The Role of Positive Psychology in Promoting Student Well-Being

Abstract

The well-being of students is a topic of paramount importance in the field of education and psychology. In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the need to focus not only on academic achievement but also on the emotional and psychological well-being of students (Leow et al., 2023; Lo et al., 2022). Over the course of the past decade, the impetus for preventive interventions to respond to mental health problems has been reinforced by epidemiological research that showed excessive levels of mental health conditions among children and youth (Samji et al., 2022). Positive psychology, a relatively new branch of psychology, offers a valuable framework for understanding and promoting the well-being of students. This chapter will summarize key findings and concepts, focusing on the following five areas: 1) the role of positive psychology, 2) theories in positive psychology, 3) understanding student's well-being, 4) two case studies on positive education at a British (UK) university in Malaysia, and 5) positive psychology intervention to promote student's well-being.