ERIC Number: EJ1421714
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Jun
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0007-0998
EISSN: EISSN-2044-8279
Available Date: N/A
Developmental Links between Well-Being, Self-Concept and Prosocial Behaviour in Early Primary School
Caoimhe Dempsey; Rory Devine; Elian Fink; Claire Hughes
British Journal of Educational Psychology, v94 n2 p425-440 2024
Background: Well-being is a key aspect of children's education, yet measurement issues have limited studies in early primary school. Aims: The current 12-month longitudinal study assesses the temporal stability of child- and parent-reported school well-being and examines developmental links with academic self-concept and parent-rated prosocial behaviour. Sample(s): We tracked a sample of 206 children across the transition from the first (T1) to the second (T2) year of primary school (T1 child M[subscript age] = 5.3, SD = 0.46, 54.3% girls) and gathered ratings of well-being, prosocial behaviour and academic self-concept at both timepoints. Methods: We used cross-lagged analyses to investigate developmental links between these three constructs. Results: Parent and child reports of children's well-being showed similar temporal stability and converged over time, such that informants' reports showed a modest but significant correlation at T2. Girls reported greater well-being than boys at both timepoints and received higher parental ratings of well-being than boys at T2. For both girls and boys, associations between the constructs were asymmetric: early well-being predicted later self-concept and prosocial behaviour, but the reciprocal associations were not significant. Conclusions: These findings support the validity of young children's self-reported well-being, highlight the early onset of gender differences in school well-being and demonstrate that early well-being heralds later prosocial behaviour and positive academic self-concepts.
Descriptors: Well Being, Self Concept, Prosocial Behavior, Gender Differences, Correlation, Parent Attitudes, Student Attitudes, Elementary School Students, Academic Ability, Validity, Grade 1, Grade 2, Child Development
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Early Childhood Education; Grade 1; Primary Education; Grade 2
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A