Are Chinese student teachers' life purposes associated with their perceptions of how much their university supports community service work?. Issue 2 (3rd April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jiang, Fei; Gao, Di
• Is Part Of: Journal of moral education. Volume 47:Issue 2(2018)
• Page Start: 201
• Page End: 216
• Publication Date: 2018-04-03
• Subjects: China -- student teachers -- school support -- community service -- purpose; Moral education -- Periodicals; 370.114
• DOI: 10.1080/03057240.2018.1430023
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0305-7240

Abstract

Abstract: This article examines Chinese student teachers' perceived university support for community service at the start of the semester in relation to three levels of purpose: expectations to feel self-transcendent emotions while doing service work, the strength of their sense of purpose and endorsement of specific purposes focused on social benefits. American questionnaires translated into Chinese were completed online by 284 students in a teachers' university in northeast China. Compared to student teachers who perceived a lack of university support, those who perceived strong support more weakly expected to feel negative self-transcendent emotions during community work, reported higher searching for purpose level and attached greater importance to both social and creative purposes aimed to help others.