No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the author.
Recalibrating the Compass in a Changing World: Education for Meaning and Meaningful Education
Abstract
Education is among the most powerful gateways to social change and mobility. It is also a potentially vital backbone for the development of young people’s sense of meaning, purpose, and responsibility, enhancing their ability to face the unique challenges of our volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world. The global scale of the current wave of political and social changes heightens the need for a renewed examination of the educational system and its challenges. This paper asserts the importance of education for meaning and meaningful education as essential ingredients in preparing children and adolescents for the changing and uncertain world of the future. Yet meaning in life, which is almost unanimously recognized as a fundamental component of subjective well-being, has received little attention in education. This paper considers empirical evidence of the importance of meaning to the education and healthy development of children and adolescents and then proposes a heuristic model for intervention.
... Despite evidence of important outcomes associated with meaningful learning experiences, research about the school conditions that make learning meaningful is scarce (Bergmark & Kostenius, 2018;Russo-Netzer, 2023). There is especially little research in the middle school years, a time when adolescents are primed for engaging learning that instills a sense of purpose. ...
... Building upon nascent research about school conditions that promote meaningful learning experiences (Harackiewicz et al., 2016;Reber, 2019;Russo-Netzer, 2023), this study provides evidence for more meaningful learning experiences in EL Education than comparison schools. Examining within racial subgroups provided useful insights. ...
... Awareness of world problems, such as racism and environmentalism, was foundational in the majority of students' explanations of their sense of efficacy or taking action to address injustice. School experiences that contribute to youth sociopolitical development are meaningful by connecting to their ethnic-racial identity development (Branje et al., 2021) and sense of purpose (Russo-Netzer, 2023). ...
Making school meaningful is a widely accepted goal in education, yet what is considered meaningful, meaningful to whom, and why, leaves room for interrogation. This sequential explanatory mixed methods study aims to understand: (1) The extent to which students experience meaningful education at EL Education schools compared to comparison schools, and (2) How adolescents describe meaningful schoolwork. Survey responses were gathered from 258 students at nine middle schools (five EL Education, four comparison). Participants self-identified as 49% male, 47% female, 2% gender non-binary, 41% Black, 40% Latina/o, 33% White, 16% Multiracial, 1% Asian, and 31% low-income. Controlling for demographic characteristics, EL Education students reported statistically significantly more meaningful school experiences than comparison school students. Subsample analyses showed substantially greater meaningfulness at EL Education than comparison schools for Black ( n = 107; p < .01) and Latina/o students ( n = 40; p < .001). Interviews from 32 students and grounded theory analysis revealed that meaningful schoolwork focuses on: (a) Learning about and addressing “real-world problems” (e.g., racism, environmentalism, sociopolitical development), (b) Engaging content that was personally relevant, hands-on, and socially interactive, and (c) Future-oriented academic or social skills. Findings point to promising practices at EL Education schools and implications are discussed.
... Our educators have a critical role to play, as their learning, teaching and research methods and how to integrate them as part of students and learners' academic routines becomes essential if we seek to engage on a process of meaningful educational change that helps in the needed economic transformation. Education has played a critical role since the dawn of civilisation and our capacity to progress, develop, grow, innovate, collaborate are identified as critical aspects that have contributed to the evolution of our species (Meyer & Norman, 2020;Silova et al., 2020;Russo-Netzer, 2023). Extending the argument, we can also infer that education has enormous potential to face the sustainability challenges faced by humanity (Burbules et al., 2020;Chankseliani & McCowan, 2021;Gare, 2023). ...
... Persiapan menyongsong generasi emas menjadikan pendidikan sebagai gerbang yang paling kuat untuk perubahan dan mobilitas (Russo-Netzer, 2022). Perubahan dan pergerakan bidang pendidikan menjadi tanggung jawab pendidik untuk lebih menambah pengetahuannya dalam menyiapkan peserta didik sebagai generasi penerus masa depan yang lebih baik teurama untuk menghadapi tantangan. ...
