The evolution of positive

education: students, schools and systems

• Centre of Positive Psychology

• The growth of Positive Psychology

• Positive Students

• Positive Schools

• Positive Systems

Road Map

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 The Centre for Positive

Psychology

Our purpose is to advance the science and practise of positive 

psychology for students, teachers and education systems 

(primary, secondary and tertiary)

Centre for Positive Psychology

36 team members (core, adjunct, casual)

+S3Students, Schools, Systems

Positive Psychology is a growing field

Rusk, R., & Waters, L. (2013). Tracing the size, reach, impact and breadth of positive psychology. Journal of Positive Psychology

 8(3), 207-221 

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What is positive functioning?

Rusk, R., & Waters, L. (2015). Exploring the underlying components of positive 

psychology interventions: Five domains of positive function. Journal of Positive Psychology, 10, 141-152

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Rusk, R., & Waters, L. (2015). Exploring the underlying components of positive psychology interventions: Five domains of positive function. Journal of Positive Psychology, 10, 141-152

PPterms

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Comprehension& Coping

Attention &Awareness

Emotions

Goals &Habits

Virtues &Relationships

5 DOMAINSOF POSITIVE

FUNCTIONING

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Comprehension& Coping

Attention &Awareness

Emotions

Goals &Habits

Virtues &Relationships

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Grasp it

See it

Feel it

Use it

Share it

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The DPF-5 at Hamilton and Alexandra College

Mr Ben Hawthorne

Mr Ben Hawthorne

Mr Reuben Ruskrrusk@student.unimelb.edu.au

Positive Students

 Rickard, N., Chin, T., & Vella-Brodrick, D. (submitted). Cortisol Awakening Response as an index of mental health and well-being in adolescents. Journal of Happiness Studies  

Cortisol: stress hormone

Daily Cortisol Slope

Waters, L., Barsky, A., Ridd, A. & Allen, K. (2015). Contemplative Education: A Systematic, Evidence-Based Review of the effect of Meditation Interventions in Schools. Educational Psychology Review, 27(1), 103-134

Allen, K., Ryan, T; Gray, D; McInerneyl D., & Waters, L. (2014). Social media and social connectedness in adolescents. Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 31, 18-31.

Kern, M., Waters, L., Adler, A., & White, M. (2015). A multifaceted approach to measuring wellbeing in students: Application of the PERMA framework. Journal of Positive Psychology 

Free  download

+S3Students, Schools, Systems

• Thematic analysis used to assess schools’ priorities as reflected in their vision and mission statements.

• 308 secondary schools in Victoria – stratified random sampling– Government, Independent, Catholic– Boys, Girls, Co-ed 

What do schools prioritise?

Allen, K., Waters, L., Kern, M., & Vella-Brodrick, D. (in prep). What do schools prioritise? An analysis of school vision and mission statements

Other Support

Christianity

Individual Needs

Environment

Personal Characteristics

Future

Teacher Support

School Belonging

Mental Health Promotion

Academic Motivation

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

88%

66.2%

57.5%

What do schools prioritise?

What do schools prioritise?

Themes Frequency Percent

Academic Motivation  271 88.0

Mental Health Promotion 204 66.2

School Belonging 177 57.5

Teacher Support 148 48.1

Personal Characteristics 95 30.8

Future 98 31.8

Nurturing Environment 86 27.9

Individual Needs 84 27.3

Christianity 84 27.3

Other Support 65 21.1

• Lexica Analysis – Used the ‘Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count’ Program 

(Pennebaker, Chung, Ireland, Gonzales, & Booth, 2007) to count of the relative frequency of words within school vision and mission statement.

– Wellbeing lexicon library devised by researchers at the Positive Psychology Centre, UPenn (Schwartz et al., 2013). 

– University of Melbourne team added to the word list

Mental health promotion and NAPLAN

School Vision & Mission Statements

Mental health promotion and NAPLAN

YEAR 7 NAPLAN SCORES

YEAR 9 NAPLAN SCORES

.08** .09**

Kern, M., Waters, L., White, M., & Adler, A. (2014). Workplace wellbeing: A multifaceted approach to assessing psychological, physical and workplace wellbeing in school staff, Psychology, 5, 500-513

Waters, L., & White, M. (2015). Case study of a school wellbeing initiative: Using appreciative inquiry to support positive change. International Journal of Wellbeing, 5(1), 19-32.

Waters, L. & Stokes, H. (2015). Positive Education for school Leaders:  Exploring the Effects of Emotion-Gratitude and Action-Gratitude. Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist

Free  download

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Positive Systems

Waters, L., & Stokes, H (2013). A systems approach to Positive Education. Teaching and Learning Network, 20(3), 8-10.

2 year Pos Edaction-research project (12,000 word report)

100 State Schools50% primary

50% ruralDisadvantage     Elite

Area of Focus

Student-focus• Pedagogy• Curriculum• Behaviour Management• Pastoral care• Exam preparation• Student relationships

Staff• Team building• Leadership training• Classroom observation• Strategic planning• Parent relationships• School communication

Common themes: Gratitude; Hunting for Good; Virtues Language;

Character Strengths and Appreciative Inquiry

Extending the field• Moving beyond students to study the impact 

at 3 levels of analysis

• Moving beyond self report surveys– Bibliometric analysis– Bio data– Qualitative Methods – Lexicon Analysis– Case study– Experiential Sampling Methodology

Positive Education 3.0

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I am presenting on behalf of my team & my students  

Thank you & Enjoy the Conference