Abstract Book of the 9th International Conference on Teaching, Learning and Education
Year: 2025
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School Type and Parents’ Psychological Well-being: A Comparison of Students in Public and Private Schools in Türkiye
Evren Morgül, Derya Atalan Ergin
ABSTRACT:
This study examines differences in parental psychological well-being between families of students attending public and private schools in Turkey. It also explores the role of sociodemographic factors, such as parental education, employment, and household characteristics, in school choice. The study included 698 parents, with 339 having children in public schools and 359 in private schools. Independent sample t-tests were conducted to compare parental depression, anxiety, and stress levels, while chi-square tests were used to analyze sociodemographic differences between the two groups. Parents of public school students reported significantly higher depression (p <.05), anxiety (p <.05), and stress levels (p <.05) compared to parents of private school students. Moreover, chi-square analyses revealed significant differences in parental education (p <.05), employment status (p <.05), and household characteristics (p < .05), with private school parents being more likely to have higher education levels and stable employment. Parental well-being differences between school types may impact children’s educational experiences, with public school parents facing greater financial and social stress. Understanding these disparities may help inform policies that support parental mental health and reduce inequalities between families in different educational settings.
Keywords: anxiety, depression, independent school, parent, state school