Teacher empathy and student well-being in Indonesian Islamic boarding schools : the interplay of peer attachment and learning workload

Abstract

Student well-being is increasingly recognized as a multidimensional construct in educational psychology. This is particularly relevant within academically demanding and socially regulated environments such as Indonesian Islamic boarding schools. This study examines how teacher empathy contributes to student well-being through a dual-pathway mediation model involving peer attachment and learning workload. It also considers demographic moderators to explore variations across student groups. Data were collected from 896 students in 11 top-ranked state-run Islamic boarding schools (madrasahs) across Indonesia using an online questionnaire with a cross-sectional design. Rasch analysis was employed to validate the instrument for measuring the four main variables. This analysis model was also utilized to measure descriptive statistics. Besides, SPSS PROCESS Macro (Models 4 and 59) was used to test parallel and moderated mediation models. The findings indicate a statistically significant association between teacher empathy and student wellbeing, both directly and indirectly. Peer attachment and learning workload each emerged as significant mediators. It indicates that teacher empathy simultaneously strengthens peer relationships and alleviates academic strains. Gender and class moderated these pathways. Female students benefited more socially, while male students reported reduced academic pressure. These distinct mechanisms underscore the contextual importance of emotional support in promoting well-being within residential educational settings. Theoretically, this study extends the application of the PERMA model to collectivist and faith-based educational systems. Practically, it emphasizes the teacher’s empathy as a critical pedagogical and emotional resource for enhancing student resilience and holistic development. Policy and teacher training implications are also discussed to integrate empathy-based strategies in high-achieving Islamic boarding schools.