5 Ways to Promote Students’ Well-being in Learning

The success of learning is not merely defined by the students’ academic achievements, but students’ well-being also requires more attention. Well-being is a state of overall mental and physical health, strength, resilience and fitness which will help students to function well at learning. In education, students’ well-being has become a major concern in determining the optimal learning outcome. Promoting this is important because students with high level of well-being tend to have better outcomes than those who do not. In order to promote students’ well-being in learning, a positive psychologist, Martin Seligman developed a model named “PERMA”. PERMA is the five essential elements that should be present for students to experience and embrace long lasting positive well-being.

These elements are: P - Positive Emotion: The experience of positive emotions such as optimism, peace, gratitude, satisfaction, pleasure, inspiration, and curiosity is valuable. In relation to teaching practice, it is important to ensure that the learning encounter offers many opportunities for students to experience positive emotions in their learning activities.

E - Engagement: It is defined as the opportunity to have interest in learning. Students may experience their learning flow when they are fully engaged in a learning situation, activity or material.

R - Positive Relationships: Having relationships with others facilitates the growth of friendships, connectedness, and belonging. By encouraging social relationships and friendships, students are able to experience positive emotions.

M - Meaning: This can refer to working towards, or believing in something that provides a valuable way to find meaning in one’s life. For instance, encouraging students to be involved in the beach clean-up can bring fulfillment and meaning that can enhance their well-being.

A - Accomplishment/Achievement: Achievement helps to build self-esteem and provides a sense of accomplishment. Teachers are encouraged to make realistic goals which can be reached by the students. This offers a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment as well as helps develop their well-being.

The awareness of PERMA can help the establishment of students’ well-being bycombining good feeling, meaningful living, supportive relationships, goals accomplishmentand engagement. Nurturing these elements in children can help them go beyond “surviving”to really “thriving” in life.

References

Matthewman, L., Gall, Donna Jodhan., Nowlan, Jenni., Patel, Nuala. (2018). Primed, preppedand primped: Reflections on enhancing student wellbeing in tertiary education.Psychology Teaching Review, 67-76.Palmer, S (2008). A coaching psychology perspective. Psychology Teaching Review, 14(2),40–42.Slavin, S. J., Schindler, D., Chibnall, J. T., Fendell, G., & Shoss, M. (2012). PERMA: Amodel for institutional leadership and culture change. Academic Medicine, 87(11),1481. The awareness of PERMA can help the establishment of students’ well-being by combining good feeling, meaningful living, supportive relationships,