Longitudinal study of adolescents life satisfaction: An analysis of social support and self-efficacy

초록

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that shape the adolescents’ life satisfaction through a longitudinal study. During the first year a total of 486 elementary students from six different schools residing in Kyonggi province participated in the study. In second year, a total of 445 middle high school students from eight different schools completed the questionnaire. In third year a total of 404 middle high school students from seven different schools participated in this study. In addition, a total of 445 students and their parents participated in this longitudinal study. The results for the formation of students’ life satisfaction are as follows: First, students had higher life satisfaction within family as compared to life satisfaction within school. Moreover, results indicate that students’ life satisfaction is influenced by the social support they receive from their parents. Second, students had higher life satisfaction within school in elementary than middle high. Third, social support received from friends influence life satisfaction within family and school. In addition, there is a relationship between life satisfaction within school and social support received from friends. Lastly, academic self-efficacy has an intimate relationship within life satisfaction within school, family, and friends. The analysis of family and school environment (surrounding), relationship among friends, and the psychological variables that examines the relationship between self-efficacy and life satisfaction is as follows: First, a high correlation among social support, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction within family is found. Second, path analysis is found to be significant.