Examining the processes and effects of an exemplar school-based well-being approach on student competency, autonomy and relatedness

Abstract

As the application of positive education becomes more prevalent in schools, the importance of gathering information on optimal processes and outcomes associated with the programs, increases. The fulfillment of psychological needs such as competence, relatedness and autonomy, have seldomly been explored, yet they seem inextricably linked with well-being. It is also important to examine program qualities relating to delivery, relevance and practice opportunities. The current study examines (i) psychological need satisfaction as an outcome, using a quasi-experimental design and (ii) the processes involved in program delivery, using an explanatory sequential design. Year 9 students participating in the Geelong Grammar School (GGS) Timbertop well-being experience in Australia (n = 119) and 79 best matched well-being as usual (WBAU) students completed a psychological need satisfaction survey. A subgroup of 46 students also participated in focus groups. Mixed design analyses of variance indicated that the Timbertop Positive Education students experienced improved competence, relatedness and autonomy after the school year compared with 'WBAU' students. Findings from student focus groups also support the importance of well sequenced, active, focused and explicit learning processes for program success. This study provides support for building psychological need satisfaction with a positive education program that adopts practical, interactive and goal-oriented well-being learnings. This is encouraging and supports a context adapted replication and evaluation of the general Positive Education approach adopted by GGS in other schools.

Keywords: adolescents; positive education; self-determination theory; well-being.