Quality of Life in School (QoLS) Questionnaire: Development and Validity

OBJECTIVE. We describe the development and examination of the construct validity of the Quality of Life in School (QoLS) questionnaire for elementary-age students. METHOD. The QoLS evolved through four phases in which we devised its items and examined its construct validity. Examination of the construct validity of the final version of the QoLS included 353 students in third through sixth grades. RESULTS. Factor analysis identified four categories within the questionnaire's items: student-teacher relations, school and classroom physical environment, positive feelings toward school, and negative feelings toward school. Internal consistency indicated a high correlation among the items in each of the factors. In addition, third-grade students reported significantly higher perception of school quality of life (QOL) than their older peers. CONCLUSION. The QoLS may assist clinicians and educators in evaluating students'-school QOL from a multidimensional perspective, including the school's physical environment, which has received little attention.