Social problem-solving, life satisfaction and well-being among high school and university students

Abstract

Students face several challenges when transitioning to a new school level. This necessitates an exploration of the personal features supporting their adjustment, which may provide valuable insights for intervention programs and counseling services at institutions. We employed a sample of 9th-to 10th-grade high school students (N = 255) and 1st-to 2nd-year university students (N = 320) and adopted a longitudinal design to examine the relation between their social problem-solving, life satisfaction and school well-being and how they change in a new institutional environment during the first year. The participants answered the Hungarian version of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised, the Negative Problem Orientation Questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the School Well-being Questionnaire. The results revealed a similar pattern in social problem-solving and negative problem orientation among high school and university students. Positive problem orientation decreased while negative problem orientation and avoidance increased. Negative orientation toward social problems significantly affected life satisfaction and well-being in school. This study then discussed the implications of these findings for interventions supporting students' social problem-solving and well-being.

Exploring social problem-solving profiles among Hungarian high school and university students

“…The sample is part of a longitudinal research program which investigates the transition to a new school level among secondary school and university students (see Ref. [ 46 ]). Our research used convenience sampling: a sample of ninth- and tenth-grade students from several counties in Hungary and first- and second-year students from a number of faculties at a Hungarian university.…”

Examining the Relationship between High School Students' Lifelong Learning Tendencies and Problem Solving Self-Appraisal

“…It requires setting a course for the solution and acting in this direction (OECD, 2013). In the meantime, individuals direct their feelings and knowledge, determine a problem-solving strategy, and make evaluations (Gál et. al., 2022).…”

The role of educational support in the development of subjective well‐being in Finnish general upper secondary education

“…However, individuals with low self‐esteem may experience challenges in finding coping resources and, as a result, have negative educational and psychological outcomes and lower SWB (Çivitci & Çivitci, 2009). If individuals struggle to find a sense of connectedness, they may also have trouble developing social relationships or understanding their role in the world, hence feeling isolated and causing, for example, low self‐esteem or a lack of trust and feelings of loneliness (Gal et al, 2021).…”