Impact of educational, human and organizational factors on students’ happiness

The study aimed to evaluate the role of several factors in students’ happiness, including educational factors (effective teaching, perceived constructivist learning environment), human factors (students’ sense of humor, overall life satisfaction, and positive affectivity), and organizational factors (teachers’ job satisfaction, work engagement, and organizational commitment). This was a practical study in terms of objective, with a descriptive-correlational research design. Sample population consisted of all the female high school students (11th grade), teachers, head teachers, and deputy head teachers of the Department of Education District 3 in Tabriz, Iran. We used multistage cluster sampling. Sample size was determined to be 246 students using Krejcie & Morgan table. We also selected 246 teachers, head teachers, and deputy head teachers from the schools. Data collection tools were the sense of humor scale, the life satisfaction scale, and the positive affect and negative affect schedule. Further, the participants completed the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, the effective teaching questionnaire, the perception of constructivist learning environment scale, the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, the organizational commitment questionnaire, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. The Findings showed a positive correlation between the students’ happiness and effective teaching, perceived constructivist learning environment, sense of humor, life satisfaction, positive affectivity, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and work engagement. Based on the regression analysis and coefficient of determination, educational factors had the most significant impact on the students’ happiness, followed by human and organizational factors, respectively.