The Relationship Between Perceived Social Support and Cooperation in Elementary School Students: Focusing on the Mediating Effect of Self-Esteem

Objectives The purpose of this study is to examine the structural relationships among elementary school students' perceived social support from parents, friends, and teachers, self-esteem, and cooperation, with a focus on investigating the direct and indirect effects of social support on cooperation, mediated by self-esteem. Methods For this purpose, structural equation modeling was applied to the responses of 2,411 6th grade elementary school students from the third wave (2020) of the Korean Children & Youth Survey 2018 (KCYPS 2018) conducted by the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education. The measurement instruments used were scales for social support, self-esteem, and cooperation. Correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, measurement model analysis, and structural equation modeling were conducted to understand the structural relationships among the variables. Results The analysis results revealed the following: First, perceived parental support directly and significantly influenced cooperation among elementary school students. Second, the influence of perceived parental support on cooperation was partially mediated by self-esteem. Third, perceived teacher support did not have a direct significant impact on cooperation but showed a complete mediating effect through self-esteem. Fourth, perceived friend support did not significantly influence cooperation. Conclusions Based on these findings, this study confirms the importance of parental and teacher support as factors influencing elementary school students' perceived social support and verifies the mediating effects of self-esteem on cooperation. It underscores the significance of positive relationships between parents and children, as well as between teachers and students, in fostering cooperation among elementary school students. Additionally, it highlights the role of parents and teachers in supporting the positive development of children's self-esteem.