Positive Psychology In Schools Research Articles

Positive Psychology in Schools with Focus on Adolescent Well-Being

The present population of young people is 1.8 billion and they comprise one quarter of the world population. Their age ranges between 10-24 and is currently the largest in the history. Adolescent (age 10-19 years) can be a powerful agent of personal change and community development, so focus on adolescent health is pertinent to meet global health targets. Personal, school, family, community factors effect adolescent overall health. The age of onset of puberty has decreased and the age at which mature social roles are achieved is rising amidst the huge impact of social media. This generation is taking a different path through adolescence from previous generations and is facing new challenges to their health and wellbeing. In last few years factors like socio-economic development, less mortality, high migration, breaking down of families, increase in terrorism and age of social media have added to more psychological problems. Hence there is an increasing demand to focus on adolescent mental health issues. As a clinical Psychologist and a school counsellor, I work with school mental health wellbeing teams to support mental, emotional, behavioural, and social wellbeing of students. I advocate positive psychology in schools and can confidently argue its many benefits towards enhancing overall wellbeing of students. In this paper, I have put forward a working “Positive Psychology Life-skills” curriculum triangular model (PPL model).

A Multidimensional PERMA-H Positive Education Model, General Satisfaction of School Life, and Character Strengths Use in Hong Kong Senior Primary School Students: Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Path Analysis Using the APASO-II.

The multidimensional PERMA-H positive education model provided evaluation and education framework for the theoretical and practice development of positive psychology in schools. Character strengths use mediates the association of strength knowledge and well-being. Using the Assessment Program for Affective and Social Outcomes (2nd Version) (APASO-II), the Subjective Happiness Scale, and the Physical Health Subscale of the PERMA-profiler, a multidimensional measure of PERMA-H was validated using confirmatory factor analysis in the context of a positive education program evaluation in senior primary school students. The association of PERMA-H measurements with school well-being as measured by general satisfaction of school life, and levels of depression and anxiety, and the mediation mechanism of character strengths use in such association were studied using path analysis. A cross-sectional sample of 726 senior primary school students (i.e., grade 4–6) aged 8–13 from the two primary schools completed a baseline evaluation questionnaire of a positive education program. Satisfactory internal reliability of the scales was obtained with Cronbach's alpha coefficients < 0.70. The scales were generally positively and moderately inter-correlated, except for level of anxiety and depression symptoms which was negative. Good psychometric properties of APASO-II were evidenced from the factor structure of sub-scale scores conforming to six factors of the PERMA-H model by confirmatory factor analysis. Path analyses showed that the APASO-II factors together with measures of subject happiness and positive health as the multidimensional PERMA-H model of positive education differentially predicted general satisfaction of school life, level of anxiety and depression, and character strengths use. Character strengths use mediated the relationship of Positive Engagement with general satisfaction of school life. Positive education utilizes knowledge and research findings from positive psychology in schools to produce intended positive outcomes like enhanced well-being and reduced level of depression in students. This study provided a solid foundation for related scientific research and the understanding of the multidimensional framework of positive psychology concepts. Systematic promotion and longitudinal evaluation of positive education at the institutional level in Hong Kong can be achieved with the use of APASO-II and the positive education scales of subjective happiness and physical health.

Positive psychology in schools: A change with deep roots

espanolLa felicidad es un valor universal del ser humano y el campo de estudio de la psicologia positiva nos aporta un conocimiento relevan-te acerca de su impacto en nuestras vidas, asi como de sus correlatos. La escuela es uno de los principales contextos de desarrollo hu-mano y por ello el lugar por excelencia para facilitar y promover la felicidad en todos los ninos y jovenes. Ahora bien, implementar la psicologia positiva en la escuela requiere repensar en nuestro propio concepto de educacion, considerar la felicidad dentro de los objetivos del proyecto educativo, e introducir modificaciones en la organizacion escolar y las metodologias docentes. Todo ello con-lleva a su vez la insercion de dicho marco de trabajo en la formacion inicial y permanente del profesorado asi como la necesidad de profundizar en el conocimiento de la felicidad en la infancia y su papel en el proceso educativo. EnglishHappiness is a universal human value and the field of positive psychology gives us relevant knowledge about its impact in our lives and its correlates. The school is one of the main contexts of human development and therefore the principal place for facilitating and promoting happiness for all children and young people. Implementing positive psychology at school requires rethinking our concept of education, considering happiness within the objectives of the educational plan, and introducing changes in school organization and teaching methods. AII this, in turn, leads to the inclusion of this framework within pre-service and in-service teacher training and the need for further knowledge about children’s happiness and its role in the educational process.

The effects of positive psychology on the efficacy beliefs of school staff

Efficacy beliefs have been found to have significant influence on effort and persistence, and are associated with protective factors such as resilience, personal well-being and achievement (Bandura, 1997).The effects of positive psychology in schools have received little attention to date. However, since positive psychology offers a focus on the positive aspects of human experience (Seligman &amp; Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) we theorised that it could effect positive changes in teachers’ efficacy beliefs.A mixed-methods approach was used in a small-scale study of staff in two primary schools. Interview and focus group data informed the development of a questionnaire that was subsequently used to gather pre- and post-intervention data. Staff in one school were introduced to aspects of positive psychology and participated in an intervention designed to cause reflection on ‘good things’. Staff in a second school acted as a control group.Findings suggest that efficacy beliefs had been enhanced for staff who had participated in the intervention, but not in the comparable school where staff had acted as a control group. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed and suggestions made for future research.

Introducing positive psychology: Finding a place within school psychology

AbstractAn introduction to the special issue addressing positive psychology and its “place” in and implications for schools is provided. The articles contained within the issue are described within the context of our perspective regarding positive psychology in schools. As the study of positive psychology continues to evolve, it is likely that its application within other fields (including school psychology) will be more clearly expressed. We contend that the “success” of introducing, implementing, and sustaining positive psychology within schools may be dependent on its early yet also sustained integration across multiple contexts. And, a “positive” school psychology will require attention to the convergence of multiple, diverse areas of literature. The articles within this special issue begin this movement toward finding either a place for positive psychology within school psychology or a place for school psychology within positive psychology. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 1–5, 2004.