Research Essay

Peterson (2006) defines positive psychology as the scientific study of what

goes right in life, from birth to death and all stops in between (p.4). This

research explores the affects positive psychology can have on oneself. There

are several ways in which positive psychology is able to benefit a child. As

AkinLittle, Little, & Delligatti (2004) states, positive psychology is able to

promote positive emotion, development of happiness, optimism, extrinsic

motivation in schools, youth development, and academic motivation

(p.158). This essay aims to explore these components in more detail. In order

to stimulate these promising outcomes within the classroom environment,

teachers need to be aware of the strategies to support positive psychology.

Positive feedback is a teaching mechanism that can be used to maintain

positive psychology in the classroom. Voerman, Korthagen, Meijer, & Simons

(2014) reveals that, feedback not only has an impact on learning, but also on

the emotions a person experiences and their views of their strengths and

weaknesses (p.92). However, the most necessary aspect to implementing

positive psychology within a classroom is through a whole school approach.

As Alford & White (2015) argues, the implementation of whole-school well-

being gives students, staff, and parents access to positive psychology theory

and applications and creates a united approach to well-being (p.100).

Fredrickson (2001) explores the mission of positive psychology to

understand and foster the factors that allow individuals, communities, and

societies to flourish (p.218). A factor that allows students to flourish is

through identifying the strengths of individuals. Pajares (2001) explains that

two of the key aims in positive psychology are through the study of human

strengths and optimal functioning, which is thought to contribute to the well-

being and psychological health of individuals. When teachers focus on the

strengths of the students it influences them to focus on such attributes within

themselves. Students are then able to easily identify the strengths in which

they then hold which will allow them to grow. As White & Murray (2015)

discusses, people who are able to identify and use their strengths more

effectively are more likely to be successful and have greater levels of self-

discipline (p.8).

One of positive psychologys signature constructs is optimism, which is

typically defined as holding a view of life events and situations that is

characterized by positive thinking and maintaining a positive attitude toward

the future (Pajares, 2001, p.28). In order for students to develop an

optimistic view they need to hold positive beliefs of themselves and the

experiences that occur around them. Teachers help support and encourage

students in developing positive emotions to acquire strategies for them to

maintain a positive attitude. Teachers are able to send these positive

messages by ensuring they focus on the positive attributes the students hold.

When teachers send positive messages they are enhancing the personal

beliefs the students holds on themselves. Pajares (2001) states, the

messages that people send and receive play an important role in creating the

beliefs that they develop (p.28). Therefore, teachers should be aware of the

messages they are sending to children and should ensure they are cultivating

positive emotions. This will ensure students are able to develop positive

attitudes and in turn will promote optimism within them.

Voerman et al (2014) explains, that over one third of all feedback

interventions have a negative impact on learning (p.92). Considering the

research of White & Murray (2015) where it reveals that teacher feedback has
one of the greatest impacts on educational outcomes (), teachers need to

ensure they are positively impacting the learning of students. Positive

psychology argues that positive feedback will enable a positive outcome

towards student learning. This is because positive feedback generates

expansive emotional spaces that open up possibilities for learning (Voerman

et al, 2014, p.94). Research indicates, feedback should be specific and

related to a goal (Voerman et al, 2014, p.94). Students need to be informed

of what they are trying to achieve and the ways in which they have or have

not achieved this. This therefore means that teachers need to give feedback

that is specific to the individual needs of each student. As Akin-Little, Little &

Delligatti (2004) explores, optimal development occurs when the needs of

students are met and when they are appropriately challenged (p.158). In

order to achieve this, teachers need to ensure individual goals are set and

feedback is given based on these. Most teachers give feedback to students

based on their personality traits and view this as evoking positive emotions.

However, there is no research to indicate that there is a positive impact on

students when feedback is related to personality traits (Voerman et al, 2014).

Therefore, it is important to be informed of the appropriate feedback

mechanisms in order to aid the benefits of positive psychology.

Considering that students are within a primary school setting for roughly

twelve years of their life, it is critical that schools provide students with the

tools to flourish. A key to unlock the potential of positive institutions lies at

the intersection of the whole school leadership, strategy, and empirical

lessons from positive psychology (White & Murray, 2015, p.15). Teachers

cannot just employ the aspects of positive psychology within the classroom

without a whole-school alignment. Schools need to align their schools

mission, and goals to build frameworks that support the components to

positive psychology. However, it is the school staff that is at the center of

employing the values and beliefs associated with positive psychology. The

school staff is who create the foundation from which positive development

of students is possible (White & Waters, 2015, p.113), and therefore they

need support virtues and moral character (White & Waters, 2015, p.113).

The staff needs to be supported by the school in order to maintain positive

psychology within the classrooms. Without the support of the school the

teachers are unable to build a positive institution that allows students the

best approach to well-being.

One of the main criticisms towards positive psychology is that it ignores the

negative aspects of life at the expense of a wellness agenda (White &

Murray, 2015, p.11-12). A disagreement like this overlooks the focus of

positive psychology. As White & Murray (2015) states positive psychology

focuses on the positive processes and methods that can be employed during

challenging and negative times (p.11-12). Schools and teachers that adapt a

positive psychology framework do not simply ignore the negative aspects in

life. The implementation of the constructs within positive psychology develop

attributes within students to assist them a beneficial way.

Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi (200) explains, the field of positive psychology

at the subjective level is about valued subjective experiences: well-being,

contentment, and satisfaction (in the past); hope and optimism (for the

future); and flow and happiness (in the present) (p.5). Through out this

essay, these components of positive psychology have been explored.

Through identifying students strengths, promoting positive emotions,

providing positive feedback to students that is goal-specific, and

implementing a whole school approach it has been revealed how positive

psychology is able to be promoted through the classroom and through the

school. As White & Murray (2015) explores, well-being education is not

about fixing what is wrong with students. It is about developing their

strengths and adopting a widespread preventative model for well-being

(p.6). Therefore, it is the teachers responsibility to promote well-being within

the classrooms as a preventative to future issues associated with well-being.

Patrick, Kaplan, & Ryan, (2011) explains that classroom environments play an

important role in students motivation, engagement, and achievement at

school (p.367). Therefore, it is the teachers responsibility to create a

classroom environment that fosters positive development of children by

influencing behaviour in positive ways (AkinLittle, Little, & Delligatti, 2004).

Word Count: 1273 words

References

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school consultation: Incorporating perspectives from positive

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education: Implementing a strategic framework for well-being in

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Psychology: The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions.

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