Perkembangan teknologi yang melekatnya dengan generasi saat ini selain memberi dampak positif pada realitanya terdapat dampak negatif salah satunya adalah degradasi moral. Generasi yang akan menjadi penerus bangsa mengalami penurunan terhadap norma dan etika yang berlaku di masyarakat. Dalam hal ini perlu dibekali dengan tujuan agar tidak menjadi bumerang di masa mendatang untuk mencapai generasi emas sesuai dengan cita-cita bangsa Indonesia. Metode yang digunakan untuk menjawab permasalah dalam menyiapkan generasi emas yaitu dengan studi litelatur dengan mencari dan mengumpulkan data dan informasi dari beberapa sumber. Hasil dari data yang diperoleh dianalisis, sehingga diperoleh upaya untuk membangun generasi emas didasarkan pada desain pendidikan karakter. Pendidik memiliki peranan penting dalam pendidikan untuk mendidik selain pengetahuan dan keterampilan terutama pendidikan karakter. Kemajuan teknologi era revolusi 4.0 dan era society 5.0 memberikan ruang bagi pendidik untuk terus berkembang agar pembelajaran menjadi lebih menyenangkan dan bahagia bagi siswa. Pendidik tidak dapat melaksanakan pendidikan karakter di sekolah sendiri akan tetapi perlu kerjasama antar intern sekolah dengan lingkungan keluarga dan lingkungan masyarakat. Sekolah bisa menjadi satu-satunya yang memerankan pendidikan karakter pada siswa apabila tidak adanya sinergi antar keluarga dan masyarakat. Maka dari itu membangun generasi emas melalui pendidikan karakter memerlukan pendidik yang berkualitas.
La sociedad europea vive momentos de Volatilidad, Incertidumbre (Uncertainty), Complejidad y Ambigüedad que se ha definido como mundo VUCA. Para hacer frente al nuevo escenario económico, político y social, necesitamos redefinir el conjunto de competencias que esperamos de los graduados que llegan al mercado laboral europeo. Este artículo presenta la incorporación de nuevos enfoques en los planes de estudios de los cursos de Grado en Gestión en Polonia. El trabajo sigue una metodología descriptiva y se basa en el análisis de investigaciones e informes que recogen las necesidades y perfiles que demandan las empresas y la sociedad en un futuro próximo. Los principales hallazgos muestran cómo ciertas competencias “blandas” permitirán a nuestros estudiantes competir con un futuro robotizado, y satisfacer las necesidades de la sociedad y el mercado laboral. Las habilidades blandas son típicamente humanas y difícilmente se automatizarán, o al menos no sucederá rápidamente, convirtiéndose en las más importantes para los empleados del futuro. La elaboración de currículos dinámicos permitirá resolver tareas innovadoras, evaluar y gestionar riesgos y contrarrestar estas amenazas.
The need to experience life as meaningful is fundamental to human nature. Recent years have witnessed a growing sophistication in assessing meaning in life (MIL) and new conceptualizations regarding its place within general models of well-being and coping. As part of this surge in research, increased attention has been given to the understanding, assessment, and practice of MIL in numerous arenas and contexts. However, despite these advancements, further knowledge is needed to explore the application of meaning interventions across more diverse contexts and non-clinical populations in the general community. The purpose of the present paper is to expand the existing knowledge on meaning-oriented interventions by introducing a Community-Based Initiative which is directly responsive to this need. This includes describing its approach to meaning-making on multiple fronts: (1) Socratic Questions in the Public Sphere; (2) the Tribe Intergenerational Life Stories Project; (3) Literature, Arts, and Museums as Meaning-Making Sites; and (4) Education for Meaning. Each of these initiatives is described to propose more context-sensitive interventions that are applicable to everyday life in general society.
Meaning in life is a cornerstone of wellbeing and flourishing. Emerging generations express intense interest, and even anxiety, about living and working in a meaningful way, yet contemporary society seems ill-equipped to provide them with constructive pathways to meaning. In this chapter, we place meaning in life theory and research in the context of positive education, and suggest a number of simple activities and tools, as well as a broader perspective on meaning and purpose, that both can be integrated into positive education programs and also may be used as the very basis for integrating such programs. Meaning in life captures our universal desire for life to be significant, coherent, and purposeful. By helping students begin and continue to take steps on pathways to meaning, positive educational institutions may profoundly assist the flourishing of students in their care and the communities in which those institutions and students thrive.
“The approaches outlined in this volume will help expand the narrow focus on academic success to include psychological well-being for students and educators alike. It is a must-read for anyone interested in how positive outcomes such as life satisfaction, positive emotion, and meaning and purpose can be optimized in the educational settings.”
— Judith Moskowitz, PhD MPH, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, USA, IPPA President 2019-2021
This open access handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the growing field of positive education, featuring a broad range of theoretical, applied, and practice-focused chapters from leading international experts. It demonstrates how positive education offers an approach to understanding learning that blends academic study with life skills such as self-awareness, emotion regulation, healthy mindsets, mindfulness, and positive habits, grounded in the science of wellbeing, to promote character development, optimal functioning, engagement in learning, and resilience.
The handbook offers an in-depth understanding and critical consideration of the relevance of positive psychology to education, which encompasses its theoretical foundations, the empirical findings, and the existing educational applications and interventions. The contributors situate wellbeing science within the broader framework of education, considering its implications for teacher training, education and developmental psychology, school administration, policy making, pedagogy, and curriculum studies.
