ERIC Number: EJ1421724
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-4985
EISSN: EISSN-1465-3915
Effects of a Positive Education Programme on Secondary School Students' Mental Health and Wellbeing: Challenges of the School Context
Oxford Review of Education, v50 n3 p309-331 2024
Previous research has demonstrated wellbeing benefits for positive education programmes (PEPs) facilitated by clinicians or experts or outside the school context. The current study explored the effects of a Year 10 PEP led by teachers trained in positive education and embedded within the Australian secondary school context. A mixed-methods design compared students receiving PEP (n = 119) with a wellbeing-as-usual comparison group (n = 34) matched on age and socioeconomic status. Depression, anxiety, autonomy, gratitude and mindfulness levels did not differ between groups. Levels of satisfaction with life and relatedness were significantly higher for the intervention than for the comparison students at the post-intervention time point. Qualitative analyses revealed that students valued having engaging and relatable teachers, brief interactive sessions and personally relevant applied content. School-based PEPs may therefore provide some limited ongoing support as students transition into their senior years of secondary school. Delivering positive education within the school context, however, raises challenges relating to levels of teacher training and availability. Capturing the student voice in the current study was valuable and indicated that both teacher and programme factors were central to student engagement in PEPs.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Secondary Schools, Secondary School Students, Private Schools, Mental Health, Student Welfare, Teacher Student Relationship, Mental Health Programs, Program Effectiveness
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A