The Effects of Children`s Perceptions of Parental Expectations, Self-Esteem, and Achievement Motivation on School Happiness
Nam Jung Yoon , Na Na Shin
Abstract
A total of 378 4th and 5th grade elementary school students (194 boys and 184 girls) participated in a study investigating the direct and indirect effects (through self-esteem and/or achievement motivation) of children`s perceptions of parental expectations on school happiness. First, parental expectations did not have a direct effect on children`s levels of school happiness. Second, parental expectations did not have an indirect effect on children`s school happiness through self-esteem. Children who perceived higher levels of parental expectations showed higher levels of self-esteem, but the path from children`s self-esteem to school happiness was not significant. Third, parental expectations had an indirect effect on children`s levels of school happiness through achievement motivation. Children who perceived higher levels of parental expectations showed higher levels of achievement motivation, and children with higher levels of achievement motivation reported higher levels of school happiness. Finally, parental expectations indirectly influenced children`s school happiness through self-esteem and achievement motivation. These findings suggest that both environmental and individual factors need to be considered together to more comprehensively explain children`s levels of school happiness.
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