“When I feel well all over, I study and learn better” - experiences of good conditions for health and learning in schools in the Arctic region of Sweden

Abstract

A challenge facing the Arctic region is the disengagement of both education and work among its youth. Only by supporting young people who are struggling with mental and physical health challenges can we begin to address this societal challenge. Education, mental health and social inclusion are prominent factors for future employment, income and independent living for young people. The aim of this study was to describe and understand the experiences of good conditions for health and learning in schools in the Arctic region. The 5-D appreciative inquiry method was used to explore 47 students' and professionals' experiences and future visions of their school. A phenomenological analysis resulted in three themes: "Standing as one", "Having an apple a day", and "Finding the end of the rainbow". The findings revealed the necessity of promoting health and learning simultaneously in school and viewing health holistically. Health-promoting relationships permeate the findings of good conditions for health and learning. We argue for considering mandatory health education to increase students' health literacy and making student participation and staff collaboration a priority in schools in the Arctic region. These findings, their practical implications, and future research directions are discussed.

School Nurses’ Experiences With Health Dialogues: A Swedish Case

“…Based on the findings, the health dialogues can help schools to reach the full potential in promoting students’ health literacy and learning when a whole-school approach is used to build enabling relationships among all school staff and students. This is in accordance with earlier research (Adamowitsch et al, 2017; Kostenius & Nyström, 2020). Warne et al (2017) also argue for a whole-school approach in which students’ sense of belonging is strengthened.…”

Adolescents’ participation opportunities and student well-being in school

“…The findings, especially from qualitative studies (see Kostenius and Nyström, 2020;Quenzel and Ott, 2023), suggest that active co-design in the classroom and in teaching can also promote student well-being (H 4 ). Hammerin et al (2018) showed a positive relationship between active participation in teaching and a reduced stress experience among students.…”

“…Although students reported that they felt better when they could actively participate in the classroom, they also said that they felt more stressed because they had to make decisions themselves. Additionally, Kostenius and Nyström (2020) showed in their qualitative survey that active participation in school-similar to active co-design as the top rung of Hart's participation ladder-contributes to greater health well-being. Overall, the results suggest that adolescents who are involved in and able to shape decision-making processes in their schools and classes may feel better.…”

Young peoples’ reflections about using a chatbot to promote their mental wellbeing in northern periphery areas - a qualitative study

“…Open-ended surveys were used to allow participants to voice their experiences after they were invited to use the ChatPal chatbot, make suggestions and give their opinions. This cooperative and participatory approach with young people is echoed in the body of work on student voice [ 14 , 38 ]. The COREQ checklist developed by Tong et al [ 39 reporting standards to help to enhance the transparency of qualitative research is added as an appendix ( Appendix 1 ).…”