Symonds, Jennifer and Farrell, Emma and Devine, Dympna and Sloan, Seaneen and Crean, Margaret and Cahoon, Abbie and Hogan, Julie (2024) What does well-being mean to me?’. Conceptualisations of well-being in Irish Primary Schooling. Health Education. ISSN 0965-4283

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Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the meaning of the term well-being as conceptualised by parents, grandparents, principals and teachers in the Irish primary education system. Design/methodology/approach A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was adopted to understand the nature and meaning of the phenomenon of well-being. Interviews were carried out with 54 principals, teachers, parents and grandparents from a representative sample of primary schools in Ireland. Each participant was asked the same, open, question: “What does well-being mean to you?” Responses were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a combination of the principles of the hermeneutic circle and Braun and Clarke’s framework for thematic analysis. Findings Three conceptualisations of well-being were identified (1) well-being is about being happy, (2) well-being is about being healthy and safe and (3) well-being is something you “do”. Originality/value To the best of our knowledge this paper is the first of its kind to describe how well-being is conceptualised by adults in Irish primary school contexts. In particular it highlights how neoliberal conceptualisations of well-being as a “thing”, a commodity exchanged on assumptions of individualism, moralism and bio-economism, have crept into the education of our youngest citizens.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Well-being; Wellbeing; School; Mental health; Curriculum; Teachers; Parents; Grandparents; Principals;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Applied Social Studies
Item ID:	19035
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-03-2024-0023
Depositing User:	Dr Margaret Crean
Date Deposited:	17 Oct 2024 14:29
Journal or Publication Title:	Health Education
Publisher:	Emerald
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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