Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T16:30:27.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Positive Education: The Key Role of the School Counsellor

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2021

Suzy Green  and
Kasey Lloyd Open the ORCID record for Kasey Lloyd [Opens in a new window]
Suzy Green*
Affiliation:
The Positivity Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia School of Psychology, University of East London, London, UK
Kasey Lloyd
Affiliation:
The Positivity Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
*
Corresponding author Suzy Green, The Positivity Institute, PO Box 918, Double BayNSW1360, Australia. Email: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

As the field of Positive Education gains traction globally, there is a recognised concern around sustainability. Many schools utilise external providers to engage and educate schools on ‘wellbeing science’, which in the main is comprised of research from the field of Positive Psychology. This often involves a significant financial and time investment, and while most schools have good intentions for their desired end states, often the initial motivation for change is impacted by the many competing responsibilities occurring within a school setting. Those schools that have successfully implemented strategic and sustainable approaches often continue to work with an external consultant who guides the school to successfully apply their learnings. Many schools, however, are unable to fund ongoing consultancy and are required to utilise their own internal resources. In many cases, this is the inspired and motivated educators who are keen to support the initiative, yet who are generally time-poor, often with other learning and extra-curricular responsibilities. More often than not, the school counsellor has not been consulted or included in these initiatives. We explore the potential role of the school counsellor in providing guidance on the implementation of a Positive Education approach aimed at improving mental health and wellbeing and performance.

