With a student profile that is generally highly motivated academically and also actively involved in the school’s many co-curricular and niche programmes, regular student surveys and an NIE research study revealed, perhaps unsurprisingly, that there were aspects of Temasekians’ cognitive, psychological and physical well-being that could be improved. For example, the students had a higher than average level of test anxiety, which could be linked to their sense of academic self-efficacy and growth mindset. Students were also stressed out by the competing demands of academics, other school activities, high self-expectations and worries about future challenges.
Around same time, given the concerns about teacher workload and well-being, and the conviction that positive education needs to be lived out and role modelled, the concept of “flourishing”, anchored on the elements of PERMAH, were first introduced to the teachers in a two-day well-being workshop in 2023. This workshop focused on the research and theoretical underpinnings of the concept of “well-being” and sought to equip teachers with some basic skills to improve their own well-being. They also received a PERMAH ‘toolkit’ to kickstart their journey of well-being.
A Positive Education task force, comprising key personnel and the lead teachers, was set up to spearhead the school’s positive education journey. This taskforce would study and research positive psychology, focus on making the concepts in positive education accessible for 13 to 16 year old students, as well as design professional development experiences for teachers to grow in their confidence.
In November 2023, the school’s year-end Teaching and Learning (T&L) Conference focused on Positive Education. There was a fruitful sharing and Q&A session by River Valley High School and Anglican High School on their Positive Education journeys. In 2024, in order to expand teachers’ knowledge about how Positive Education might be able to support the needs of the whole spectrum of student profiles, Assumption Pathway School (APS) was also invited to share their Positive Education framework with us.
The “WE CARE” Framework for Flourishing takes direction from the 6 elements of well-being in PERMAH, adapted for the TMS context. The school’s long-standing and much-loved motto is ‘We Care’ – something which resonates deeply with not just current students and staff, but even stakeholders like alumni and the Parent Support Group (PSG). In formulating the framework, consideration was given to position the first E, Emotions, before the other E, Engagement – this is in acknowledgement of how important positive emotions are for our subjective lived experiences, the big emotions that adolescents have to learn to grapple with, and also the important role of emotions in learning. In addition, ‘meaning’ was mapped to ‘contribution’ in order to emphasise how meaning in life is linked to a larger purpose beyond oneself (or one’s lifespan). This sense of connectedness to a larger purpose or a greater good is also a reminder for us to be thankful for all that we have received, and points towards the need for us to continue to maintain and strengthen our social compact.
Based on the overarching framework of WE CARE, a number of steps have been taken to introduce and infuse the elements of Positive Education into the curriculum and co-curriculum experience of the students. For 2024, the focus will be on Emotions, Relationships and Character Strengths, as these were identified to be the most impactful leverage points for student well-being.
Some examples include:
From students’ responses to the character strengths survey, it was observed that students valued close relationships (Love, Gratitude), while areas relating to resilience could be strengthened (Self-regulation, Perspective, Zest).
Elements of training in positive education have been woven into the school’s Professional Development calendar. For instance, in line with mental health week, time was set aside for teachers’ training on resilience and mental health by a psychologist. All Staff Welfare activities were also organised around the 6 elements of flourishing encapsulated in WE CARE. Regular newsletters with quizzes unpacking each aspect of PERMAH, starting with an overview, positive emotions, character strengths and then relationships were also carefully written and designed by the Pos Ed Taskforce. These bite-sized newsletters have helped teachers to deepen their theoretical understanding of the WE CARE framework. In conjunction with what was covered in the newsletter, a CCE lesson on emotions has also been crafted.
There was also recognition that some important internal mindsets and processes have to be aligned with the principles of positive education. For instance, in the important area of discipline, a Positive Discipline framework was formulated by the discipline team and shared with all staff. This framework is organised around the core principles of respect and dignity, relationship building, skills development, encouragement, and restorative practices. The emphasis on relationship building and restorative practice has been key in strengthening student relationships, and equipping students with the skills to build better relationships for life. A culture of encouragement (rather than punishment) also strongly aligns with positive education in its focus on strengths and potential for growth, rather than transgressions and mistakes.
In the years ahead, TMS intends to continue strengthening the understanding and application of positive education (the 6 elements of WE CARE) across the curriculum and co-curriculum in a systematic way. More stakeholder engagement is also planned so that parents can be better equipped and more involved in this important journey with their children.
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