What Is the Biggest Concern for Elementary Students at the Start of the New Semester? ... KidZania Busan Conducted a Survey

As the new school semester approaches, the biggest concern among elementary school students is whether they will be able to make new friends successfully.

A survey conducted by KidZania Busan, a global children's career experience theme park, targeting a total of 100 prospective first graders and elementary school students from grades 2 to 6 who visited KidZania, revealed that this concern accounted for 44%, the highest response.

Survey Results of KidZania Busan.

The second most common concern was ‘worrying about adapting well to a new teacher (28%)’, followed by ‘whether they can adjust to the increased study load (19%)’ in third place, and ‘finding it difficult to manage busy school life compared to the free vacation (9%)’ in fourth place.

These results suggest that elementary school students feel considerable pressure regarding friendships and school adaptation as they face the new semester. Education experts recommend practicing ‘making friends’ during the vacation to improve children’s adaptability to peer relationships during the semester.

They also suggest that spending playtime with friends who have similar personalities can enhance sociability, and playing with unfamiliar peers helps build adaptability to new environments.

KidZania emphasizes that experiential facilities can be effective in developing adaptability and sociability with peers. Career experiences that foster teamwork, such as those at the ‘Fire Station’ and ‘Crime Scene Investigation (C.S.I)’, which require cooperation among several people to complete a mission, are particularly helpful.

Additionally, KidZania explains that activities like climbing a 9-meter-high rock wall at the ‘Exploration Training Center’ and driving an electric cart independently after training and obtaining a license at the ‘Driving Track’ provide opportunities to experience a spirit of challenge and achievement, encouraging mutual support and greatly aiding active school life.

A representative from KidZania Busan stated, “It is important to help children adapt well to new environments and form healthy friendships,” adding, “At the same time, we will work together to create an environment that reduces academic stress and promotes balanced growth.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.