Keywords

Positive EducationPositive Psychologyschool counsellorschool psychologistwhole-school wellbeing
Type
Practitioner Paper
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 31 , Special Issue 2: Actioning Research within Schools: Key Processes for Planning Successful Interventions , December 2021 , pp. 195 - 204
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adler, A. (2017). Well-being and academic achievement: Towards a new evidence-based educational paradigm. In White, M.A., Slemp, G.R., & Murray, A.S. (Eds.), Future directions in well-being: Education, organizations and policy (pp. 203–208). Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Amatea, E.S., & Clark, M.A. (2005). Changing schools, changing counselors: A qualitative study of school administrators’ conceptions of the school counselor role. Professional School Counseling, 9. https://doi:10.1177/2156759x0500900101 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Augustyniak, K. (2014). Identifying and cultivating leadership potential in school psychology: A conceptual framework. Psychology in the Schools, 51, 15–31. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21731 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Australian Psychological Society. (2016). The framework for effective delivery of school psychology services: A practice guide for psychologists and school leaders. https://www.psychology.org.au/getmedia/249a7a14-c43e-4add-aa6b-decfea6e810d/Framework-schools-psychologists-leaders.pdf Google Scholar
Bamford, A., Mackew, N., & Golawski, A. (2012). Coaching for parents: Empowering parents to create positive relationships with their children. In van Nieuwerburgh, C. (Ed.), Coaching in education: Getting better results for students, educators, and parents (pp. 133–152). Routledge.Google Scholar
Bernard, B. (2004). Resiliency: What we have learned. WestEd Regional Educational Laboratory.Google Scholar
Bettman, C.G., & Digiacomo, A. (2021). An investigation into the experiences of school counsellors working with adolescents. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 1–15. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/jgc.2020.33 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bozkurt, T. (2014). New horizons in education: Positive education and emerging leadership roles of counselors. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 140, 452–461. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.04.452.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cameron, K.S. (2012). Positive leadership. Berrett Koehler.Google Scholar
Clemens, E.V., Milsom, A., & Cashwell, C.S. (2009). Using leader-member exchange theory to examine principal-school counselor relationships, school counselors’ roles, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. Professional School Counseling, 13, 75–85. https://doi:10.5330/PSC.n.2010-13.75 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cohen, J. (2006). Social, emotional, ethical and academic education: creating a climate for learning, participating in democracy and wellbeing. Harvard Educational Review, 76, 201–237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coll, K., & Freeman, B. (1997). Role conflict among elementary school counselors: A national comparison with middle and secondary school counselors. Elementary School Guidance & Counseling, 31, 251–261.Google Scholar
Cooperrider, D., & Godwin, L. (2012). Positive organization development: Innovation-inspired change in an economy and ecology of strengths. In Cameron, K. & Spreitzer, G. (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of positive organizational scholarship (pp. 737–750). Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Dulagil, A., Green, S., & Ahern, M. (2016). Evidence-based coaching to enhance senior students’ wellbeing and academic striving. International Journal of Wellbeing, 6, 131–149. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v6i3.426 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gillham, J.E., Reivich, K.J., Freres, D.R., Chaplin, T.M., Shatté, A.J., Samuels, B., Elkon, A.G., Litzinger, S., Lascher, M., Gallop, R., & Seligman, M.E.P. (2007). School-based prevention of depressive symptoms: A randomized controlled study of the effectiveness and specificity of the Penn Resiliency Program. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 75, 9–19. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.75.1.9 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gillham, J.E., Reivich, K.J., Jaycox, L.H., & Seligman, M.E.P. (1995). Prevention of depressive symptoms in schoolchildren: Two-year follow-up. Psychological Science, 6, 343–351. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1995.tb00524.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grant, A.M., Green, L.S., & Rynsaardt, J. (2010). Developmental coaching for high school teachers: Executive coaching goes to school. Consulting Psychology Journal, 62, 151–168. https://doi.org/10.1037/a001921 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Green, S., Falecki, D., & Leach, C. (in press). Self-confidence development in schools. In Giraldez-Hayes, A. & Burke, J. (Eds.), Applied Positive School Psychology.Google Scholar
Green, S., Grant, A. M., & Rynsaardt, J. (2008). Evidence-based life coaching for senior high school students: Building hardiness and hope. International Coaching Psychology Review, 2, 24–33.Google Scholar
Green, S., Oades, L.G., & Robinson, P. (2011). Positive Education: Creating flourishing students and schools. InPsych, April. https://www.psychology.org.au/publications/inpsych/2011/april/green Google Scholar
Hoare, E., Bott, D., & Robinson, J. (2017). Learn it, live it, teach it, embed it: Implementing a whole school approach to foster positive mental health and wellbeing through Positive Education. International Journal of Wellbeing, 7, 56–71. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v7i3.645 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Howell, A.J. (2009). Flourishing: Achievement-related correlates of students’ well-being. Journal of Positive Psychology, 4, 1–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17439760802043459 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaya, M., & Erdem, C. (2021). Students’ well-being and academic achievement: A meta-analysis study. Child Indicators Research, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-021-09821-4 Google Scholar
King, C., Subotic-Kerry, M., & O’Dea, B. (2018). An exploration of the factors associated with burnout among NSW secondary school counsellors. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 28, 131–142. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/10.1017/jgc.2018.5 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lambie, G.W., & Williamson, L.L. (2004). The challenge to change from guidance counseling to professional school counseling: A historical proposition. Professional School Counseling, 8, 124–131.Google Scholar
LaMontagne, A.D., Martin, A., Page, M.K., Reavley, N.J., Noblet, A.J., Milner, A.J., Keegal, T., & Smith, P.M. (2014). Workplace mental health: Developing an integrated intervention approach. BMC Psychiatry, 14, 1–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Madden, W., Green, S., & Grant, A.M. (2011). A piolet study evaluating strengths-based coaching for primary school students: Enhancing engagement and hope. International Coaching Psychology Review, 6, 71–83.Google Scholar
Marques, S.C., Pais-Ribeiro, J.L., & Lopez, S.J. (2011). The role of positive psychology constructs in predicting mental health and academic achievement in children and adolescents: A two-year longitudinal study. Journal of Happiness Studies, 12, 1049–1062.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McGrath, H., & Noble, T. (2003). Bounce Back! Teacher’s handbook: Pearson Education.Google Scholar
Monteiro-Leitner, J., Asner-Self, K. K., Milde, C., Leitner, D.W., & Skelton, D. (2006). The role of the rural school counselor: counselor, counselor-in-training, and principal perceptions. Professional School Counselling, 9. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X0500900307 Google Scholar
Norrish, J.M., Williams, P., O’Connor, M., & Robinson, J. (2013). An applied framework for positive education. International Journal of Wellbeing, 3, 147–161. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v3i2.2 Google Scholar
Quinlan, D.M., & Hone, L.C. (2020). The educators guide to whole-school wellbeing: A practical guide to getting started, best-practice processes and effective implementation. Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reiner, S., Colbert, R., & Pérusse, R. (2009). Teacher perceptions of the professional school counselor role: A national study. Professional School Counseling, 12, 324–332. doi: 10.5330/PSC.n.2010-12.324.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roufeil, L. (2018). Why aren’t psychologists stepping up? InPsych, 40. ’https://www.psychology.org.au/for-members/publications/inpsych/2018/August-Issue-4/Why-aren’t-psychologists-stepping-up Google Scholar
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, 293–311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seligman, M.E.P., & Peterson, C. (2003). Positive clinical psychology. In Aspinwall, U.M. & Staudinger, L.G. (Ed.), A psychology of human strengths: Fundamental questions and future directions for a positive psychology (pp. 305–317). American Psychological Association.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Slemp, G.R., Chin, T., Kern, M.L., Siokou, C., Loton, D., Oades, L. G., Vella-Brodrick, D., & Waters, L. (2017). Positive education in Australia: Practice, measurement, and future directions. In Frydenberg, E., Martin, A.J. & Collie, R.J. (Eds.), Social and emotional learning in Australia and the Asia Pacific (pp. 101–122). Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suldo, S., Thalji, A., & Ferron, J. (2011). Longitudinal academic outcomes predicted by early adolescents’ subjective well-being, psychopathology, and mental health status yielded from a dual factor model. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 6, 17–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2010.536774 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tejada-Gallardo, C., Blasco-Belled, A., Torrelles-Nadal, C., & Alsinet, C. (2020). Effects of school-based multicomponent positive psychology interventions on well-being and distress in adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 49, 1943–1960. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-020-01289-9 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Terjesen, M.D., Jacofsky, M., Froh, J., & DiGiuseppe, R. (2004). Integrating positive psychology into schools: Implications for practice. Psychology in the Schools, 41, 163–172. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.10148 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thielking, M., & Jimerson, S. (2006). Perspectives regarding the role of school psychologists: Perceptions of teachers, principals, and school psychologists in Victoria, Australia. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 16, 211–223. doi: 10.1375/ajgc.16.2.211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Nieuwerburgh, C., & Passmore, J. (2012). Creating coaching cultures for learning. In van Nieuwerburgh, C. (Ed.), Coaching in education: Getting better results for students, educators, and parents (pp. 153–172). Routledge.Google Scholar
Waters, L., & White, M. (2015). Case study of a school wellbeing initiative: Using appreciative inquiry to support positive change. International Journal of Wellbeing, 5, 19–32. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v5i1.2 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
White, J. (2016). Education, time-poverty and well-being. Theory and Research in Education, 14, 213–225. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477878516656567 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
White, M.A. (2021). A decade of positive education and implications for initial teacher education: A narrative review. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 46. http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2021v46n3.5 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
White, M.A., & Murray, A.S. (2015). Building a positive institution. Evidence-based approaches in positive education: Implementing a strategic framework for well-being in schools. Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wrzesniewski, A., & Dutton, J.E. (2001). Crafting a job: Revisioning employees as active crafters of their work. Academy of Management Review, 26, 179–201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar