Perceived Social Support and Academic Life Satisfaction among Adolescent Secondary School Students in Kenya: The Role of Teachers, Peers, and Guardians

Abstract

Background: Supportive relationships may shape how adolescents evaluate their academic experiences, yet the associations of different sources of social support with academic life satisfaction remain insufficiently understood in Kenyan secondary-school contexts. This study examined associations between perceived teacher, peer, and guardian support and academic life satisfaction among secondary school students in Migori Sub-County, Kenya. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted among 392 Form Three students from 15 public secondary schools. Perceived teacher, peer, and guardian support and academic life satisfaction were assessed using self-report measures. Pearson correlations examined bivariate associations, followed by hierarchical multiple linear regression to examine independent associations, with age and gender included in an adjusted model. Results: Teacher (r = .29, p < .001), peer (r = .25, p < .001), and guardian support (r = .19, p < .001) were positively associated with academic life satisfaction at the bivariate level. When entered simultaneously, the three support sources explained 9.8% of the variance in academic life satisfaction (R² = .10, p < .001), with only teacher support demonstrating a statistically significant independent association (β = .099, 95% CI [.037, .161], p < .01). After adjustment for age and gender, teacher support remained independently associated with academic life satisfaction (β = .094, 95% CI [.032, .156], p < .01). The adjusted model explained 11.1% of the variance (R² = .11, p < .001). Older age was associated with lower academic life satisfaction (β = −.79, p < .05), whereas gender was not significantly associated. Conclusions: Teacher, peer, and guardian support were positively associated with academic life satisfaction at the bivariate level; however, only teacher support demonstrated a statistically significant independent association. These findings highlight supportive teacher–student relationships as a potentially important relational component of adolescents’ positive academic experiences. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify the direction of these associations.