• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.22-32
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• 2024

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare sociocultural attitudes toward appearance, appearance satisfaction, and peer relationships between male and female middle school students, and to compare the effects of these variables on self-esteem in students of different genders. Methods: Data were collected in August and September of 2023 and analyzed using SPSS 24.0. Data were collected from 289 male and 240 female students through a survey, and descriptive statistics, x2 test, t-test, Scheffé test, and multiple regression analysis were conducted. Results: Female students showed significantly higher scores for sociocultural attitudes toward appearance (3.06±0.77 vs. 2.82±0.74), significantly lower scores for appearance satisfaction (2.55±0.46 vs. 2.71±0.40), and significantly higher scores for peer relationships (3.46±0.69 vs. 3.00±0.78) than male students. Additionally, self-esteem was significantly lower in female students (2.84±0.59) than in male students (2.95±0.51). As a result of adjusting for weekly allowance, subjective academic achievement, family economic status, stress, and experience of sadness or despair, which were significant in the univariate analysis, self-esteem increased as appearance satisfaction (p for all <.001) and peer relationships increased in both male (p=.009) and female (p<.001) students. In addition, sociocultural attitudes toward appearance did not have a significant impact on self-esteem in both male and female students. Among general characteristics, weekly allowance, subjective academic achievement, and stress were found to have a significant effect on self-esteem in both genders. Relationships with parents had a significant effect on self-esteem only in male students, and experience of sadness or despair had a significant effect only in female students. Conclusion: In order to improve self-esteem in both boys and girls, appearance satisfaction and peer relationships should be improved. As boys with poor relationships with their parents and girls with high levels of sadness or despair are particularly likely to have low self-esteem, they are to be considered as a high-risk group.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.101-122
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to develop teaching learning process plans with problem-based learning using book-making applying to the "Dressing and Self Expression" unit and evaluate its effect in middle school home economics for first grade. We developed teaching learning process plans with problem-based learning using book-making including 9 teaching materials for teachers and 15 learning materials for students. Further, we conducted and investigated pre- and post-tests in a form of questionnaires in 167 students from a girls' middle school in Pusan. Teaching learning process plans with problem-based learning using book-making showed positive results in body satisfaction, such as reduction in distortion or less dissatisfaction regarding students' body images. Also, they were found to be less affected by sociocultural attitude towards appearance. The estimation of students included the positive contents that the class was interested with various materials and it provided them with a chance to understand their body. Meanwhile, minor comments pointed out lack of time and complained of the amount of assignments. With these results, we found that teaching learning process plans with problem-based learning using book-making was an appropriate model to achieve the purpose of this study and we suggested that this class might be applied to other units of middle school home economics.