The effects of Chinese calligraphic handwriting education on positive mental characters and academic emotions in Chinese primary school students

Abstract

The current research tested the relationship between Chinese calligraphic handwriting (CCH) education and student academic emotions. Using a quasi-experimental, cross-sectional design, we recruited 448 third- to sixth-grade students, and about half of them (N = 228) come from a CCH specialist school and the other half (N = 220) from a general primary school. We examined the relations between CCH education and student outcomes in two ways: comparing the means of academic emotions between the two groups and investigating the associations between the CCH level of the CCH students (rated by CCH teachers) and their academic emotions. Results showed that compared with the control group, CCH group had a higher level of positive low arousal of academic emotions. Within the CCH group, however, more significant associations were found between CCH level and student outcomes. We further found the interaction effect of CCH level and positive mental characters on academic emotions, specifically, the positive low arousal and negative high arousal academic emotions. Limitations and implications of the study were discussed.