Relationship of Self-esteem, Meaning in Life, and Spiritual Well-being in Middle School Students

Kang, Kyung Ah; Kim, Shin Jeong; Song, Mi Kyung

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to identify the relationships among self-esteem, meaning in life, and spiritual well-being in middle school students. METHODS: The research design was a descriptive correlational survey involving 405 middle school students in grades 1 to 3 in S city, K city, and C city. Data were collected from March to May 2008 using questionnaires. Means with standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan post-hoc test, and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: According to general characteristics of the students, there were statistically significant differences in self-esteem for gender, grade, and region, in meaning in life, there were significant differences for grade, gender, and region, and in spiritual well-being, there were statistically significant differences for gender, religion, and region. There were significant correlations between self-esteem and meaning in life, between self-esteem and spiritual well-being, and between meaning in life and spiritual well-being. CONCLUSION: Self-esteem, meaning in life, and spiritual well-being should be considered as important factors for healthy development in the middle school period. These three variables should be considered as the main content for self-development programs for middle school students.