Empowering students: positive higher education strategies

Area of Science:

• Higher Education Studies
• Positive Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Student wellbeing is crucial for academic achievement in higher education.
• Existing theories like Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and PERMA framework emphasize psychological needs.
• The Study Demands-Resources (SD-R) Theory offers a model for understanding work-related wellbeing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review positive education interventions in higher education.
• To examine these interventions through the lenses of SDT, PERMA, PROSPER, and SD-R theories.
• To identify practical strategies and challenges for implementing wellbeing initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of literature on positive education in higher education.
• Analysis of interventions based on established theoretical frameworks (SDT, PERMA, PROSPER, SD-R).
• Discussion of practical strategies, institutional alignment, and technological integration.

Main Results:

• Autonomy, competence, and relatedness are key to engagement, resilience, and motivation.
• Mindfulness, strengths-based learning, and growth mindset are effective strategies.
• Scalability, cultural adaptation, and equity are significant challenges.

Conclusions:

• Integrating positive education frameworks supports holistic student wellbeing.
• Actionable recommendations are needed for creating wellbeing-centered learning environments.
• Addressing challenges is vital for equitable and effective implementation of interventions.