Positive psychology and positive education aim to broaden the definition of prosperity and success to include well-being. This qualitative study sought to explore whether students in a school with a school-wide approach to positive education expressed different ideas about prosperity and success than students who have not received explicit positive education training. Using thematic analysis techniques and with reference to Seligman’s PERMA and Cummins’ Personal Well-being Index (PWI) frameworks, the writing tasks of 205 Year 10 students were analysed. Results showed that positive education students attributed success and prosperity to relationships more frequently than students who had not participated in the positive education programme, and discussed money as indicative of success less frequently. Social equity, health and collective well-being did not feature prominently in positive education students’ responses, suggesting potential for further development of positive education programmes to promote these elements of prosperity and engender a more social definition of success.

No abstract

No abstract

Identifying different conceptions of success and how these relate to wellbeing is an important area of research. These insights would be especially beneficial for young people who can be guided through school education to reflect on core values, life goals, and indices of success to promote aspirations that will be conducive to wellbeing. Through a systematic review of the empirical and grey literature we identify and review 17 studies investigating secondaryschool students (12-18 years) success conceptions and their association with various components of wellbeing. Results indicate that this area of research has received scant attention in the literature. Nevertheless, there is preliminary evidence to suggest that adolescents value intrinsic success such as self-actualisation, personal satisfaction, and connection and that particular patterns of success beliefs associated with personal development and goal striving relate positively to wellbeing. This is consistent with fulfilling the basic psychological needs of autonomy, relatedness and competency that are associated with internalised motivation and enhanced wellbeing. These insights can guide the content of education programs focused on identifying life values and aspirations while concurrently fostering wellbeing. In addition, gender and developmental stage should be taken into consideration when developing success and wellbeing educational initiatives.