Prioritizing well-being in K-12 education: lessons from a multiple case study of Canadian school districts

Area of Science:

• Education
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• School districts increasingly seek to integrate well-being initiatives.
• The process of deeply embedding well-being into K-12 education is not well understood.
• Well-being positively impacts student mental health, academic performance, and overall outcomes for students and staff.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how and why Canadian school districts shifted their culture to prioritize well-being.
• To provide insights for widespread cultural change in education.
• To understand system-level approaches to integrating well-being.

Main Methods:

• Case study research involving six Canadian school districts in 2020.
• Semi-structured interviews with 55 school community members.
• Thematic analysis of interview data.

Main Results:

• Six key themes emerged: holistic well-being, interconnected student/staff well-being, leadership's role, connection and voice, capacity building, and adaptive planning.
• Organizational leadership is vital for sustaining well-being implementation.
• Connection and voice act as catalysts for well-being initiatives.

Conclusions:

• Findings enhance understanding of system-level change in education.
• Insights support the integration of well-being into K-12 educational practices.
• A multi-faceted approach involving leadership, community, and capacity is essential for successful well-being integration.