement differences.
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