What gratitude looks like from Colombian children’s perspectives

Abstract

This study aimed to explore Colombian fifth-graders views about people, events, and situations involved in their gratitude experiences. The sample consisted of 120 fifth-grade children from three mixed-gender schools (one public, two private) in Bogotá, Colombia. The study used a child-centered methodology that involved a novel combination of qualitative strategies such as drawings, photos, and schematization. Children played a protagonist role in both gathering and analyzing data. Results showed the complexity of children’s understandings of who they were grateful to and for what benefits. Personal relationships constituted one of the main aspects of children’s perceptions of gratitude; they identified family, friends, teachers and members of the community as the most important benefactors when thinking about gratitude, and they recognized a variety of benefits received from them. Research on gratitude in Colombia and Latin America can provide important input for designing educational programs to promote positive competences in these societies.