Experience of Positive and Negative Emotions of Elementary School Students in 5-8th Grades

Anna Alajbeg

Abstract


The aim of this study was to examine gender and grades differences in the experience of positive and negative emotions during the educational process among students of elementary school in 5-8th grades. The research was conducted among students from two elementary schools in the Republic of Croatia, of which n=158 were female and n=99 were male (average age= 12.1). Students completed General Data Questionnaire, the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience, and three subscales from the School Life Quality Questionnaire (School achievement, Teachers and Experience of learning). The results of Mann-Whitney U test revealed statistically significant gender differences, where female students achieve higher levels of sadness. No statistically significant gender differences were found regarding positive emotions. The Kruskal-Wallis’s test showed statistically significant higher levels of positive, pleasant, joyful, and satisfied emotions in younger students in the 5th grade compared to older students. A statistically significant higher level of unpleasant emotions was also recorded among sixth-grade students compared to 8th-grade students. These results suggest that gender and age play a role in the emotional experience of subject-based instruction, highlighting the need for strategies to support students’ emotional well-being. Practical implications include the development of targeted interventions, such as emotion regulation programs, especially for girls and older students, and the need for more dynamic and engaging teaching approaches to increase joy and engagement.

Keywords


emotions; students in 5-8th grades; gender differences; age differences; positive emotions; negative emotions

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.51558/2490-3647.2026.11.1.783

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