Character Strengths of Student and College Student Undergoing Learning Activities During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Youth character strengths becomes the front line for the nation's future generations to face future challenges, including during the Covid-19 pandemic. Previous research has shown character strengths in helping people and the nation cope the vicissitudes of Covid-19 pandemic. This research aims to identify differences virtues and character strengths between students and college students when undergoing learning activities during the Covid-19 pandemic. They study harder than usual since the lockdown rule such as self-study, online class in Zoom meetings, Google Classroom, Google Meet, Skype, and unable to meet teachers and friends. This research is a preliminary study to identify youth character strengths with descriptive analysis of 24 character strengths, assessed by the VIA-IS and VIA-Youth. A purposive sampling was employed to 72 participants consisting of 26 students and 46 college students between 15 and 20 years, who experienced a change from offline learning to online learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Data was analysed using independent samples test and descriptive analysis. The results showed that there was a difference of character strengths between students and college students (t= 10,064 p<0,05). College students had a higher score of character strength than students with a slight increase in scores on virtues wisdom and knowledge (3,85), courage (3,86), transcendence (3,86), temperance (3,86), humanity (3,87) and justice (3,85). Students emphasised the highest character strengths such as kindness, spiritual, love, forgiveness, hope, humour than college students emphasised the highest character strengths such as kindness, humour, love, honesty, and gratitude. This research is expected to contribute information and increase knowledge about virtues and character strengths of students and college students undergoing learning activities during the covid-19 pandemic.