Enhancing students’ well-being and life values: Perspectives of life education and positive education

This CoP primarily aims to develop the five pillars of the PERMA model (i.e., positive emotions, engagement, relationship, meaning, and accomplishment) as well as caring ethics and related values among pre-service and in-service teachers, and to increase teachers’ capabilities to deal with the psychosocial issue of cyberbullying and understand the nature of education in connection with happiness and pursuit of life goals. With reference to the University’s Strategic Plan 2016-2025, the CoP will promote pre-service and in-service teachers’ professionalism and societal caring, which are the core values of EdUHK. The CoP also aligns with the University Learning and Teaching Plan of 2019-2021, especially the theme of Student’s Learning Outcomes. A major area in this theme is to support students’ achievement of the Graduate Attributes and the Generic Intended Learning Outcomes (GILOs). Creative thinking, critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and positive attitude are crucial Graduate Attributes and GILOs for university students, especially among pre-service and in-service teachers-in-training. Through their participation in well-being enhancement activities, pre-service and in-service teachers will be able to develop different strategies to deal with difficulties or issues in their studies and everyday life, generate and evaluate effective well-being enhancement strategies, and adopt an open-minded and positive attitude towards their lives and the future. They will also develop knowledge and capability to promote positive social interactions and deal with the issue of cyberbullying. Another key area in the theme of Student Learning Outcomes is to enrich students’ learning experience through non-formal learning opportunities, including areas of life and positive education, and mental strength development. The CoP will use non-formal education, such as workshops, self-directed learning, E-Hub, and evidence-based programmes to promote positive and inclusive attitudes, mental strengths, well-being, and positive dynamics. The CoP will also recruit postgraduate students as Research Assistants, thus matching the theme of Postgraduate Learning and Teaching in the University Learning and Teaching Plan, which encourages RPg/EdD students to engage in teaching and other projects. Besides, the CoP activities also echo with the theme of E-learning and Digital Competency. A key area of this theme is to promote innovative learning and teaching by foraging new teaching approaches and assessments. The CoP will adopt innovative teaching and assessment approaches since an E-Hub will be developed as a teaching and learning tool to facilitate self-directed learning among pre-service and in-service teachers. On-line measures will also be created to enable students to perform self-assessment and reflection on their learning.

The CoP has the following objectives:

1. To develop training activities with creative techniques that enhance well-being and foster positive life values from both perspectives of life education and positive education among pre-service and in-service teachers;

2. To increase pre-service and in-service teachers’ efficacy in promoting positive social interactions and combating cyberbullying via the five essential elements in the PERMA model: positive emotions, engagement, relationship, meaning, and accomplishment;

3. To help pre-service and in-service teachers develop reflective skills and values-laden perspectives in their personal and professional lives associated with search for life meaning, well-being, interpersonal, and socioemotional adjustment;

4. To promote self-reflection and self-directed learning as well as caring ethics among teachers-in-training; and

5. To increase the awareness of university educators and other professionals in supporting the positive development of students as well as pre-service and in-service teachers in higher education through collaboration and knowledge transfer activities.