‘If mental health is not okay, then nothing is okay’

Students voice their well-being at school

Abstract

Health and well-being constitute foundational elements of education. Schools play a pivotal role in nurturing social development and emotional maturity among children and adolescents. Positive education entails imparting techniques to augment well-being and happiness alongside accomplishments in traditional subjects. Its overarching goal is to elevate the well-being of all school community members. This research explores students’ perspectives on the factors that foster well-being at school. This research was done by applying the EOPOCH theoretical framework for well-being to see how well it captures young people’s ideas. Kern et al. compiled the five primary factors they consider important to children and adolescents so that they experience well-being. These five factors are engagement, perseverance, optimism, connectedness, and happiness. This research examines how these factors and others present themselves in young people’s minds. Six semi-structured focus group interviews with nineteen students in eighth, ninth, and tenth grades provided the data. Data analysis revealed the emergence of all the EPOCH factors in the adolescents’ responses. Hence, EPOCH provides a valuable framework for understanding youth well-being. However, it does not encompass all the well-being components addressed in this study. Notably, the adolescent perspectives prominently feature the pursuit of meaning and purpose. The first component of EPOCH is engagement. The results demonstrate the importance of incorporating student interests, where they can fully utilise their strengths. All interviews showed that so-called interestbased projects were enjoyable and educational, encouraging ambition, love of learning, and well-being. Perseverance, the second facet of EPOCH, emerged as a crucial factor in well-being. Students found that their attitude played a vital role in meeting various challenges in life. In their opinion, compliments and support from staff and teachers also play a significant role in increasing their perseverance. Optimism, the third EPOCH factor, was viewed as a crucial asset. Optimism, they emphasised, empowers individuals by fostering a belief in their capacity to influence their circumstances. Nonetheless, they acknowledged that adopting an optimistic mindset can be demanding and necessitates cultivation. Connectedness is the fourth component of EPOCH. According to the results, a feeling of belonging in the school’s environment plays a vital role in the well-being of young people. They value friends and peers above all other factors at school and say they both feel better and learn better with friends. Connections with teachers and staff are different but nonetheless important. The students claimed that they trust their teachers and consider those teachers who treat them warmly, show them interest, and are patient with them to be good teachers. Students state that building trust and good relationships are influential factors in creating favourable learning environments and increasing wellbeing. Happiness is the fifth factor of EPOCH and involves experiencing enjoyment and contentment. The young interviewees valued this factor highly because positive emotions influence inner contentment in the long term. Notably, the data highlighted the prominence of meaning and purpose, which extend beyond the EPOCH framework. Students expressed uncertainty about the purpose of their studies and stressed the importance of relevant school projects, particularly those with explicit and pertinent goals. The most pronounced EPOCH factors in the data, namely engagement and connectedness, align with Kern et al.’s findings regarding the significance of tasks driven by intrinsic motivation and the need for a sense of belonging. Students clearly advocated for an enhancement of life skills related to EPOCH factors. In their view, increased education focusing on these factors could mitigate discomfort and consequently reduce the prevalence of anxiety and sadness among students. Cultivating these factors within education holds immense value. Positive education to foster personal growth, well-being, and academic achievement aligns with the national curriculum’s fundamental principles, effectively cultivating health and well-being. increased education focusing on these factors could mitigate discomfort and consequently reduce the prevalence of anxiety and sadness among students. Cultivating these factors within education holds immense value. Employing positive education to foster personal growth, well-being, and academic achievement aligns with the national curriculum’s fundamental principles, thereby effectively cultivating health and well-being.