Abstract
Previous research on children’s and adolescents’ happiness either focused on their conceptualisations or the link between self-reported happiness with different outcomes. However, very few studies have connected both approaches to better understand children’s and adolescents’ happiness. To address this gap, we used a mixed-method approach to investigate if the conceptualizations of happiness at school of 744 British children and adolescents could signal differences in autonomy, competence, and relatedness. An initial coding of the responses showed thirteen conceptualizations (i.e., positive feelings, harmony/balance, leisure, friends, getting good grades, non-violence, moral actions, purpose, autonomy, competence, teachers, emotional support, and learning). Log-linear models showed that some of the conceptualizations differed across both age groups and gender. Latent class analysis showed that happiness conceptualizations could be classified in five different groups. Interestingly, whereas for children there were no differences; for adolescents, there were differences between classes in their levels of autonomy and relatedness. The implications of these findings for promoting students’ well-being at school are discussed.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the students who took part in the study. We would also like to thank Jack Baguley, Lily Davies, Mara Cattini, Flavia Crimele, and Jana Kvapilova for their help in coding the qualitative materials and Dr. Stefania Sette for her methodological advice on the use of Latent Class Analysis in Mplus.
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Appendix
Appendix
Coding categories and examples
Name of the Category | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
Positive feelings | The experience of joy or contentment | (a) “When I’m happy at school I have lots more confidence and an excited for what comes next.” (Girl, 10 years old) (b) “To be happy at school I need to be relaxed but work hard all the same. I need to enjoy what I am learning, to be emotionally, mentally and physically well…” (Boy, 13 years old) |
Harmony/Balance | Being tuned with the world, inner peace | (a) “I feel happy at school when people around me are welcoming, friendly, and humorous and have a nice attitude around me. When I’m happy, all my worries are washed away in seconds.” (Boy 10 years old) (b) “For me to be happy it means that I know what to do in lesson, I’m not worrying about anything and I can complete school tasks to the best of my ability.” (Girl, 11 years old) |
Leisure | Taking part in fun activities such as sports, dancing or day trips. | (a) “I think for me to be happy at school it means […], we have some of sports clubs or long breaks, and not having too much homework.” (Girl, 13 years old) (b) “To be happy there should be a mix of activities such as test-like and long studying lessons but there should also be a balance of fun extra-curricular activities which will offer a better social life.” (Boy, 12 years old) |
Friends | Making or being with friends | (a) “I feel loved by my friends which makes my time at school amazing and cheerful.” (Boy, 9 years old) (b) “For me to be happy at school, I need my friends. They keep me safe and always make me laugh. They always help me when I have a problem and have all of the qualities I want to have and share myself which encourages me.” (Girl, 12 years old) |
Good grades | Achieving at school | (a) “Been happy at school means that I can concentrate more and get high grades because of it” (Girl, 13 years old) (b) “Being happy in school means doing well on classes and getting good grades. It is like I am proving to my family and myself that I deserve to be in this school and that I am trying really hard in classes.” (Girl 12 years old) |
Non-violence | The lack of quarrels/not being bullied/not being called names | (a) “Sometimes it is hard to fit in or being happy at school because there are a lot of people there that can hurt your feelings and body” (Girl, 9 years old) (b) “To be happy for me means not being bullied by people in my class” (Boy, 9 years old) |
Moral Actions | Social desirable actions such as helping or respecting others | (a) “I think you need to have a good work ethic but to be resilient when things aren’t exactly perfect for you” (Girl, 13 years old) (b) “I feel happy at school when people are kind to me and I can be kind to them.” (Boy, 9 years old) |
Purpose | Happiness as the supreme goal in life | (a) “Feeling that I had improved gives me purpose to try hard in school” (Girl, 10 years old) (b) Being happy at school is […], feeling like you have a purpose and you are important” (Boy, 11 years old) |
Autonomy | Freedom to be oneself | (a) “For me to be happy I believe that I should feel free, and unpressured in excess amounts. I would like to be comfortable in myself and in my surroundings. I would like to feel like an individual, not just a small spec that is part of an adult’s job.” (Girl, 14 years old) (b) “To be happy at school you should make your own choices without somebody forcing you to make a decision that you don’t believe in or don’t want to” (Girl, 12 years old) |
Competence | Sense of being capable to achieve what it is asked in the school | (a) “Happy in school is not wanting to hide before certain lessons, is being able to share and contrast opinions. It is the developing skills and it is leaving school knowing that you haven’t wasted a day of your life.” (Girl, 13 years old) (b) “For me being happy at school it means I feel like I am able to do all the work set at a good standard and that I am above the average. Classes would be fun and interactive mixed with hard work and concentration.” (Girl 11 years old) |
Teachers | Having a positive relationship with teacher/s, head teacher, and school staff | (a) “Being happy at school means that you treat people with respect and they do the same. If I am physically or emotionally hurt or lonely, there is always a member of staff or teacher who is there to help” (Girl, 11 years old) (b) “I feel happy about school because all the teachers are nice and I see it as the most strict teachers want you to succeed the most” (Girl, 9 years old) |
Emotional Support | Being supported and endorsed in the school | (a) “Happy at school means you have lots of friends and teachers who support you when you are feeling sad so you always have someone you can trust and rely on to comfort you.” (Girl, 11 years old) (b) “Everyone being nice, the teachers not being as mean toward individual students, no bullying and no one punt into a characteristic.” (Boy, 12 years old) |
Learning | Having the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and participating in new activities | (a) “For me being happy at school is very important because I know if I were to be unhappy, I would find it difficult to concentrate and learn.” (Girl, 9 years old) (b) “Being happy at school makes me focus so that I can learn everything I need to and I can live a good life later on. Being happy helps me achieving my standards and also exceed them.” (Boy 12 years old) |
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López-Pérez, B., Zuffianò, A. Children’s and Adolescents’ Happiness Conceptualizations at School and their Link with Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness. J Happiness Stud 22, 1141–1163 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-020-00267-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-020-00267-z