Browsing by Subject "kouluonnellisuus"

This research focuses on 4th–6th graders pupils from southern Finland and their own opinions on their own happiness, factors that would increase their happiness and does global happiness explain school-related happiness. Research was executed with #uuttakoulua-project. Happiness has been wondered through the ages and people has tried to find answers to achieve happiness. Western thoughts on happiness roots in ancient Greek and to Christian views of happiness. According to positive psychology happiness has been risen to be one of the scientifical research subject, even though it has been research quite little in Finland. Positive psychology has reached also school world where meaning of happiness has also been researched. One of the researchers in Finland is Lotta Uusitalo-Malmivaara who’s research has shown that pupils are generally happy. For example, success in school and positive relationships has been proved to be key factors that increase happiness. 543 pupils took part on this study of which 47,1% were boys, 49,0% were girls and 3,9% were other genders. Study was made as survey where questions were related to pupil’s well-being, school satisfaction and character strengths. For my own study I chose three questions about happiness which were: “How do you usually feel?”, “What have you been thinking about school?” and “My happiness would increase”. My research questions are: 1. How happy 4th–6th graders from southern Finland feel themselves? 2. What factors 4th–6th graders define to increase their happiness? and 3. Does global happiness explain school-related happiness? First two questions were analyzed by means and standard deviation. Third research question was analyzed by regression analyze. Global happiness explains 28,4% of school-related happiness was the most important outcome of this study. Pupils who took park to this study felt themselves generally happy. Intervene to climate change, improvement of animal rights and fulfilment of equality had the highest means within the answers as a factor to increase one’s happiness. As a conclusion if one is happy globally is one most likely happy also in school. Results cannot be generalized to whole population but gives an idea of how participants view their own happiness and the factors that could increase it.