Primed, prepped and primped: Reflections on enhancing student wellbeing in tertiary education

In this article, the authors describe the PERMA model of wellbeing and how it has been applied within the teaching provision at undergraduate level in a business school context. PERMA is an acronym for a model of wellbeing put forward by a pioneering psychologist in the field of positive psychology, Martin Seligman. According to Seligman (2011), PERMA comprises five important building blocks of wellbeing: positive emotions; engagement; relationships; meaning; and achievement. This article reports on the application of this model within the context of a business school undergraduate curriculum, as a way of helping students develop new cognitive and emotional tools. In these practice reflections, the authors discuss the important role that PERMA based experiential learning and teaching activities can play in undergraduate education programmes, as a means to enhance student wellbeing. The authors cite practical examples from undergraduate teaching, pastoral tutoring, and work placement induction, using PERMA activities to enhance student wellbeing