“What does well-being mean to me?” Conceptualisations of well-being in Irish primary schooling
ISSN: 0965-4283
Article publication date: 3 April 2024
Issue publication date: 6 June 2024
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.
Keywords
Citation
Farrell, E., Symonds, J., Devine, D., Sloan, S., Crean, M., Cahoon, A. and Hogan, J. (2024), "“What does well-being mean to me?” Conceptualisations of well-being in Irish primary schooling", Health Education, Vol. 124 No. 1/2, pp. 49-62. https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-03-2024-0023
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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