Poster Presentation 6th World Congress on Positive Psychology 2019

How An Inquiry-Based Learning Framework Aligns With Positive Education To Engage Students And Improve Wellbeing (#827)

Melinda Wilson 1
  1. Ravenswood School for Girls, Turramurra, NSW, Australia

Seligman (2009) suggests schools primarily teach for accomplishment. However, presently the accomplishment of wellbeing is not considered an important outcome. Positive education can promote change in this area by adopting a pedagogy that anticipates achievement(Adler 2017). With a focus on achievement, inquiry-based learning can boost the mental health and academic outcomes of students. Research suggests experiential learning has a greater impact than instruction alone. The student centered approach of inquiry based learning engages students to be curious and passionate about their subject.

An inquiry-based positive education program should meet both basic psychological needs described by self-determination theory; competency, relatedness and autonomy and the need to teach life skills in wellbeing. This program describes an innovative structure for a positive education program, designed for the middle years to meet EPOCH adolescent wellbeing goals of engagement, perseverance, optimism, connectedness and happiness(Kern, Benson, Steinberg & Steinberg, 2016). There is a synergy between inquiry based learning pedagogy and positive education goals for flourishing. It is challenging, exciting and will take considerable commitment these are reflected in passionate persistent teachers with Grit.