Positive Education
Posted: 29-05-10 Sat 12:47 am
This week topic is about positive education. I read an introduction paragraph in a journal article (Seligman,M.E.P., Ernst, R.M, Gillham, J., Reivicha, K., & Linkins, M., 2009). I was captivated by the questions posed on the introduction on the notion that
“The schooling of children has, for more than a century, been about accomplishment, the boulevard into the world of adult work. I am all for accomplishment, success, literacy, and discipline; but imagine if schools could, without compromising either, teach both the skills of well-being and the skills of achievement. Imagine Positive Education.”
The authors think it would good if our education can accommodate both well being and accomplishment on balance. Hence they believe positive education is the answer. I personally absolutely convinced that this is the way we should go on. My last week journal is on humanistic education. I think I’m much more in favour of positive education because in my mind I embrace the humanistic approach but at the same time I want my students have huge accomplishment in their life. I know the true happiness resulted from divine altruism however not every single person has such conditions in their life to aware of, to make enormous decision, to be contented on the altruistic life. Therefore positive education strikes the balance between the extremes.
There are many researches which can prove the significant trend that living condition and environmental improvement do not contribute to better well being of our society. Almost everything is better now than it was 50 years ago: there is about three times more actual purchasing power, dwellings are much bigger, there are many more cars, and clothes are more attractive (Easterbrook, 2003). Progress has not been limited to the material: there is more education, more music, and more women's rights, less racism, less pollution, fewer tyrants, more entertainment, more books, and fewer soldiers dying on the battlefield (e.g., Schuman et al., 1997; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2006; Snyder et al., 2008). The average Dane, Italian and Mexican is somewhat more satisfied with life than 50 years ago, but the average American, Japanese or Australian is no more satisfied with life than he was 50 years ago, and the average Briton or German is less satisfied (Inglehart et al., 2007).
From this view of outcome presented in front of us it is time for teachers to realise education can change life in the perspective of students well being. It is seems that our education is more keen on generating negative mood which produces narrower attention (Bolte et al., 2003), more critical thinking, and more analytic thinking (Kuhl, 1983, 2000). Schools emphasise critical, rather than creative thinking, and the negative mood so often found in the classroom facilitates only critical thinking. I supposed the words such as feedback, comments, and response have had very negative connotation as a result of critical and analytical thinking.
Reference
Bolte, A. , Goschke, T. and Kuhl, J. (2003) Emotion and intuition: effects of positive and negative mood on implicit judgments of semantic coherence. Psychological Science 14 , pp. 416-421.
Easterbrook, G. (2003). The progress paradox: how life gets better while people feel worse. New York: Random House.
Inglehart, R. , Foa, R. , Peterson, C. and Welzel, C. (2007) Development, freedom, and rising happiness: a global perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science 3 , pp. 264-285.
Kuhl, J. (1983) Emotion, cognition, and motivation: II. The functional significance of emotions in perception, memory, problem-solving, and overt action. Sprache & Kognition 2 , pp. 228-253.
Kuhl, J. Boekaerts, M. , Pintrich, P. R. and Zeidner, M. (eds) (2000) A functional-design approach to motivation and self-regulation: the dynamics of personality systems interactions. Handbook of self-regulation pp. 111-169. Academic Press , San Diego
Seligman, M. E. P., Ernst, R. M., Gillham, J., Reivich, K. & Linkins, M. (2009). Positive education: positive psychology and classroom interventions. Oxford Review of Education, 35(3), 293-311. doi:10.1080/03054980902934563.
Schuman, H. , Steeh, C. , Bobo, L. and Krysan, M. (1997). Racial attitudes in America: trends and interpretations. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Snyder, T. D. , Dillow, S. A. and Hoffman, C. M. (2008) Digest of education statistics 2007 U.S. Department of Education , Washington, DC.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2006). Latest findings on national air quality: status and trends through 2006 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Research Triangle Park, NC.
“The schooling of children has, for more than a century, been about accomplishment, the boulevard into the world of adult work. I am all for accomplishment, success, literacy, and discipline; but imagine if schools could, without compromising either, teach both the skills of well-being and the skills of achievement. Imagine Positive Education.”
The authors think it would good if our education can accommodate both well being and accomplishment on balance. Hence they believe positive education is the answer. I personally absolutely convinced that this is the way we should go on. My last week journal is on humanistic education. I think I’m much more in favour of positive education because in my mind I embrace the humanistic approach but at the same time I want my students have huge accomplishment in their life. I know the true happiness resulted from divine altruism however not every single person has such conditions in their life to aware of, to make enormous decision, to be contented on the altruistic life. Therefore positive education strikes the balance between the extremes.
There are many researches which can prove the significant trend that living condition and environmental improvement do not contribute to better well being of our society. Almost everything is better now than it was 50 years ago: there is about three times more actual purchasing power, dwellings are much bigger, there are many more cars, and clothes are more attractive (Easterbrook, 2003). Progress has not been limited to the material: there is more education, more music, and more women's rights, less racism, less pollution, fewer tyrants, more entertainment, more books, and fewer soldiers dying on the battlefield (e.g., Schuman et al., 1997; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2006; Snyder et al., 2008). The average Dane, Italian and Mexican is somewhat more satisfied with life than 50 years ago, but the average American, Japanese or Australian is no more satisfied with life than he was 50 years ago, and the average Briton or German is less satisfied (Inglehart et al., 2007).
From this view of outcome presented in front of us it is time for teachers to realise education can change life in the perspective of students well being. It is seems that our education is more keen on generating negative mood which produces narrower attention (Bolte et al., 2003), more critical thinking, and more analytic thinking (Kuhl, 1983, 2000). Schools emphasise critical, rather than creative thinking, and the negative mood so often found in the classroom facilitates only critical thinking. I supposed the words such as feedback, comments, and response have had very negative connotation as a result of critical and analytical thinking.
Reference
Bolte, A. , Goschke, T. and Kuhl, J. (2003) Emotion and intuition: effects of positive and negative mood on implicit judgments of semantic coherence. Psychological Science 14 , pp. 416-421.
Easterbrook, G. (2003). The progress paradox: how life gets better while people feel worse. New York: Random House.
Inglehart, R. , Foa, R. , Peterson, C. and Welzel, C. (2007) Development, freedom, and rising happiness: a global perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science 3 , pp. 264-285.
Kuhl, J. (1983) Emotion, cognition, and motivation: II. The functional significance of emotions in perception, memory, problem-solving, and overt action. Sprache & Kognition 2 , pp. 228-253.
Kuhl, J. Boekaerts, M. , Pintrich, P. R. and Zeidner, M. (eds) (2000) A functional-design approach to motivation and self-regulation: the dynamics of personality systems interactions. Handbook of self-regulation pp. 111-169. Academic Press , San Diego
Seligman, M. E. P., Ernst, R. M., Gillham, J., Reivich, K. & Linkins, M. (2009). Positive education: positive psychology and classroom interventions. Oxford Review of Education, 35(3), 293-311. doi:10.1080/03054980902934563.
Schuman, H. , Steeh, C. , Bobo, L. and Krysan, M. (1997). Racial attitudes in America: trends and interpretations. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Snyder, T. D. , Dillow, S. A. and Hoffman, C. M. (2008) Digest of education statistics 2007 U.S. Department of Education , Washington, DC.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2006). Latest findings on national air quality: status and trends through 2006 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Research Triangle Park, NC.