PGCE PROCES WORK MODULE 1 UNIT 3 TASK 6A-POSITIVE EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS
“more well-being is synergistic with better learning. Increases in well-being are likely to produce increases in learning…” (Seligman et al., 2009: 294).
The above statement is at the heart of the International Positive Education Network’s (IPEN) philosophy. They believe that the:
“DNA of education is a double helix with intertwined strands of equal importance:” (online) (Appendix A)
According to IPEN the components necessary to form this double helix are “fulfilment of intellectual potential” combined equally with “development of character strengths and well-being”.
Norrish et al. summarise the aim of Positive Education as:
“bringing together the science of Positive Psychology with best-practice teaching to encourage and support schools and individuals within their communities to flourish” (2013, p.184)
The Geelong Grammar School (GGS) was aligned to this ideology and their Applied Framework for Positive Education used a three-tiered approach: “live it, teach it, and embed it” (ibid. p150) to apply positive psychology in it’s school to try to counteract student depression.
Initially I thought, while admirable, this was an unrealistic goal and bound not to succeed because of the fact that we are all individual and one person’s definition of fulfilment, well-being and what it means to flourish differs from another. I was also concerned that, if GGS were advocating this as an ideal state for all to achieve then pupils might feel that, if they did not achieve this ideal, they had failed. This could potentially increase the state of depression the school was trying to negate.
Norrish et al. report that GGS has, after five years of implementing their method, seen a noticeable improvement in their students. This made me reflect upon whether my initial reaction was too pessimistic.
The GGS model involved a training and support programme not just for the pupils and teaching faculty but for the entire community of the school including parents and stakeholders in it. GGS also included Positive Education lessons in their timetable in order to teach an understanding of the principles inherent in the philosophy of it.
I believe that GGS’s realisation that, if their programme was to succeed, they needed to create role models for their pupils not just in the school staff, but also in the home environment, is paramount to the success of their programme. A grass roots commitment to any scheme is crucial for it to succeed.
Despite the evidence that the GGS model works, I remain sceptical about how it might be implemented on a universal level. White (2016) shares my scepticism and the belief that in order for Positive Education to succeed everyone must share a common understanding of the psychology behind it, policy makers must endorse it, and everyone must be committed to it. He states:
“Research centers must focus on the development of common definitions of the key terms well-being, positive psychology and positive education; recommendations for how to approach whole systems change improvement; articulating the social and financial return on investment for such an approach; and developing tools to help manage and drive sustainable change.” (online)
I support Positive Education but ask the question: how can we promote “well-being in an “un-well world” ? (Brasher and Wiseman 2007, cited in White, 2016).
Bibliography
IPEN (online) Available at: http://www.ipositive-education.net
(accessed 25th October 2016)
Merriam-Webster's Learners Dictionary, Definition, Simple Definition of double helix (online). Available at: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/double%20helix (accessed 25th October 2016)
Norrish, J. M., Williams, P., O'Connor, M., & Robinson, J. (2013) An applied framework for positive education. International Journal of Wellbeing 3(2): 147-161. Available at: http://www.internationaljournalofwellbeing.org
/index.php/ijow/article/view/250/358 (accessed 25th October 2016].
White, M. A. (2014) Why won’t it Stick? Positive Psychology and Positive Education : Springer Pyschology of Well- Being, 2016; 6: 2. Published 2016 Feb 9. (online) Available at : http://psywb.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13612-016-0039-1#Sec10 (accessed 25th October 2016)
Appendices
Appendix A : A double Helix is described as “the shape formed by two parallel lines that twist around each other” (Webster, online)
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