This landmark collection will appeal to researchers and practitioners working in positive psychology, educational and school psychology, developmental psychology, education, counselling, social work, and public policy.
Margaret (Peggy) L. Kern is Associate Professor at the Centre for Positive Psychology at the University of Melbourne’s Graduate School of Education, Australia. Dr Kern is Founding Chair of the Education Division of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). You can find out more about Dr Kern’s work at www.peggykern.org.
Michael L. Wehmeyer is Ross and Mariana Beach Distinguished Professor of Special Education; Chair of the Department of Special Education; and Director and Senior Scientist, Beach Center on Disability, at the University of Kansas, United States. Dr Wehmeyer is Publications Lead for the Education Division of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). He has published more than 450 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and is an author or editor of 42 texts.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been associated with mental health challenges related to the morbidity and mortality caused by the disease and to mitigation activities, including the impact of physical distancing and stay-at-home orders.* Symptoms of anxiety disorder and depressive disorder increased considerably in the United States during April-June of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019 (1,2). To assess mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the pandemic, representative panel surveys were conducted among adults aged ≥18 years across the United States during June 24-30, 2020. Overall, 40.9% of respondents reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral health condition, including symptoms of anxiety disorder or depressive disorder (30.9%), symptoms of a trauma- and stressor-related disorder (TSRD) related to the pandemic† (26.3%), and having started or increased substance use to cope with stress or emotions related to COVID-19 (13.3%). The percentage of respondents who reported having seriously considered suicide in the 30 days before completing the survey (10.7%) was significantly higher among respondents aged 18-24 years (25.5%), minority racial/ethnic groups (Hispanic respondents [18.6%], non-Hispanic black [black] respondents [15.1%]), self-reported unpaid caregivers for adults§ (30.7%), and essential workers¶ (21.7%). Community-level intervention and prevention efforts, including health communication strategies, designed to reach these groups could help address various mental health conditions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although it is well known that victimization is associated with higher trauma symptoms, there is still limited information on the protective factors that can help people thrive after adversity. Using the Resilience Portfolio Model as a framework, this study explores a range of psychological and social strengths in a community sample of youth from the southern U.S.
A sample of 440 youth aged 10 to 21 (average age 16.38, SD = 3.04) was recruited from youth-serving organizations. They completed a survey on trauma symptoms, victimization, other adversities, and 16 psychological and social strengths.
Almost 9 in 10 (89.3%) youth reported one or more victimizations, with peer victimizations most common. Adult-perpetrated offenses were reported by almost half of youth (47.1%). Although several psychological and social strengths were inversely correlated with trauma symptoms at the bivariate level, hierarchical regressions indicated that a sense of purpose was the only strength that uniquely contributed to more resilient mental health in a model with all strengths and controlling for victimization, other adversities, poverty, age, and gender (total R² = .33). The variance explained by strengths (17%) was similar to the variance explained by adversities (15%).
In this highly victimized sample of youth, many strengths were associated with lower trauma symptoms for youth, with a sense of purpose showing the most promise. Prevention and intervention programs may benefit from efforts to increase a sense of purpose or other meaning making activities, in addition to efforts that specifically target incidents of trauma.
Ample research has demonstrated the benefits of basic autonomy supportive practices (e.g., perspective-taking, choice, minimizing-control) for adolescents’ psychosocial functioning. Herein, we posit that there is one additional autonomy supportive practice with specific importance for adolescents’ development: Reflective Authentic Inner Compass facilitation. This practice is posited to contribute to the formation of an Authentic Inner-Compass: An action-guiding schema, informing youth on what they truly value, need, and want, and consisting of two parts: (1) A foundation including authentic values, interests, and life-aspirations, and (2) Autonomous commitment to future-oriented goals and decisions, based on the foundation. A longitudinal study of 18–19 year-old Israeli adolescents showed that perceived Reflective Authentic Inner Compass Facilitation by instructors uniquely predicted (beyond Basic Autonomy Support) adolescents’ experience of having an authentic inner-compass in the military domain, which then predicted autonomous engagement in plan-promoting activities. A cross-sectional study with 16−18 year-old Belgian adolescents showed that perceived Reflective Authentic Inner Compass Facilitation by parents uniquely predicted (beyond Basic Autonomy Support) the experience of having an authentic inner-compass, which then related positively to well-being. Implications of the notion of the authentic inner compass for the conceptualization of autonomy support and the experience of autonomy are discussed.
