Life satisfaction among new arrivals from mainland China in secondary schools in Hong Kong

Abstract

This study examined the perceptions of secondary school students who had recently arrived into Hong Kong from China (New Arrivals). Specifically students’ satisfaction in the following five domains was assessed: self, school, family, living environment and friendship. Scores on these five domains were combined to index global life satisfaction. A total of 113 New Arrivals and 178 local students from 4 purposefully selected secondary schools in Hong Kong completed questionnaires. Local students had significantly higher satisfaction than New Arrivals in the following domains: self, school, and living environment. Length of residence in Hong Kong was significantly and negatively related to global life satisfaction. Further, perceived academic achievement was positively and significantly correlated with global life satisfaction. Implications of the findings are discussed.