Toward a consensus on wellbeing in education

• In Event: Repairing the Educational Landscape: Equipping Teachers to Promote Student Well-Being for Democratic and Flourishing Societies

Abstract

Objectives: How can a consensus on understanding wellbeing in education repair education for a flourishing society? Flourishing is intrinsically associated with education for democracy. This paper aims to explore the application of a new consensus theory of wellbeing in education, responding to Dewey’s assertion that ‘Democracy has to be born anew every generation, and education is its midwife’. It addresses the problem of a current lack of consensus in education research despite the growth in student and teacher wellbeing research. It explores how this pioneering understanding of wellbeing can be translated into schools and schooling to improve student and teacher wellbeing for learning in all classrooms.

Theoretical Framework: The paper adopts Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory to propose an interdisciplinary, value-led and evidence-informed theoretical framework, drawing from a comprehensive range of perspectives, including positive psychology and education, self-determination theory, social and emotional learning, liberal-democratic philosophy, and neo-Aristotelian theories. This framework advocates for a flourishing focus in education policy and practice, shifting the emphasis away from human capital and economic growth.

Methods: This method involves analysing conceptual disputes, clarifying ethical considerations for promoting student and teacher wellbeing, and assessing critical arguments from leading philosophical and psychological perspectives on flourishing. By synthesising compatible aspects of conceptual evidence, the paper presents a consensus model linking educational environments, learning, and flourishing and adopting Keyes and Martin’s definition of wellbeing for learning and teaching as a multidimensional ‘complete state model of mental health’, where wellbeing is understood as a continuum, where it is more than the absence of illness and includes strengths-based and culturally responsive perspectives.

Data Sources: The paper adopts existing literature from various fields, including philosophy, psychology, and education research, and then problematises it in the context of schools and schooling.

Results: The paper concludes with a proposed consensus model on wellbeing built upon the synthesised findings. This model informs recommendations for educational policy and practice with the practical goal of improving student and teacher wellbeing. The consensus model can also contribute to culturally responsive practices by providing a shared understanding of student needs across diverse populations.

Scholarly Significance: The paper’s scholarly significance lies in its contribution to bridging the gap in wellbeing research by proposing a consensus model. This model offers a framework for policy and practice that can improve student and teacher wellbeing and inform culturally responsive approaches in education.

References
Bronfenbrenner, U. (2000). Ecological systems theory. In A. E. Kazdin (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Psychology (Vol. 3, pp. 129–133). Oxford University Press.
Curren, R., Boniwell, I., Ryan, R. M., Oades, L., Brighouse, H., Unterhalter, E., Kristjánsson, K., de Ruyter, D., Macleod, C., Morris, I., & White, M. (2024). Finding consensus on well-being in education. Theory and Research in Education, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14778785241259852

Author

• Mathew White, University of Adelaide