Skodel is excited to launch our new schedule! It helps students reflect on key areas of their wellbeing at relevant moments. And reduces planning time for wellbeing leaders to get proactive data that can be shared with the community. Think of it as your wellbeing assistant checking up with students and supporting them with thinking strategies to increase their wellbeing.
We examined many bodies of research and various frameworks in conjunction with our partner, Andrew Fuller. Below are some of the questions and links to the research.
Zeng, G., & Kern, M. L. (2019). The Chinese EPOCH Measure of Adolescent Wellbeing: Further Testing of the Psychometrics of the Measure. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1457–1457. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01457
When I think about my relationships with my classmates, I feel:
Connection has a huge effect on a child’s wellbeing at school and with extended leisure time built into each day, school is often a time where individuals build lifelong friendships. A student’s ability to empathise, connect and bond with the people around them plays a pivotal role in building resilience.
Kern, M. L., Benson, L., Steinberg, E. A., & Steinberg, L. (2016). The EPOCH Measure of Adolescent Well-Being. Psychological Assessment , 28 (5), 586–597. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000201
Wagle, Rhea, Dowdy, Erin, Nylund-Gibson, Karen, Sharkey, Jill D, Carter, Delwin & Furlong, Michael J. (2021). School belonging constellations considering complete mental health in primary schools. The Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 38, 173-185. https://doi.org/10.1080/20590776.2021.1964071
When I think about coming to school, I feel:
School is a major part of a child's life and regular attendance is essential to maximising one’s learning and development at school. Whether a student is looking forward to each school day and whether they approach each day with a positive outlook can have a substantial impact on their overall development.
Kern, M. L., Benson, L., Steinberg, E. A., & Steinberg, L. (2016). The EPOCH Measure of Adolescent Well-Being. Psychological Assessment , 28 (5), 586–597. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000201
How do you feel your school work has been going recently?
While school is certainly multifaceted and performance can come in many forms e.g., sporting, musically and leadership opportunities, school work has a significant role in wellbeing. It’s important each child is equipped with the knowledge and skills to apply themselves to their studies.
Margaret L. Kern, Lea E. Waters, Alejandro Adler & Mathew A. White (2015) A multidimensional approach to measuring well-being in students: Application of the PERMA framework, The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10:3, 262-271, DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2014.936962
If you make a suggestion or share an idea, is it taken seriously?
Student voice plays a large role in their wellbeing - being listened to and having a perspective that is valued is incredibly protective of wellbeing. It’s important that students feel they are being heard.
Anderson, D. L., & Graham, A. P. (2016). Improving student wellbeing: having a say at school. School Effectiveness and School Improvement , 27 (3), 348–366. https://doi.org/10.1080/09243453.2015.1084336
When I take on challenging work, I feel:
The ability to persevere through difficult tasks has a huge impact on success. A student’s response to difficult tasks can be predictive of numerous long-term wellbeing outcomes.
Duckworth, A. L. , Peterson, C. , Matthews, M. D. & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92 (6), 1087-1101. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087.
Do you feel you have a group of friends you belong to?
Having people you trust, can turn to, and feel comfortable around increases optimism and makes challenging times easier to navigate. It’s a fundamental pillar of resilience.
Kellock, Anne. (2020). Children's well-being in the primary school: A capability approach and community psychology perspective. Childhood: A Global Journal of Child Research, 27, 220-237. https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568220902516 ,27 ,27
Wagle, Rhea, Dowdy, Erin, Nylund-Gibson, Karen, Sharkey, Jill D, Carter, Delwin & Furlong, Michael J. (2021). School belonging constellations considering complete mental health in primary schools. The Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 38, 173-185. https://doi.org/10.1080/20590776.2021.1964071
How have you been feeling about your grades so far this year?
While the value of assessments has come under scrutiny, it’s clear that performance affects wellbeing. A sense of achievement brings substantial fulfilment, while a lack thereof can have negative effects on wellbeing.
Kern, M. L., Benson, L., Steinberg, E. A., & Steinberg, L. (2016). The EPOCH Measure of Adolescent Well-Being. Psychological Assessment , 28 (5), 586–597. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000201
How do you feel about the environment you learn in?
Access to adequate resources, capable technology and having pleasant physical spaces affect a host of learning outcomes at school. We must understand whether students feel adequately supported to be their best selves.
Kellock, Anne. (2020). Children's well-being in the primary school: A capability approach and community psychology perspective. Childhood: A Global Journal of Child Research, 27, 220-237. https://doi.org/10.1177/0907568220902516 ,27 ,27
Kern, M. L., Benson, L., Steinberg, E. A., & Steinberg, L. (2016). The EPOCH Measure of Adolescent Well-Being. Psychological Assessment , 28 (5), 586–597. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000201
How do you feel when you consider how you’ve been looking after your health recently?
At any age, looking after physical health is fundamental to our wellbeing. Often in busy periods it can be neglected. Regardless of exam pressure or time commitments, students need to be looking after their health to maintain good wellbeing to perform at their best in school and life.
Kern, M. L., Benson, L., Steinberg, E. A., & Steinberg, L. (2016). The EPOCH Measure of Adolescent Well-Being. Psychological Assessment , 28 (5), 586–597. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000201
If you could have started the year knowing 1-3 things you know now, what would they be?
While the last weeks of school can often yield little academic progress, reflecting on the year that has passed can bring valuable insights to help students grow and prepare for the next year.
