Holistic Well-Being Promotion as a Catalyst for Organizational Change and Growth

• In Event: International Perspectives on Cultivating Justice and Hope Through Well-Being Promotion in Educational Settings

Abstract

Within the educator sector lies a quandary: fostering holistic wellbeing across various educational settings is inherently complex and supporting desired change to emerge from across a complex system is challenging (Goodall et al., 2022). Shining a light on the wellbeing of teachers and leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand, this paper shares findings from an exploratory study delving into the wellbeing of teachers and leaders in a range of educational settings. Participants from indigenous, early childhood, elementary, and high school educational settings illuminated new ideas, patterns and pathways forward through the aforementioned quandary.

This study seeks to address the research juxtaposition of education, psychology and indigenous worldviews. As such it is worth noting that indigenous perspectives on wellbeing often stem from holistic approaches to life (Royal, 2003) and relational and collectivist perspectives (McCubbin et al., 2013). Theoretically and conceptually, this paper is influenced by indigeneity within the bicultural context of Aotearoa (Durie, 2001), institutions as living complex systems (Allen, 2019; Capra, 1997; Gilbert, 2019), and the organizational perspectives of appreciative inquiry (Cooperrider, 1986), Theory U (Scharmer, 2009) and positive organizational psychology (Donaldson & Ko, 2010).

Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with educators following a national educator wellbeing survey across Aotearoa New Zealand. Teachers and leaders that participated in the interviews hailed from indigenous, early childhood, elementary, and high school educational settings. Thematic analysis within a case study design framed the data analysis. The analysis process involved text mining software to induct a set of initial codes, before relationships between the open codes were analyzed and initial categories identified by the software. After emergent themes were evaluated, diagramming supported the creation of a theoretical framework. As an epistemological approach, Appreciative Inquiry can be seen as ‘research with’ instead of ‘research on’ (Reed, 2004), thus participants were consulted throughout the research process.

Findings included that wellbeing practices were perceived in diverse ways, from self-care or sets of activities to a sense of flow in teacher or leadership practice. The interconnectedness and interdependence of wellbeing between individuals and stakeholder groups was evident within the participants’ educational communities. The results inspired theoretical, practical and organizational implications for educational institutions. In seeking to illuminate sustainable possibilities for organizations to nurture collective wellbeing, a framework for wellbeing practice will be shared.

In the social field of wellbeing education, where research has been predominantly based in psychological spaces, this research provides educator perspectives based on lived experience and through a learning lens. This work is significant in its opportunities for educators to be heard and their wellbeing valued. Additionally, the theoretical framework may provide practical support for educational organizations to gauge current wellbeing practice in their unique setting as well as strategic aims for future development and organizational growth. Enhancing collective wellbeing in educational settings has the potential to positively influence the lives of educators, students, parents and the wider community.

Author

• Suskya Goodall, Victoria University of Wellington