Wellbeing Literacy and Positive Education

Abstract

Wellbeing literacy is a capability involving the vocabulary and knowledge about wellbeing, and skills of communicating, via multimodal pathways, for the wellbeing of oneself and others, in a way that is context sensitive and intentional. Wellbeing literacy offers three key benefits. Firstly, it may orient our focus towards wellbeing capabilities and processes, allowing for measurement and consideration of factors enabling or blocking wellbeing development. Secondly, wellbeing literacy provides an avenue to integrate positive education into education systems, drawing on existing multimodal learning and teaching capacities and strengths, while addressing existing curriculum requirements. Thirdly, wellbeing literacy is contextually sensitive and applicable to individuals and the systems in which they exist. Importantly, wellbeing literacy may provide the essential conduit between wellbeing interventions and wellbeing outcomes, and thereby be a necessary component for creating and sustaining well lives, providing a common language to build wellbeing capabilities within schools and their communities.

#EntreViagenseAprendizagens: study protocol of a school-based intervention to promote well-being and healthy lifestyles among adolescents

“…The contest aims to promote the involvement of the students, their families, the school community, and the community in general as well as amplify the effect of the intervention. The use of photovoice will allow students to engage their creativity and become more interested in reflecting and writing about their well-being, increasing their well-being literacy ( Oades et al, 2021 ). It will also contribute to improving their self-esteem and self-determination, as the students feel respected and considered ( Golden, 2020 ).…”

“…Furthermore, this focus can contribute to positive human functioning and to individual, interpersonal, and societal flourishing ( Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, 2000 ). For this reason, Seligman et al (2009) consider that positive education—i.e., “an adaptation of traditional forms of education focused on building academic competencies, blending the knowledge of well-being science with effective pedagogy to promote learning for traditional academic skills, optimal development, and wellbeing” ( Oades et al, 2021 , p. 293)—should be implemented in all schools. Well-being literacy (i.e., the capacity to understand and intentionally use well-being concepts or components to maintain or improve the well-being of oneself or others, taking into account the specific context) is, nowadays, considered a key competence underlying positive education pedagogy ( Oades et al, 2021 ).…”

Children’s Lived Experiences of Wellbeing at School in England: a Phenomenological Inquiry

“…The implications of children's emotional interdependence for schools? Children described the synchronicity of their wellbeing with their peers' wellbeing, suggesting curricula focused on wellbeing literacy (Oades et al, 2021) could help equip children with tools to recognise, communicate and differentiate between their own and others' experiences. Adults should also actively support children with conflict.…”

Trajectory of Teacher Well-Being Research between 1973 and 2021: Review Evidence from 49 Years in Asia

“…The fifth relevance is that, fortunately, TWB literacy is malleable and trainable. Wellbeing literacy has been defined as "the capability (incorporating knowledge, vocabulary, language skills) of comprehending and composing well-being languages, sensitive to contexts, used intentionally to maintain or improve the well-being of oneself or others" [38] (p. 327). Well-being literacy centers on capacities that will strongly maintain positive functioning.…”