A large Norwegian study finds young girls feel happier and safer at school than boys, and that students do best in the subjects they enjoy most. The research points to simple changes that could boost well-being and learning for all children.
Girls in the early years of primary school are feeling better at school than boys — and that gap may say as much about how schools are designed as it does about the children themselves.
A new study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), published in the European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, surveyed 1,620 children ages 6 to 9 and found clear gender differences in how safe and happy students feel at school and in class.
“Girls are happier than boys. This applies both in class and at school in general,” corresponding author Hermundur Sigmundsson, a professor in NTNU’s Department of Psychology, said in a news release.
The children, whose average age was 7.5, were among the youngest pupils in Norway’s primary schools. The researchers asked them simple but powerful questions: Do you have friends at school? Do you feel safe in class, at school and during recess? How much do you like reading, math, science and physical education? How good do you think you are in those subjects?
To measure well-being and safety, the team created a new tool they call the “Well-being and perceived safety in school scale.” Using that scale, they found that feeling good at school and feeling safe go hand in hand.
“We find a significant correlation between well-being and all the questions we asked. Enjoying school and feeling safe at school are strongly connected,” Sigmundsson added.
The link was strongest between feeling safe in school and feeling safe during recess, suggesting that unstructured times like breaks are just as important for children’s sense of security as what happens in the classroom.
The weakest link was between having friends to be with and how much students liked their class, hinting that friendships alone are not enough if the overall classroom environment does not feel good.
The results also showed that school, as it is currently organized, seems to fit girls better than boys.
“It can be said that school is better suited for girls. This may have biological causes, among other things,” added Sigmundsson.
He pointed to brain chemistry and hormones as part of the explanation. Dopamine, sometimes called the “happiness hormone,” is released when we experience pleasure or reward.
“‘We know that girls get more dopamine activity through social relationships, being together. Boys get more dopamine through self-centred behaviour. Boys also have higher testosterone levels so they have more need for activity. Long school days, sitting still, does not suit boys,” Sigmundsson added.
In other words, a school day built around long periods of sitting, listening and quiet work may align more naturally with how many girls are wired to thrive, while leaving many boys restless and less happy.
Sigmundsson argues that this is not a reason to accept that boys will simply struggle more at school, but a call to rethink how the school day is structured for all children.
He points to earlier work he has done on a project in Iceland that added extra physical activity and a “passion project” to the school day to boost classroom well-being. Based on those experiences, he has a straightforward recommendation.
“My advice is more physical activity and passion class every day in school,” added Sigmundsson.
He believes that giving students more chances to move and to dive into topics they care deeply about would raise well-being for both girls and boys.
The new Norwegian study also uncovered gender differences in how children view school subjects and their own abilities.
In reading and science, girls generally reported that they liked the subjects more than boys did and that they believed they performed better. In math, boys and girls liked the subject equally, but boys were more likely to say they were the best. In physical education, boys said they liked the subject most, but boys and girls rated their own performance similarly.
Interestingly, children who liked reading and those who liked physical education seemed to be almost opposite groups.
“We only find a weak correlation between feeling good about reading and physical education,” Sigmundsson added.
That suggests that different types of activities may appeal to different children, and that a balanced school day needs to make room for both.
The researchers did not stop at asking children how they felt. They also compared students’ reported preferences with their actual performance in reading, math, science and physical education, using school data.
“Here we found a strong connection between liking subjects and doing well. This was true for in reading, maths, science and physical education,” added Sigmundsson.
That finding supports what many teachers and parents see every day: when children enjoy a subject, they are more likely to put in effort, stick with challenges and, over time, achieve better results. The study suggests that building enjoyment and confidence in school subjects is not just a “nice to have” but a key part of academic success.
Taken together, the results paint a picture of robust but very different children. Girls, on average, are currently more comfortable and happy in the school environment. Boys, on average, may need more movement, more active learning and perhaps different ways to engage their interests and strengths.
The study does not claim that biology is destiny or that all girls and all boys fit these patterns. Instead, it highlights how school structures, expectations and teaching methods can either support or clash with children’s natural tendencies.
For educators and policymakers, the message is both challenging and hopeful. If safety and well-being are tightly linked, then investing in psychological safety — making sure children feel secure in class, at recess and with peers — is central to learning. If enjoyment and achievement go together, then designing lessons that spark curiosity and passion is not a distraction from academic goals but a path toward them.
And if long, sedentary school days do not suit many boys, then adding more daily physical activity and opportunities for students to pursue their interests could help close the happiness gap, while lifting the well-being of all students.
As schools worldwide grapple with concerns about student mental health, motivation and achievement, the Norwegian findings offer a clear reminder: how children feel at school is not separate from how they learn. It is at the heart of it.