How is Trauma-Informed Education Implemented within Classrooms? A Synthesis of Trauma-Informed Education Programs

The purpose of this study was to synthesise the content of trauma-informed education programs with a focus on classroom strategies. Programs (N = 20) were identified that focused on primary and secondary schools and were suitable for application in the classroom by teachers. Program materials available in the public domain were collated and the qualitative research method of reflexive thematic analysis was used to explore commonalities and themes in classroom strategies across different approaches. Classroom strategies were aimed at meeting students’ somatic (i.e., ‘bottom-up’) capacities of safety needs, self-regulatory needs, sensory needs, and relational and attachment needs. Classroom strategies also focused on supporting students’ psychological (i.e., ‘top-down’) capacities of social and emotional learning needs, academic and learning needs, voice and empowerment needs, strengths needs, and cultural needs. Recommendations for future research and practice in the paradigm of trauma-informed education include an increased focus on teacher instruction and prioritising how trauma-informed education can be tailored to meet the needs of a diverse range of students

An applied framework for Positive Education

The increasing momentum of the Positive Psychology movement has seen burgeoning research in positive mental health and adaptive functioning; a critical question is how this knowledge can now be applied in real-world settings. Positive Education seeks to combine principles of Positive Psychology with best-practice teaching and with educational paradigms to promote optimal development and flourishing in the school setting. Interest in Positive Education continues to grow in line with increasing recognition of the important role played by schools in fostering wellbeing, and the link between wellbeing and academic success. To date, however, a framework to guide the implementation of Positive Education in schools has been lacking. This paper provides an overview of the Geelong Grammar School (GGS) Model for Positive Education, an applied framework developed over five years of implementing Positive Education as a whole-school approach in one Australian school. Explicit and implicit teaching in combination with school-wide practices target six wellbeing domains, including positive emotions, positive engagement, positive accomplishment, positive purpose, positive relationships, and positive health, underpinned by a focus on character strengths. The Model provides a structured pathway for implementing Positive Education in schools, a framework to guide evaluation and research, and a foundation for further theoretical discussion and development

Development and evaluation of positive psychology interventions for Australian adolescents

Youth consultation methods were integrated in the current thesis to create and test two school-based positive psychology interventions (PPIs) for adolescents. A literature review explored methodological and conceptual considerations in the application of positive psychology with adolescents (Publication 1). An exploratory study of 114 adolescents (aged 14 to 17) compared the relative contributions of key positive psychology variables (i.e., strengths use, hope, gratitude, pleasure, engagement, and meaning) to positive (i.e., life satisfaction, positive affect); and negative (i.e., negative affect, depression, and anxiety) indictors of mental health (Publication 2). As expected, positive psychology variables were significant predictors of all mental heath outcome variables. Specific findings from multiple regression analyses were that gratitude and strengths use were consistent predictors of negative mental health indicators; whereas hope and gratitude were significant predictors of life satisfaction, and hope, strengths use and engagement were significant predictors of positive affect. Two separate qualitative youth consultation processes (i.e., phone interviews with 28 adolescents and online questionnaires with 57 adolescents) were conducted. Adolescents’ recommendations on how to make mental health programs appealing and engaging were explored using NVivo thematic analysis and critically discussed (Publication 3). Subsequently, adolescents’ ideas were combined with extant research to develop two adolescent focused PPIs. The first PPI, the full life intervention, was a holistic, multi-component intervention that integrated activities aimed at cultivating hope, gratitude, strengths, pleasure, engagement, and meaning. The second PPI, the simple pleasures intervention, focused on exploring and savouring life’s simple pleasures. A school-based randomised controlled trial with 90 adolescents aged 14 to 17 was used to test the effectiveness of the two PPIs relative to a usual care control condition (Publication 4). Repeated measures ANOVAs indicated that participants allocated to all conditions reported decreased anxiety and stress post intervention. However, contrary to expectations, no significant improvements in well-being or symptoms of depression were evident. This research provides preliminary support for the application of PPIs in youth and school settings but underscores the need for more refined and systemic approaches that target multiple environments (i.e., family, school climate, community) in adolescents’ lives

Flourishing and Positive Education

The Model of Positive Education is a flexible, science-informed framework for supporting the flourishing of students, staff, and school communities. This chapter explores the primary objective of Positive Education at Geelong Grammar School, namely learning to flourish. It is introduced by Professor Felicia Huppert, who explains how mental health and wellbeing exist on a spectrum from languishing to flourishing, and then discusses the empirical basis of flourishing and the understanding of optimal wellbeing as both feeling good and functioning well. The school’s definition of flourishing as “feeling good and doing good” is proposed, and it is emphasized that Positive Education encourages students and staff to think of how their actions can have positive consequences for others and the community. The chapter also discusses the vital role that building awareness around mental illness, and supporting students and staff who are struggling, plays in creating a nurturing and caring school community

