Wellbeing and School Curricula
Why isn't psychological well-being (PWB) a core component of secondary school curricula?
I'm very curious to hear input from educators and policy makers on the above issue. Or from anyone reading this.
Is it because:
1) Secondary school curricula are traditionally focused more on intellectual growth than emotional growth. Parents are regarded as the source of education on emotional growth.
2) Educators and policy makers are not aware of the increase in rates of depression among teenagers globally.
3) Educators and policy makers are not focused on student depression / anxiety as they don't think it affects academic performance.
4) A lack of data on the impact of student wellbeing on student performance, resulting in skepticism that changes in curricula may have an impact on student wellbeing.
5) A different reason?
Because it implies that the affective domain is independent of the cognitive domain. One can expect psychological well-being to be impaired in an illiterate child with specific learning difficulties - and about 20% seem so to be - particularly so when when the child is bright but still at Year 1 literacy level. Whilst primary school may be quite cosy for such children, secondary is harshly inclement. If the cognition/underachievement/non-achievement is not improved, putting well-being in the school curricula is fatuous. In my experience of 42 years as specialist school principal and psychologist, underachievement is the main cause of anxiety and other mental health issues because if and when it is ameliorated, well-being is almost invariably restored.
E. N. Brown Very useful to see your perspective especially because of your combination of skills.
Having said that, I don't think the independence of the domains is necessarily implied by the question. The implication is that education, in most modern institutions, is heavily tilted towards the cognitive. Thus the relative lack of focus on PE, art, ethics, social-emotional learning etc.
"Underachievement is the main cause of anxiety." This is scientifically unproven. We have loads of evidence that anxiety has multiple causes, and underachievement is only one in a complex of psychosocial, psychological and biological causes.
Interesting question and replies.
Curricula are supposed to include goals about wellbeing and not only knowledge.
The crucial question is whether these goals are feasible and given the right attention or priority.
Very valid and pertinent points. Overwhelmingly research shows the importance of EQ and its influence on IQ. A self-regulated child shows high academic outcomes, has better grit and focus, is likely to deal with setbacks and collaborates better.
A couple of reasons that I have noticed why schools are not keen on the importance of non-academic skills as you rightly mentioned is that it's not their priority and that's because many academicians are in denial. For decades they have been conditioned to be information provided with standardised tests, it's hard for them to see beyond academics despite their illusion of addressing the EQ part. When its importance is not internalised it will pass on to the students. That is why its optional in schools
The second reason is that for schools it is not urgent and important because policymakers are not enforcing it as much as academic rigour and this is because it's not that easily measurable or that it is uniform. Besides it doesn't contribute to vote bank
At the pace of technology disruptions, parents are realising the importance of EQ and the irrelevance of information memorising. In the east we are seeing a shift in the mind set of schools albeit in a slower pace. That's why we are seeing the after-school non-academic organisation thrive and increasingly the learning is distributed for holistic development.
Actually, you are really on point. PWB has been ignored as a result of an overnight from the part of researchers. I think you have woken us up from this slumber. As we should focus our research towards this area then the police
Many teachers (not all) do not have psychology well-being. Leadership and management are usually very materialistic - which rarely comes hand in hand with psychological well being. Who would teach/model psychology well-being in, an already struggling industry?
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