Comparison of the Meaning of Life between Older School-age Children and Their Parents: A Mixed-methods Analysis

Abstract

Purpose: This mixed-methods study was conducted to compare and analyze the perceptions of children and their parents regarding the meaning of the children’s life. Methods: First, children’s and parents’ perceptions of the meaning of life were analyzed using a quantitative approach, and the cognitive differences between children and parents were then confirmed through a qualitative approach. We integrated the collected data comprehensively. Results: Ten significant differences (awareness of strong points, recognizing oneself as a precious being, relationships with friends, happy memories, liking people, experiencing difficulty, dreams and goals, experiencing love, appreciating life, helping people who are poorer than me) were identified between children and parents. The results of the content analysis of the qualitative data were divided into two variables: children’s experiences of the meaning of life (78 significant statements, 32 sub-themes, and 10 themes) and parents’ perceptions of the meaning of life of their children (89 significant statements, 36 sub-themes, and 10 themes). Conclusion: Based on these results, we propose developing meaning-centered intervention programs for children and parents and applying them for educational purposes. By doing so, we expect that meaning-centered education for elementary school students will become more active.

Assessing quality of life among elementary school students: Validation of the Korean version of the Meaning in Life in Children Questionnaire

“…Through a logotherapy-based content analysis of the experiences of MIL among 1,600 higher-grade elementary school students (aged 11–13), Kang (2017) concluded that this population can understand the concept of MIL. The themes of the students’ MIL experiences identified in this study were “important things in my life,” “activities I like to do,” “experiences that make me feel like I am loved,” “times when I feel grateful,” and “importance of choices.” Lim (2020) also examined the perceptions of MIL among young adolescents and their parents, reporting that these students were able to identify and appraise their sense of meaning. Furthermore, several studies have successfully adopted the concept of MIL in examining the effects of life-respect education programs on MIL among elementary school students (e.g., Ryu and Lee, 2008 ).…”