NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ1473399
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jul
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0033-3085
EISSN: EISSN-1520-6807
Available Date: 2025-03-10
The Importance of Social Support: Facilitating Positive Well-Being Experiences of Elementary School Students
Huy P. Phan1; Bing Hiong Ngu1; Hua Flora Zhong2; Hasbee Haji Usop3; Philip Nuli Anding3
Psychology in the Schools, v62 n7 p2311-2338 2025
The present nonexperimental study explores the role of the school social context in shaping students' schooling experiences and personal well-being. A dynamic school system provides a rich environment that encompasses various processes, factors, and outcomes, one of the most significant being the provision of quality social support. In particular, perceived social support is hypothesized to act as an antecedent of both learning and non-learning experiences, such as personal well-being. The focus of this study was to investigate the impact of different types of social support--specifically from parents, teachers, and peers--on the multifaceted nature of personal well-being. We hypothesized that social support from key figures, like parents, would positively influence a child's overall well-being. We employed a comparative methodological design, analyzing two distinct convenient cohorts of elementary school students from Australia (N = 198) and Malaysia (N = 162). Statistical analyses were conducted using "confirmatory factor analysis" (CFA) and "structural equation modeling" (SEM) to test our hypothesized relationships. The results supported our original proposition that different types of social support, including peer support, serve as positive antecedents for personal well-being. Notably, we found that peer support positively influenced proactive engagement among students. An innovative aspect of our findings was the identification of a "higher-order" latent factor of personal well-being, which was positively associated with a state of "flourishing." In conclusion, our study offers important insights into the practical implications of social support within the educational and social contexts. These findings are particularly valuable for the design of both educational and noneducational programs that capitalize on the social context to enhance personal well-being.
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.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia; Malaysia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1School of Education, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia; 2Institute for Culture and Society, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia; 3i-CATS University College, Kuching, Malaysia