Effects on Students and Teachers of a Course on Strategies for Well-Being

Abstract

The development of educational models focused on the well-being and sustainability of educational communities has become crucial in recent years. In this context, European education systems have implemented social and emotional learning (SEL) and executive functioning (EF) in their curricula, in a process producing new models for the development of teacher competencies. Through a qualitative design, we conduct the present study to assess the perception of elementary teachers about the development of their own competencies and the competencies of students, during a 25 h intervention program. Participants were teachers (n = 8) and their 8- to 15-year-old students (n = 423). Student assessment data were collected through the questionnaire “Teachers Perception of SWCI Impact on Students”, and data on teachers’ competencies were obtained through an individual interview “Strategies for Well-Being in the Classroom Intervention”. A thematic content analysis of the responses given by the teachers showed that they believe that improving strategies for well being can promote the personal development of both teachers and students. We could also understand a positive impact on teachers’ personal and professional well-being. As a result of the implementation of the program, students showed a greater capacity for attention and concentration, as well as more personal interrelationship, organization, and emotional management. Regarding the program’s impact on the teachers’ skills, they highlighted the importance of self-awareness and self-mediated learning, based on empathic communication, on sharing experiences and on good practices aimed at the educational community’s well-being and sustainability.