The rapid development of science and technology has led to the emergence of a crisis in society. Science "pushes"religion, but does not offer a new moral code in its place. The definitions of "security" are almost as many and as controversial as postmodernism. For the purposes of this study, however, it will be sufficient to define security as "the functional state of a system that provides for the neutralization and counteraction of external and internal factors affecting or potentially damaging the system. This scientific article presents a study, which seeks to answer the question why the paradigm "security" is so important in the postmodern society, what are the roots of its influence and meaning, and to seek conclusions and guidelines for its increase. The main features of the postmodern society, some prerequisites and their implications, as well as their impact on the security of all its levels are examined. The subject of the study is the postmodern society with its specific features, and the subject-the security as an indissoluble element of the social relations in the contemporary world.
Several independent lines of research bear on the question of why individuals avoid decisions by postponing them, failing to act, or accepting the status quo. This review relates findings across several different disciplines and uncovers 4 decision avoidance effects that offer insight into this common but troubling behavior: choice deferral, status quo bias, omission bias, and inaction inertia. These findings are related by common antecedents and consequences in a rational-emotional model of the factors that predispose humans to do nothing. Prominent components of the model include cost-benefit calculations, anticipated regret, and selection difficulty. Other factors affecting decision avoidance through these key components, such as anticipatory negative emotions, decision strategies, counterfactual thinking, and preference uncertainty, are also discussed.
There is little research about making instruction at school meaningful. This is surprising given that ample research suggests that many students do not find school a meaningful place, as documented by decline in interest during middle school, the frequency of boredom at school and decline in search for meaning among high school students. This article starts with an outline that considers both objective and subjective meaning in life. A review on different aspects of meaning in school, such as teaching meaning, purpose, identity, coherence, caring, aesthetics and agency, suggest that many ways to improve meaning in school have been underused and understudied. The inclusion of the philosophy of meaning in life extends the scope of research on interest by adding new components of objective meaning that may enrich school activities. This article will review both what has been done and what needs to be done. The article concludes that taking the perspective of meaning in life into account would open new avenues for empirical research in educational psychology.
Meaning and purpose share a focus on personal significance, but purpose represents a narrower construct than meaning. Whereas meaning refers to any experience one defines as personally significant, a purpose in life refers more specifically to goal-oriented, enduring aims that are at once personally meaningful and at the same time motivated by a desire to have an impact on the world beyond the self. Because of its distinctive beyond the self dimension, a purpose in life is associated with a wide range of psychological and physical benefits that enhance youth development. The construct is associated with thriving across the lifespan, but particularly during adolescence when it can contribute to healthy identity development and provide young people who might otherwise be drifting with a productive sense of direction. Despite the benefits associated with leading a life of purpose, the experience is rare. Only about 20 % of young people possess a purpose in life. To begin to address this issue, this chapter offers three empirically based approaches that mental health professionals can take to help foster purpose in the lives of young people.
Identity formation in adolescence is closely linked to searching for and acquiring meaning in one’s life. To date little is known about the manner in which these 2 constructs may be related in this developmental stage. In order to shed more light on their longitudinal links, we conducted a 3-wave longitudinal study, investigating how identity processes and meaning in life dimensions are interconnected across time, testing the moderating effects of gender and age. Participants were 1,062 adolescents (59.4% female), who filled in measures of identity and meaning in life at 3 measurement waves during 1 school year. Cross-lagged models highlighted positive reciprocal associations between (a) commitment processes and presence of meaning and (b) exploration processes and search for meaning. These results were not moderated by adolescents’ gender or age. Strong identification with present commitments and reduced ruminative exploration helped adolescents in having a clear sense of meaning in their lives. We also highlighted the dual nature of search for meaning. This dimension was sustained by exploration in breadth and ruminative exploration, and it positively predicted all exploration processes. We clarified the potential for a strong sense of meaning to support identity commitments and that the process of seeking life meaning sustains identity exploration across time.
To advance meaning in life (MIL) research, it is crucial to integrate it with the broader meaning literature, which includes important additional concepts (e.g., meaning frameworks) and principles (e.g., terror management). A tripartite view, which conceptualizes MIL as consisting of 3 subconstructs—comprehension, purpose, and mattering—may facilitate such integration. Here, we outline how a tripartite view may relate to key concepts from within MIL research (e.g., MIL judgments and feelings) and within the broader meaning research (e.g., meaning frameworks, meaning making). On the basis of this framework, we review the broader meaning literature to derive a theoretical context within which to understand and conduct further research on comprehension, purpose, and mattering. We highlight how future research may examine the interrelationships among the 3 MIL subconstructs, MIL judgments and feelings, and meaning frameworks.
