1. "What does well-being mean to me?" Conceptualisations of well-being in Irish primary schooling.
- Author
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Farrell, Emma, Symonds, Jennifer, Devine, Dympna, Sloan, Seaneen, Crean, Mags, Cahoon, Abbie, and Hogan, Julie
- Subjects
PARENTS ,CURRICULUM ,SAFETY ,ELEMENTARY schools ,MENTAL health ,INTERVIEWING ,HEALTH ,SCHOOL administrators ,TEACHERS ,THEMATIC analysis ,SOUND recordings ,HAPPINESS ,CONCEPTS ,PHENOMENOLOGY ,WELL-being - 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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