ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Educational Psychology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1599216
This article is part of the Research TopicProtective vs Risk Factors for Stress and Psychological Well-being in Academic University ContextsView all 16 articles
Evaluating the Impact of an Integrated KIPP and Positive Psychology Course on University Students' Psychological Well-Being in China: A Mixed-Methods Study
Provisionally accepted
Tzu-Hsuan Liu1*
Sun Huiwen2- 1Huaqiao University, Quanzhou, China
- 2Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
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Introduction: This study evaluated the impact of an integrated general education course—Building a Flourishing Life: Integrating KIPP and Positive Psychology—on the psychological well-being of university students in China. Drawing on the dual frameworks of the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) and the VIA character strengths model, the intervention aimed to promote happiness and reduce depression and anxiety. Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach, we collected pre-and post-intervention survey data (N = 116), performed fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to identify configurational pathways, and applied directed content analysis to qualitative interview responses. Results: Quantitative results showed significant increases in happiness and decreases in depression and anxiety, which highlighted the additive and substitutive roles of strengths-based practices. Qualitative findings reinforced these outcomes. The fsQCA findings showed that no single module was necessary for the observed improvements in psychological well-being. Instead, multiple combinations of modules functioned synergistically. Conclusions: This study contributes to the growing literature on culturally responsive positive education and addresses recent critiques regarding the contextualization of psychological interventions in higher education.
Keywords: KIPP1, Positive Psychology2, Psychological Well-being3, Mixed-Methods Study4, university students5
Received: 24 Mar 2025; Accepted: 22 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liu and Huiwen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Tzu-Hsuan Liu, tzusuanliu@gmail.com
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