Despite growing interest in meaning in life, many have voiced their concern over the conceptual refinement of the construct itself. Researchers seem to have two main ways to understand what meaning in life means: coherence and purpose, with a third way, significance, gaining increasing attention. Coherence means a sense of comprehensibility and one’s life making sense. Purpose means a sense of core goals, aims, and direction in life. Significance is about a sense of life’s inherent value and having a life worth living. Although some researchers have already noted this trichotomy, the present article provides the first comprehensible theoretical overview that aims to define and pinpoint the differences and connections between these three facets of meaning. By arguing that the time is ripe to move from indiscriminate understanding of meaning into looking at these three facets separately, the article points toward a new future for research on meaning in life.
In this study, we investigated how Finnish children used photographs and drawings to discuss their preschool day experiences in focus groups. Building on sociocultural perspectives on mediated action (Vygotsky, 1978) we specifically focused on how these visual tools were used as mediational means in sharing experiences. The results of our embodied interaction analysis highlight the relevance of visual tools for the participants and the task at hand in the moment-to-moment, micro-level flow of interaction and its material environment. More specifically, our analysis illuminates different ways in which the visual tools were relevant for participating children and adults when sharing and talking about their experiences. In all, our study advances present day understanding regarding how sociocultural and embodied interaction frameworks can guide visual research with children.
Although the role of existential attitudes in adolescent health-related behavior has received increased attention recently, historically it has been underinvestigated in the field. The present study focuses on existential attitudes related to meaning in life and hopelessness. Relations of presence of meaning, search for meaning, and hopelessness with past and anticipated future involvement in problem- and health-enhancing behaviors were examined in a cross-sectional study of Eastern European (Transylvania, Romania) adolescents (N - 426, 42.1% males; M age = 16.5 year, range 15-18 years). Results indicated that these existential variables were significantly related to higher levels of healthy behaviors and lower levels of problem behaviors (hopelessness inversely). Among these existential factors, the search for meaning in life was the most significant contributor factor for adolescent behavior. As an overall conclusion, results point to the significant role that the search for meaning in life may play in the relation with adolescents' problem and health behaviors.
-Bandura's self-efficacy source hypothesis was examined by testing whether success and a vicarious experience of success would enhance self-efficacy among 159 7th graders (81 boys, 78 girls). Unknown to themselves or their classmates, 20 students (Success condition) were presented with easier anagram tasks, allowing them to outperform their 60 classmates (Control condition). The Success and Control students had been paired with classmates (Cheerers; Vicarious condition) who were to cheer on their partners during the task. The participants rated their self-efficacy for the anagram task before and after the performance. The results showed that successful performance significantly promoted the self-efficacy of Success students. However, the cheerers of Success students did not have increased self-efficacy through the vicarious success experience.
This article seeks to contribute empirically, theoretically, and methodologically to the literature on aging bodies and identity construction by analyzing auto-photographic data from a project that explores the embodied identities of mature bodybuilders. The analysis identified three salient identities that the participants constructed via the auto-photography task. These identities were; a healthy body-self a performing body-self, and a relational body-self In combination, these three identities offer insight into what mature bodybuilders themselves regard as important in their lives and social worlds. The ways in which the respondent driven photographs might allow additional insight into the meaning of aging, and also act as counter-narratives to dominant narratives of decline in older age is reflected upon.
By focusing on positive education, this article draws out the educational implications of Binkley's Foucauldian critique of neoliberal subjects being pressured to learn how to manage their emotions. From the latter author's perspective, positive education self-technologies such as school-based mindfulness training can be construed as functioning to relay systemic neoliberal imperatives down to individuals. What this interpretation overlooks, however, is that young people are not automatically and unambiguously disempowered by the emotion management strategies they are taught at school. Arguably, positive education contributes to the formation of resistant educational subjects with an emotional toolkit that equips them to mount oppositional action against neoliberalism. Foucault's work can be interpreted in a way that is not inconsistent with seeing positive education as having such liberatory potential.
This study examined meaning in life and psychological well-being in male and female students of pre-adolescence and adolescence periods. A total of 104 students were randomly selected from various schools. Of these, 54 students were from class 12 and 50 students from class 9. Two questionnaires, one Personal Meaning Profile (PMP) by Wong and another Well-Being Manifestation Measure Scale (WBMMS) by Masse et al. were administered on the subjects. It was hypothesized that there will be significant differences in the perception of life as meaningful and psychological well-being of different groups of students. t-test was applied to analyze the data. Besides discussing the results, applied aspects of a meaningful life and psychological well-being are also discussed. Adolescence is a very critical and important stage in the development of human being. Most of the physiological, psychological, and social changes within the person take place during this period of life. The period of adolescence can be looked upon as a time of more struggle and turmoil than childhood. Adolescents have long been regarded as a group of people who are searching for themselves to find some form of identity and meaning in their lives (Erikson, 1968). They struggle to find a meaning of self. Having meaning or purpose in life can solve the identity crisis that a person normally faces during this period. Meaning in life typically involves having a goal or a sense of unified purpose (Baumeister, 1991; Ryff, 1989). Recker, Peacock and Wong (1987), defined meaning as it "refers to making sense, order, or coherence out of one's existence and having a purpose and striving toward a goal or goals".
