Creativity, Curiosity, Open Mindedness, Love of Learning, and Perspective Character Strengths in Students’ Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe in-depth the influence of the character strengths of creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, and perspective on students’ wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used a qualitative approach and was phenomenological research. Participants were students of higher education who lived in the city of Yogyakarta. The data were collected using an open-ended semi-structured questionnaire and through in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis techniques. The initial results from the preliminary research were validated through triangulation. The findings indicated that the presence of the character strengths of creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, and perspective influenced students’ happiness during their studies. Keywords: character strengths, creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, perspective, wellbeing, student, COVID-19 pandemic era