Status of Emotional Well-Being of Elementary School Students in Bhoirymbong Block, Meghalaya: A Cross-Sectional Quantitative Study

Abstract

Emotional well-being is fundamental to children’s academic engagement, social development, and long-term mental health. The present cross-sectional quantitative study examined the emotional well-being of 264 elementary school students from eight government schools in Bhoirymbong Block, Meghalaya. A validated, child-friendly questionnaire assessed multiple domains including overall emotional status, worry, happiness, loneliness, peer relationships, school perception, fear of teachers, and examination anxiety. Descriptive findings indicated that 74.9% of students demonstrated healthy emotional status; however, emotional vulnerability increased significantly across grade levels. Inferential analyses revealed significant grade differences in emotional vulnerability, F(2, 261) = 9.34, p < .001, and a gender difference in examination anxiety, with girls reporting higher anxiety. Multiple regression analysis showed that fear of teachers (β = .34), examination anxiety (β = .29), and loneliness (β = .21) significantly predicted emotional vulnerability, explaining 32% of the variance, while peer trust functioned as a protective factor. Findings highlight the critical role of school climate and assessment practices in shaping emotional outcomes and underscore the need for emotionally responsive pedagogy and structured social-emotional learning frameworks in elementary education.