A collection of carefully selected contributions to behavioral economics from some of the leading international scholars in the field. Designed to fully complement Volume One, topics covered include preferences, behavioral game theory, motivated mental states and emotions and decision making.
This narrative review addresses a notable gap in initial teacher education research by exploring the impact of positive education—a growing international change initiative—in schools. Launched in 2009, positive education is defined as education for both traditional skills and happiness. This narrative review examines how positive education has contributed to a change in schools and related curriculum issues. It draws on various studies from the past decade to evaluate positive education definitions, examine two periods in positive education research from 2009–2014 and 2015–2020. The review argues that positive education concepts may enrich initial teacher education discourse and enhance teacher professional practice; but, the term may be too narrow. Finally, the review recommends adopting the more inclusive term wellbeing education. This term may guide future research of culturally diverse case studies, thereby supporting the greater integration of wellbeing science with teaching theory and practise in initial teacher education.
Policy documents from OECD and UNESCO have been stressing the need to prepare students for what has been termed a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world. They emphasise social-emotional competencies as necessary for coping with such conditions. This qualitative research frames the COVID-19 outbreak as an extreme case of VUCA that grants the opportunity to examine whether our teacher preparation curriculum provides teacher students with these social-emotional competencies that they are expected to model and are necessary for coping with such circumstances. Fifty-four student teachers and 24 teacher educators responded to open-ended questionnaires, and 16 semi-structured interviews with teacher educators were analysed based on grounded theory. Results demonstrate that our student teachers struggle substantially with VUCA circumstances and do not seem to receive sufficient preparation in the domain of social-emotional competencies. These troubling findings serve as a wake-up call to increase a social-emotional orientation in teacher education curriculum.
Purpose
This article explores how school leaders are responding during COVID-19 and what forms of leadership practice are emerging.
Design/methodology/approach
This article draws upon the contemporary leadership literature and scholarly work.
Findings
This article proposes that the current crisis has shifted school leadership dramatically towards distributed, collaborative and network practices.
Originality/value
This article offers a commentary about the changing role of school leaders and their changing leadership practice during this pandemic.
Adolescence is a critical and formative stage of life
characterized by the development of interests, values, long-term goals,
and social affiliations that serve as the foundation for more mature
identity formation. Growing evidence supports the importance of meaning
in life and of positivity as protective factors during adolescence that
facilitate coping and thriving. The present study builds on previous
research to explore the relationship between adolescents' authentic inner
compass (AIC; having self-directed values, aspirations, interests, and
goals that are experienced as authentic), well-being, and the
prioritization of positivity and meaning. Findings from a sample of 677
adolescents (50.7% girls; mean age=13.88) indicate that a higher AIC
score is related to higher prioritization of meaning and higher
prioritization of positivity, which are positively related to subjective
well-being (SWB). Furthermore, having an AIC was found to contribute to
adolescents' ability to intentionally seek out activities and contexts
and make choices that are conducive to experiencing meaning and
positivity, which in turn predicts increased well-being, greater life
satisfaction, and fewer maladaptive symptoms. Having an AIC was also
found to contribute to a decrease in emotional and behavioral problems.
The seemingly innocuous question "What is wellbeing?" easily leads to passionate debates and much conceptual confusion. Th is chapter first provides some signposts for a definition of wellbeing. Sound definition of the construct is essential to the measurement of wellbeing and the growth of the science of wellbeing. The emergence of the science of positive psychology and its application through positive psychology interventions (i.e. strategies to increase wellbeing) have created new opportunities to develop wellbeing in individuals, organizations and communities. After positive psychology is defined, key theories of wellbeing and positive psychology are summarized. An overview of key research evidence from positive psychology interventions is then provided. Th is overview is intended not as an exhaustive review, but rather as a sample to enable readers to explore the fertile interface of the science of wellbeing and positive psychology with the literature and experience of recovery. © Mike Slade, Lindsay Oades and Aaron Jarden 2017. All rights reserved.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation process and achievements in an intervention to promote meaning of life among adolescents. The participants were 47 adolescents of both sexes, aged 15 and 17, not randomly allocated into two groups: experimental (N = 22) and control (N = 25). The process of evaluation included satisfaction measures, social validity, engagement and understanding of activities by the teenagers. They were also carried out pre and post tests ratings: the participants of the two groups responded initially to the instruments Questionnaire Sense of Life and Affect Scale Positive and Negative. After 6 weekly meetings, which aimed to promote the sense of life, both groups were subjected to retesting with the same instruments. The results suggested an increase in the perception of meaning of life and decreased negative affect, indicating evidence supporting the effectiveness of the intervention. Overall, there was a membership of teenagers to the intervention program, as well as a positive evaluation. The results indicated evidence supporting the efficacy of the intervention.
