Students’ Understanding of Student Well-Being: A Case Study

Abstract

What does it mean for students to flourish (to be well) in school, what school ecology would this require, and what capabilities to live a flourishing life should schools help students develop? In this article, we report on a study that inquired into these three questions from the perspective of the students themselves, which is a perspective rarely inquired into. Data were collected from students at a large high school in Canada, using a survey (N = 50) and focus group interviews (N = 24). The findings provided diverse and rich student perspectives on the role that student well-being can and should play as an aim of school education.