Analysis of School Learned Helplessness and Related Variables Differences for Elementary School Seniors Using Latent Profile Analysis

This study aimed to classify types of learned helplessness in school contexts among upper-grade elementary students and to examine differences in related variables across these types. An online survey was administered to fifth‑ and sixth‑grade students attending metropolitan and non‑metropolitan elementary schools, yielding 333 valid responses for analysis. To achieve the research objectives, latent profile analysis was conducted with MPlus 8.0 to identify learned‑helplessness profiles in school settings, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with Bonferroni post hoc tests was performed in SPSS 26.0 to investigate differences in related variables across the identified profiles. The results were as follows: First, based on the latent profile analysis results, a three‑profile solution was judged most appropriate for the number of latent learned‑helplessness groups in school contexts among upper‑grade elementary students; the profiles were named “Low Helplessness” (36.0 %), “Moderate Balanced Deficit” (62.2 %), and “High Cognitive‑Emotional Deficit” (1.8 %). Second, to examine whether there were differences in related variables across learned‑helplessness profiles in school contexts among upper‑grade elementary students, an analysis of covariance was conducted, which revealed significant profile differences in self‑efficacy, perceived teacher support, and career aspirations. Moreover, Bonferroni post hoc tests of mean differences showed that the “Low Helplessness” profile had the highest means for self‑efficacy, teacher support, and career aspirations, while no significant mean differences were found between the other two profiles. Based on these findings, this study provides suggestions for application tailored to each type of learned helpless, helping upper-grade elementary students perceive academic failure as a controllable experience. These suggestions offer foundational data for developing profile‑tailored interventions to address learned helplessness among upper‑grade elementary students.