This unit of study addresses issues of wellbeing in the context of educational settings. The focus of the unit is to investigate the factors that contribute to the ability of individuals, groups and organisations to flourish. The unit will draw on a range of research findings from the discipline of Positive Psychology (Seligman et al.) and examine their applications in educational settings. The unit will offer participants the opportunity to explore a range of topics contributing to wellbeing including resilience, flow, positive emotions, happiness, self-esteem and self-efficacy, beliefs as self-fulfilling prophecies, the pitfalls of perfectionism, goal setting and the use of character strengths. Students will explore these themes in practical ways related to their own educational contexts.
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
In this unit students will complete a series of exercises related to the tutorials. They will also submit a written report on their autoethnographic research project. Students will also present their project to their peers.
Links to readings and resources will be provided in the VU Collaborate space or this unit.
This unit is not compulsory for any specific course. Depending on the course you study, this unit may be taken as an elective.