Positive education, Aristotelian eudaimonia, and adolescent notions of the ‘good’ life

Journal article


Trask-Kerr, K., Chin, T-C & Vella-Broderick, D.A.,, Chin, Tan-Chyuan and Vella-Brodrick, Dianne A.. (2023). Positive education, Aristotelian eudaimonia, and adolescent notions of the ‘good’ life. Australian Educational Researcher. pp. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-023-00674-0
AuthorsTrask-Kerr, K., Chin, T-C & Vella-Broderick, D.A.,, Chin, Tan-Chyuan and Vella-Brodrick, Dianne A.
Abstract

The educational approach known as positive education emerged from positive psychology and frequently attributes its conception of flourishing to Aristotelian eudaimonia. This is a point of contention between scholars who see positive psychology’s flourishing as an epithet of Aristotelian virtues and others who have identified critical divergences between the philosophical foundations of positive psychology and Aristotle’s normative ethics. Few scholars have examined whether adolescent understandings of flourishing reflect Aristotelian eudaimonia, and whether this is different in positive education students. This paper explores notion of the good life through the writings of 226 adolescents, 93 of whom attend a school that has implemented positive education. These are analysed through an Aristotelian lens, finding more similarities than differences between the groups. Both groups discussed relationships, emotions, and accomplishments, but moral goodness and virtue were not prominent. Conclusions are drawn about the implications of this for ‘positive’ education and the role it plays in nurturing flourishing.

KeywordsAristotle; Eudaimonia; Flourishing; Wellbeing; Positive Education; Positive Psychology
Year2023
JournalAustralian Educational Researcher
Journal citationpp. 1-17
PublisherSpringer
ISSN0311-6999
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-023-00674-0
Web address (URL)https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13384-023-00674-0#article-info
Open accessPublished as non-open access
Research or scholarlyResearch
Page range1-17
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Print13 Dec 2023
Publication process dates
Accepted30 Oct 2023
Deposited19 Sep 2024
Additional information

© The Australian Association for Research in Education, Inc. 2023

Funding: This research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship.

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