Abstract
The objective of two empirical studies is the analysis of the development of subjective well-being in kindergarten and elementary school students in the context of the educational transitions (1) from kindergarten to elementary school and (2) from elementary to secondary schools in two different national school systems. Semi-structured interviews on self-esteem and dysthymic mood (i.e., low spirits, feelings of depressiveness and of dejection) were administered in 5 cohorts (two kindergarten and the first three elementary school years). Measurements were repeated three times each a year apart. Samples refer to 312 German and 244 Luxembourg children enrolled in educational systems with optional kindergarten, 4-year comprehensive elementary school, and educational placement thereafter (Germany) versus obligatory kindergarten and 6-year comprehensive elementary school (Luxembourg). Time- and age-effects point to significant discontinuities in the development of subjective well-being. There are declines of self-esteem and increases of dysthymic mood just after school enrollment (“transition shock”) in the Luxembourg sample, whereas quite similar developments are observed in the last elementary school year before educational placement for secondary education in the German sample. School enrollment and educational placement for secondary education are critical life events with significant impact on children’s well-being, which varies between different school systems.
Highlights
Subjective well-being is a significant indicator and prerequisite of positive development throughout the whole life course including early and middle childhood
It has to be noted that the developmental gradients of the two indicator variables show some differences: Self-esteem is high from kindergarten up to the 2nd elementary grade level, there is no “transition shock” after school enrollment
After educational placement for secondary education and the transition to a new reference peer group there are hints for a slight decrease in dysthymic mood, which——does not reach the mean score levels found at the kindergarten and 1st elementary grade levels
Summary
Subjective well-being is a significant indicator and prerequisite of positive development throughout the whole life course including early and middle childhood. Besides feelings and mood (e.g., happiness, dysthymic mood, life satisfaction, etc.) self-esteem is conceptualized as a significant (normative) part and indicator of subjective well-being in the historically early humanistic approaches to optimal development and mental health (see, e.g., Bühler, 1971; Bühler & Allen, 1972; Maslow, 1954, 1962; Rogers, 1961) as well as in the neo-humanistic approaches (e.g., positive psychology; Peterson & Seligman, 2004; Seligman, 2002). Threats to individual well-being, that is—amongst others—self-esteem and (dysthymic) mood—result from nonnormative, historical, and normative critical life events, which are individually anticipated and/or experienced as stressful without possibilities of effective coping (e.g., Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) Such life events cannot be—at least at first—subjectively understood and conceptualized as challenges for one’s own development with the coping strategies at hand immediately or in the (near) future. Nonnormative critical life events can arise for everyone at any time (e.g., sudden illness, accidents, sudden illness or death of a loved one), historical life events arise for members of a cohort at the same time (e.g., war, economic boom or economic recession, technological innovations, catastrophes), and normative critical life events are more or less strongly defined cultural and/or national social norms and laws in question (e.g., school enrollment, student college enrollment, females’ versus males’ typical marriage age, retirement age)
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