Senior Primary School Students Research Articles

A Multidimensional PERMA-H Positive Education Model, General Satisfaction of School Life, and Character Strengths Use in Hong Kong Senior Primary School Students: Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Path Analysis Using the APASO-II.

The multidimensional PERMA-H positive education model provided evaluation and education framework for the theoretical and practice development of positive psychology in schools. Character strengths use mediates the association of strength knowledge and well-being. Using the Assessment Program for Affective and Social Outcomes (2nd Version) (APASO-II), the Subjective Happiness Scale, and the Physical Health Subscale of the PERMA-profiler, a multidimensional measure of PERMA-H was validated using confirmatory factor analysis in the context of a positive education program evaluation in senior primary school students. The association of PERMA-H measurements with school well-being as measured by general satisfaction of school life, and levels of depression and anxiety, and the mediation mechanism of character strengths use in such association were studied using path analysis. A cross-sectional sample of 726 senior primary school students (i.e., grade 4–6) aged 8–13 from the two primary schools completed a baseline evaluation questionnaire of a positive education program. Satisfactory internal reliability of the scales was obtained with Cronbach's alpha coefficients < 0.70. The scales were generally positively and moderately inter-correlated, except for level of anxiety and depression symptoms which was negative. Good psychometric properties of APASO-II were evidenced from the factor structure of sub-scale scores conforming to six factors of the PERMA-H model by confirmatory factor analysis. Path analyses showed that the APASO-II factors together with measures of subject happiness and positive health as the multidimensional PERMA-H model of positive education differentially predicted general satisfaction of school life, level of anxiety and depression, and character strengths use. Character strengths use mediated the relationship of Positive Engagement with general satisfaction of school life. Positive education utilizes knowledge and research findings from positive psychology in schools to produce intended positive outcomes like enhanced well-being and reduced level of depression in students. This study provided a solid foundation for related scientific research and the understanding of the multidimensional framework of positive psychology concepts. Systematic promotion and longitudinal evaluation of positive education at the institutional level in Hong Kong can be achieved with the use of APASO-II and the positive education scales of subjective happiness and physical health.

Relationship between aggressive behavior and interpersonal attribution in senior primary school students

Objective To obtain knowledge about aggressive behavior and interpersonal attribution of senior primary school students,and to explore the relationship between them.Methods Stratified random sampling was used to conduct a questionnaire survey in students of the fourth grade,fifth grade and sixth grade.The students were surveyed about their general situation and by aggressive behavior scale and interpersonal attribution scale.The relation between aggressive behavior and interpersonal attribution was analyzed using multiple linear regression.Results The score of aggressive behavior of male students was significantly higher than that of female students;the total,physical aggression,anger and hostility scores of male students of the fourth and fifth grades were significantly higher than those of sixth grade(P0.05).The total,physical aggression,verbal aggression,indirect aggression and anger scores of female student of the fifth and sixth grades were significantly higher than those of the fourth grade(P0.05).The interpersonal attribution score of male students was significantly higher than that of female students(P0.05).The fortune score of male students of the fourth,fifth grades were significantly higher than that of the sixth grade(P0.05).There were no significant differences in interpersonal attribution scores in female students of different grades(P0.05).Multiple linear regression analysis showed that scores of situation factor of external control and fortune were both positively correlated with scores of total aggressive behavior,physical aggression,indirect aggression,anger and hostility when gender and grade were adjusted(P0.05);the scores of effort factor of internal control and situation factor of external control had a positive correlation with score of verbal aggression(P0.05).Conclusion The aggressive behavior of senior primary school students is mainly correlated with the external control factors of interpersonal attribution.Students with higher score of external control factors have a higher score of aggressive behavior,suggesting that the intervening measures should be taken to change the interpersonal attribution style to prevent aggressive behavior among these students.

An experience of teaching for learning by observation: Remote-controlled experiments on electrical circuits

In order to facilitate senior primary school students in Hong Kong to engage in learning by observation of the phenomena related to electrical circuits, a design of a specific courseware system, of which the interactive human–machine interface was created with the use of an open-source software called the LabVNC, for conducting online remote-controlled experiments was developed in this study. The statistically significant results of a pre-test–post-test evaluation study showed that the LabVNC-based system has potential to promote students to learn the target topic under the approach of learning by observation. The assertion of the teacher on the pedagogical value of the remote-controlled experimentation and the enthusiasm of students in using the LabVNC-based system reveal the potential to integrate the use of the LabVNC-based system with the practice of scientific experiments. Based on the feedback from the teacher and students, the existing LabVNC-based system will be refined under the design-based research approach.