Development and evaluation of positive psychology interventions for Australian adolescents

Youth consultation methods were integrated in the current thesis to create and test two school-based positive psychology interventions (PPIs) for adolescents. A literature review explored methodological and conceptual considerations in the application of positive psychology with adolescents (Publication 1). An exploratory study of 114 adolescents (aged 14 to 17) compared the relative contributions of key positive psychology variables (i.e., strengths use, hope, gratitude, pleasure, engagement, and meaning) to positive (i.e., life satisfaction, positive affect); and negative (i.e., negative affect, depression, and anxiety) indictors of mental health (Publication 2). As expected, positive psychology variables were significant predictors of all mental heath outcome variables. Specific findings from multiple regression analyses were that gratitude and strengths use were consistent predictors of negative mental health indicators; whereas hope and gratitude were significant predictors of life satisfaction, and hope, strengths use and engagement were significant predictors of positive affect. Two separate qualitative youth consultation processes (i.e., phone interviews with 28 adolescents and online questionnaires with 57 adolescents) were conducted. Adolescents’ recommendations on how to make mental health programs appealing and engaging were explored using NVivo thematic analysis and critically discussed (Publication 3). Subsequently, adolescents’ ideas were combined with extant research to develop two adolescent focused PPIs. The first PPI, the full life intervention, was a holistic, multi-component intervention that integrated activities aimed at cultivating hope, gratitude, strengths, pleasure, engagement, and meaning. The second PPI, the simple pleasures intervention, focused on exploring and savouring life’s simple pleasures. A school-based randomised controlled trial with 90 adolescents aged 14 to 17 was used to test the effectiveness of the two PPIs relative to a usual care control condition (Publication 4). Repeated measures ANOVAs indicated that participants allocated to all conditions reported decreased anxiety and stress post intervention. However, contrary to expectations, no significant improvements in well-being or symptoms of depression were evident. This research provides preliminary support for the application of PPIs in youth and school settings but underscores the need for more refined and systemic approaches that target multiple environments (i.e., family, school climate, community) in adolescents’ lives

The subjective wellbeing of \u27at-risk\u27 indigenous and non-indigenous Australian adolescents

Quantitative comparisons of subjective wellbeing (SWB) between samples of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian adolescents are scarce. This paper contributes to this literature by studying adolescents \u27at-risk\u27 of disengaging, or who have already disengaged, from school, their families or society. A three-group cross-sectional comparative design was employed, comparing Indigenous (N = 3,187) and non-Indigenous (N = 14,522) \u27at-risk\u27 adolescents with a mainstream sample of Victorian high-school students (N = 1,105). Age and gender differences in SWB within the three groups were also explored. All participants completed the Personal Wellbeing Index-School Children (PWI-SC), which measures SWB. Mean SWB was significantly higher in the mainstream sample than in both the Indigenous and non-Indigenous \u27at-risk\u27 groups. However, within the at-risk adolescents, the Indigenous sample scored higher than the non-Indigenous. In the mainstream sample, male and female SWB did not significantly differ, whereas males scored higher than females in both at-risk groups-with males scoring higher on all seven PWI-SC domains. Finally, in all three samples, a decline in SWB from early to mid-adolescence was observed. This suggests that mid-adolescence is a challenging time for all young people as they approach adulthood. The implications of this research for educational and government policy concerning youths in Australia is discussed. For example, the importance of obtaining normative data that will assist in the identification of young people who are most at-risk for experiencing low personal wellbeing and who are in the greatest need of support. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

"A Conscious control over life and my emotions" : mindfulness practice and healthy young people. A qualitative study

Purpose: Although quantitative benefits of mindfulness training have been demonstrated in youth, little is known about the processes involved. The aim of this study was to gain a detailed understanding of how young people engage with the ideas and practices known as mindfulness using qualitative enquiry. Methods: Following completion of a six-week mindfulness training program with a nonclinical group of 11 young people (age 16-24), a focus group (N = 7) and open-ended interviews (n = 5) were held and audio-recorded. Qualitative data, collected at eight time points over three months from the commencement of training, were coded with the aid of computer software. Grounded theory methodology informed the data collection process and generation of themes and an explanatory model that captured participants' experiences. Results: Participants described their daily lives as beset by frequent experiences of distress sometimes worsened by their unhelpful or destructive reactions. With mindfulness practice, they initially reported greater calm, balance, and control. Subsequently they commented on a clearer understanding of themselves and others. Mindfulness was then described as a "mindset" associated with greater confidence and competence and a lessened risk of future distress. Conclusions: Participants demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of and engagement with mindfulness principles and practice. Their reported experience aligned well with qualitative research findings in adults and theoretical literature on mindfulness. An encouraging finding was that, with ongoing mindfulness practice and within a relatively short time, participants were able to move beyond improved emotion regulation and gain greater confidence in their ability to manage life challenges.6 page(s