Accumulating evidence suggests that a global sense of meaning in life is related to physical health, including increased longevity and reduced morbidity. However, the mechanisms responsible for these relationships remain largely unknown and uninvestigated. Moreover, there is no unifying conceptual framework linking meaning in life to physical health. Our aims are to (a) review the literature linking meaning in life to potential mechanisms associated with better physical health; (b) offer a comprehensive conceptual framework associating meaning in life with physical health; and (c) introduce a new construct, meaning salience, as a potentially important intermediary mechanism. Specifically, we review the evidence suggesting that meaning in life is associated with reduced stress, more adaptive coping, and greater engagement in health-promoting behaviors. Our model proposes that effects of global sense of meaning are potentiated through increased meaning salience, or daily awareness of meaning in the moment, which enhances self-regulation. Suggestions are proposed for empirically examining this new model.
Meaning in life, which is almost unanimously recognized as a fundamental component of subjective well-being, has received little research attention when it comes to children, presumably due to a lack of suitable measurement tools for this age range. This study provides evidence for the internal consistency, factor structure, and validity of the Meaning in Life in Children Questionnaire (MIL-CQ), a new 21-item self-report measure of the presence and the sources of meaning in life in children, based on Viktor Frankl's concept of the ‘meaning triangle’ (Frankl, 1959). The MIL-CQ was administered to 1957 elementary school children aged 9–12 in two diverse samples from several cities in Israel. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a 3-factor structure (creative, experience, and attitude), representing different sources of meaning in life. Children's level of meaning in life was positively associated with their life satisfaction and positive affectivity (higher positive emotions and lower negative emotions), and negatively with social and emotional difficulties. Girls reported significantly higher overall meaning in life than boys, and lower levels of social, emotional and behavioral problems. Theoretical and research implications of these findings are discussed.
Adolescence is characterized by pronounced changes in motivated behavior, during which emphasis on potential rewards may result in an increased tendency to approach things that are novel and bring potential for positive reinforcement. While this may result in risky and health-endangering behavior, it may also lead to positive consequences, such as behavioral flexibility and greater learning. In this review we will discuss both the maladaptive and adaptive properties of heightened reward-sensitivity in adolescents by reviewing recent cognitive neuroscience findings in relation to behavioral outcomes. First, we identify brain regions involved in processing rewards in adults and adolescents. Second, we discuss how functional changes in reward-related brain activity during adolescence are related to two behavioral domains: risk taking and cognitive control. Finally, we conclude that progress lies in new levels of explanation by further integration of neural results with behavioral theories and computational models. In addition, we highlight that longitudinal measures, and a better conceptualization of adolescence and environmental determinants, are of crucial importance for understanding positive and negative developmental trajectories.
The Explosion of ChoiceChoice and Well-BeingThe Goals of Choice: Maximizing and SatisficingChoice and Well-Being: Why People SufferFuture ResearchChoice, Maximizing, and Misery:What can be Done?
Education Policy Unravelled examines the nature of contemporary education policy, its purposes and political formation. This thoroughly revised edition charts the continuity of policy development along neo-liberal lines, taking a historical perspective broadly from the 19th century and towards the emerging position of the current Conservative government in the UK. This new edition now includes:
- the developments in education policy which took place under the Coalition government administration between 2010-2015;
- a brand new chapter on policy developments in early childhood education and care;
- a brand new chapter on inclusive schools, special educational needs and disability;
- new activities and illustrative case studies to challenge and inform students’ thinking and understanding around key policy issues;
- discussion of new research and recent legislation to illuminate important and emergent issues in education.
