Received:
2025-07-11 | Accepted:
2025-09-20 | Published:
2025-12-30
Title
Understanding academic satisfaction among generation Z: the role of mental wellbeing and institutional equity
Abstract
The study focuses on the analysis of factors influencing the satisfaction of Generation Z students with the university environment, particularly in the areas of interpersonal relationships, mental well-being, and the perception of inclusiveness. The aim of the research was to examine how Generation Z students perceive the quality of interpersonal relationships and inclusive conditions at the university, and how these dimensions affect their satisfaction with the academic and support environment. The research sample consisted of 277 respondents from Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín. Based on data from a questionnaire survey and subsequent multiple linear regression analysis, two models were tested. In the first model, a statistically significant impact of the perceived quality of relationships with teachers and the university’s care for mental health on students’ satisfaction with the accessibility of instructors was demonstrated. In the second model, satisfaction with the support system for students with specific needs was significantly influenced by the perception of equal opportunities, while the subjective importance of inclusion proved to be a less convincing predictor. However, the combination of both variables increases the explanatory power of the model. The findings point to the need to systematically strengthen the interpersonal competencies of teachers, develop programs to support mental well-being, and translate inclusive values into visible measures. Universities that actively support relationships, equality, and mental well-being create more favorable conditions for the academic development of students.
Keywords
generation Z, mental health, interpersonal relationships, inclusion, university environment
JEL classifications
I23
, J24
, A22
URI
http://jssidoi.org/jesi/article/1366
DOI
Pages
160-174
Funding
This research work was created within the project “Value orientation and expectations of Generation Z in relation to higher education in the context of Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín“, code of project D07_2024, based on the financial support from the European Union within the call Early Stage Grants of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (Code of the project: 09I03-03-V05-00010, Component 9: More effective management and strengthening of research, development and innovation funding), and with the financial support of the Internal Grant Scheme of the Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín and research project No. APVV-VV-MVP-24-0299 - New trends in human resource management in the context of global challenges of the 21st century.
This is an open access issue and all published articles are licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
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