Page 132 - Ana Kozina and Nora Wiium, eds. ▪︎ Positive Youth Development in Contexts. Ljubljana: Educational Research Institute, 2021. Digital Library, Dissertationes (Scientific Monographs), 42.
P. 132
positive youth development in contexts
combined both frameworks, making this the first study to integrate char-
acter strengths and the 5 Cs and to explore their relationship.
The developmental context of transition
First-year university students are a special group of youth because they are
experiencing two distinct transitions at once: the developmental transition
between late adolescence and emerging adulthood, and the transition in
levels of education from upper secondary school to university. Transitional
periods are potentially risky periods with a possible decline in academic
achievement and adaptive behaviours (Eccles et al., 1993). While moving
from one level of education to another, adolescents often find it difficult to
establish new relationships and obtain social support from their teachers
and peers (Eccles et al., 1993). The transition to university can be stressful as
it requires adjustment to a new social and academic environment (Eccles et
al., 1993; Fischer, 1994). For first-year students, successful integration into a
new social and intellectual life is of great importance – when students find
their interactions meaningful and rewarding, they increase their learning
efforts (Tinto, 1993). This transition is also important for later academic
success, such as in the longitudinal study by Tinto (1993) where the major-
ity of non-progressing students attributed their reasons for dropping out
to their first-year problems. Therefore, we should investigate the support
mechanisms or strategies that can contribute to the 5 Cs of the PYD of first-
year students in order to promote their positive development.
Aims of the study
The study aimed to examine the relationship between the character
strengths of first-year university students (student teachers) and the 5 Cs
of the Positive Youth Development framework from both quantitative and
qualitative perspectives. To our knowledge, no previous study has examined
the character strengths–5 Cs relationship. Therefore, the goal was to deter-
mine which character strengths are related to Competence, Confidence,
Character, Caring and Connection (1) using correlational analysis, and (2)
according to students’ responses to open questions after having had the
theory of character strengths introduced to them. The results provide in-
sights into the overlap of these two theoretical frameworks.
132
combined both frameworks, making this the first study to integrate char-
acter strengths and the 5 Cs and to explore their relationship.
The developmental context of transition
First-year university students are a special group of youth because they are
experiencing two distinct transitions at once: the developmental transition
between late adolescence and emerging adulthood, and the transition in
levels of education from upper secondary school to university. Transitional
periods are potentially risky periods with a possible decline in academic
achievement and adaptive behaviours (Eccles et al., 1993). While moving
from one level of education to another, adolescents often find it difficult to
establish new relationships and obtain social support from their teachers
and peers (Eccles et al., 1993). The transition to university can be stressful as
it requires adjustment to a new social and academic environment (Eccles et
al., 1993; Fischer, 1994). For first-year students, successful integration into a
new social and intellectual life is of great importance – when students find
their interactions meaningful and rewarding, they increase their learning
efforts (Tinto, 1993). This transition is also important for later academic
success, such as in the longitudinal study by Tinto (1993) where the major-
ity of non-progressing students attributed their reasons for dropping out
to their first-year problems. Therefore, we should investigate the support
mechanisms or strategies that can contribute to the 5 Cs of the PYD of first-
year students in order to promote their positive development.
Aims of the study
The study aimed to examine the relationship between the character
strengths of first-year university students (student teachers) and the 5 Cs
of the Positive Youth Development framework from both quantitative and
qualitative perspectives. To our knowledge, no previous study has examined
the character strengths–5 Cs relationship. Therefore, the goal was to deter-
mine which character strengths are related to Competence, Confidence,
Character, Caring and Connection (1) using correlational analysis, and (2)
according to students’ responses to open questions after having had the
theory of character strengths introduced to them. The results provide in-
sights into the overlap of these two theoretical frameworks.
132