Written in an accessible style, this is an invaluable guide for engaging with education policy as it uses a variety of key elements of policy theory in order to support students through some of the complexities involved in contemporary policy analysis and critique.
http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/education-policy-unravelled-9781474270083/
When parents are asked what they want for their children, they usually answer that they want their children to be happy. Why, then, is happiness rarely mentioned as a goal of education? This book explores what we might teach if we were to take happiness seriously as a goal of education. It asks, first, what it means to be happy and, second, how we can help children to understand it. It notes that we have to develop a capacity for unhappiness and a willingness to alleviate the suffering of others to be truly happy. Criticizing our current almost exclusive emphasis on economic well-being and pleasure, Nel Noddings discusses the contributions of making a home, parenting, cherishing a place, the development of character, interpersonal growth, finding work that one loves, and participating in a democratic way of life. Finally, she explores ways in which to make schools and classrooms cheerful places. Nell Noddings is Lee L. Jacks Professor of Education, Emerita, at Stanford University. She is past president of the Philosophy of Education Society and of the John Dewey Society. In addition to twelve books, she is the author of more than 170 articles and chapters on various topics ranging from the ethics of care to mathematical problem solving. Her latest books are Starting at Home: Caring and Social Policy (University of California Press) and Educating Moral People: A Caring Alternative to Character Education (Teachers College Press), both published in 2002.
In the study the relationship of meaning in life and the preference of coping strategies in late adolescence is examined. Three meaning dimensions were measured: intensity, a level at which the individual perceives that his/her life has meaning and purpose; the breadth, a number of sources, which the individual derives meaning from (a number of different values in one's life); and depth, a level of self-transcendence of meaning in life. For coping with frustration Rosenzweig's Picture-Frustration Test, adapted for recognizing coping strategies, was used. Research done with a sample of 166 adolescents showed positive relationship of meaningfulness and constructive strategies as well as positive relationship of meaninglessness and the preference of aggressive strategies. Depth of life meaning was found as the strongest predictor of coping strategies. Individuals with more self-transcendent values tended, to a greater extent, to use constructive strategies, and, on the contrary, individuals with self-focusing values used more aggressive strategies.
We present four needs for meaning that humans seek to fulfill in order to view their lives as meaningful - purpose, value justification, self-efficacy, and self-worth. We discuss the shift in sources of meaning, arguing that the erosion of the societal influence of religion - traditionally the central source for meaning in people's lives - has led to a value gap which modern society has attempted to fill. The successes and failures society has encountered in this attempt are discussed. Lastly, we discuss the consequences this value gap may have for society moving forward. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. All rights reserved.
This chapter discusses a host of psychological phenomena and their supporting mechanisms that favor status quo maintenance. These phenomena are placed into two loose clusters: those that describe cognitive processes and those that describe evaluative processes. The chapter argues these processes work in tandem, providing existing states with a psychological advantage; relative to alternatives, the status quo requires less effort, intention, control, and/or awareness for support and/or endorsement. As such, status quo maintenance is more ubiquitous and subtle than often believed.
This chapter describes the wisdom of practice that explains the lessons learned from the study of highly effective tutors. This chapter presents that in the 21st century, tutoring remains the ideal of education. The tutorial is inherently individualized. This individualization, in turn, permits the tutor to elicit from each student a much higher level of on-task attention and effort. It is, in addition, a virtual prerequisite for the high levels of both immediacy and interactivity that also characterize the tutorial process. Thus, in an individual tutorial, both knowledge of results and other forms of feedback and instruction are received by students. Highly effective or “expert” tutors are then identified on the basis of their actual degree of observable success, across a number of different tutees, in promoting student learning and motivation. The tutoring sessions conducted by the highly effective tutors are analyzed from a number of perspectives, and are contrasted with tutoring sessions conducted by less experienced or by equally experienced but objectively less successful tutors. The tutors share a generally Socratic approach, in the sense that tutors seek to draw as much as possible from the student and to impose as little as possible of themselves on the student. Finally, the goal of the analyses is to begin to identify the goals, strategies, and specific techniques that might contribute to the success of an individual tutorial.
A decade ago DeVogler and Ebersole reported that young adolescents were able to express the fact that they had personal meaning in their lives. In the present study we found that even younger children (26 first graders) could do so also when personal meaning was defined to them as that which in their whole life is most important to them. The high frequency of those reporting a personal meaning goes against the position that a large percentage of individuals in our modern society lack personal meaning.
This article presents the findings of a participatory qualitative study investigating the role and potency of identity and meaning in the lives of vulnerable young people. In-depth interviews with 24 young people revealed the importance of connectedness in fostering positive identity and meaning in vulnerable young people's lives. Five critical domains for building positive identity and meaning emerged: caring relationships; participation and contribution within their communities; achieving a sense of belonging; competence; and hope. Young people's experiences uncovered that connectedness lies at the heart of all of these domains, and is therefore the pathway for vulnerable young people to attain positive identity and meaning. The findings reinforce what we know about the importance of connectedness for vulnerable young people and provided insights into how young people want to be supported with these issues. This article critically examines some of the difficulties for support workers in facilitating connectedness for young people and considers why these connections are not always developed. Practical suggestions are provided for how youth support workers may be able to overcome these challenges.