The Impact of Attending After-school Programs on Children’s Subjective Well-Being

Authors

  • Baoli Ji

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61173/tes2g462

Keywords:

After-school programs, subjective well-being, children’s autonomy, flow

Abstract

Background: With growing awareness among parents regarding the importance of cultivating their children’s comprehensive qualities, more and more children are assigned to after-school programs which may occupy children’s rest time and entertainment time as well as bring extra pressure to them. However, the impact on subjective well-being resulting from attending after-school programs was often overlooked. Methods: Firstly, 75 children submitted the questionnaires and the statistical data related to after-school programs were collected. Then, the data was analyzed by ANOVA in SPSS. Results: The findings of the present study reveal that attending after-school programs can influence children’s subjective well-being, due to three factors: (1) appropriate quantity of after-school programs they attend. (2) If children’s extracurricular programs match their interest. (3) If they have autonomy in choosing their extracurricular classes. With the aim of enhancing children’s subjective well-being, parents are expected to take these three factors into consideration when choosing extracurricular programs for their children.

References

[1] Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125(2), 276–302.

[2] Diener, E., Heintzelman, S. J., Kushlev, K., Tay, L., Wirtz, D., Lutes, L. D., et al. (2017). Findings all psychologists should know from the new science on subjective well-being. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 58(2), 87–104.

[3] Abedi, M. R., & Vostanis, P. (2010). Evaluation of quality of life therapy for parents of children with obsessive-compulsive disorders in Iran. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 19(7), 605–613.

[4] Seligson, J. L., Huebner, E. S., & Valois, R. F. (2005). An investigation of a brief life satisfaction scale with elementary school children. Social Indicators Research, 73(3), 355–374.

[5] Seligson, J. L., & Valois, R. F. (2003). Preliminary validation of the brief multidimensional students’ life satisfaction scale (BMSLSS). Social Indicators Research.

[6] Liu, W. (2005). The relationship between primary school students’ self-esteem and life satisfaction. Chinese Mental Health Journal, 19(11), 745–749.

[7] Csikszentmihalyi, M., Abuhamdeh, S., & Nakamura, J. (2005). Flow. In A. J. Elliot & C. S. Dweck (Eds.), Handbook of competence and motivation (pp. 598–608). New York: Guilford Press.

[8] Song, Q., & Shen, G. (2018). The value of “flow” in primary school students’ learning and its educational countermeasures. Popular Literature and Art, 450(24), 202–203.

[9] Peng, K. (2021). Wu xin ke jian: The surging flow of happiness. Beijing: Tsinghua University Press.

[10] Huber, R. S., Sifers, S. K., Daniels, H., & Young, R. (2012). Teacher support as a moderator of behavioral outcomes for youth exposed to stressful life events. Education Research International, 2012, 1–10.

[11] Vansteenkiste, M., Niemiec, C. P., & Soenens, B. (2010). The development of the five mini-theories of self-determination theory: A historical overview, emerging trends, and future directions. Advances in Motivation and Achievement, 16, 105– 166.

[12] Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268.

Downloads

Published

2025-12-19