Development of wellbeing among school learners through positive pedagogy

Abstract

Keeping in view the growing psychological concerns among young children, the educational community is now recognizing the value of positive psychology in helping children learn, capitalize on their strengths, increase resilience, and prepare them for life. Positive education, as an applied area of positive psychology, tries to achieve these goals while providing a joint venture for collaboration among the various stakeholders in school education. The present paper is analytical in nature and focuses on the concept of positive pedagogy and its delineation in the existing literature. It also introduces the idea of integrating two well-known models (the PERMA model of wellbeing and the 5E model of experiential learning) with Brookfield's reflective practice model in order to impart wellbeing-rich content in the classroom. This integration aligns with the fundamentals of positive pedagogy and offers a systematic approach to integrating it into the teaching and learning process. Furthermore, the identification of distinct positive psychological interventions used by various positive education programs throughout the world has shed light on positive pedagogy. By taking into account the current status and associated challenges with the idea of positive pedagogy, several suggestions that may guide future advancements in the field of positive education and, more specifically, in positive pedagogy have been made in the article.