Gratitude Practices among University Students: A Qualitative Approach

Abstract

This study inspects the insights and practices of gratitude among Pakistani university students using qualitative research method. Convenience sampling was used. The study gathered data through semi-structured interviews with 15 students, aged 18 to 25, and open-ended questionnaires filled by 25 students. The data were evaluated using thematic analysis, uncovering key themes: Understanding gratitude, expressing gratitude, Social Media’s effect on Gratitude, Gratitude and Academic Performance, Benefits of Gratitude, and Gratitude in Family Relationships. The findings feature the social, religious, and cultural variables forming students’ perspectives on gratitude. Prominently, gratitude was found to improve academic execution and stress management. Although, social issues like debasement and divergence were recognized as boundaries to offering gratitude. The study presumes that encouraging gratitude in universities can reinforce the learning environment, however systems should think about the broader social setting. Further exploration is expected to investigate gratitude in different instructive settings and over time to comprehend its advancing role. This exploratory study gives fundamental bits of knowledge into gratitude in Pakistani society and lays the preparation for future examination on its more extensive ramifications.