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
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: |
|
| 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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