Wellbeing

When we talk about wellbeing, we need to be clear about which perspective we are starting from and what we mean by the term.

From a medical perspective, wellbeing is defined as the absence of illness – to feel well simply means not being ill. An economic perspective on wellbeing, by contrast, is about having the financial conditions that create security.

When we at Pomelo talk about students' school-related wellbeing, we start from a psychological perspective. This means that wellbeing encompasses two important experiences – often referred to as hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing.

The first, hedonic wellbeing, is about the positive emotions that students experience in the classroom. This might be, for example, joy, enthusiasm, curiosity and delight. This kind of wellbeing shows in expressions such as laughter, engagement, students asking questions and showing a desire to know more: "We want a bit more!" or "Can we do that again?"

The second kind, eudaimonic wellbeing, concerns more socio-cognitive experiences – such as meaningfulness, community and autonomy. It is about students feeling involved and welcome, taking responsibility, caring about one another and experiencing that what they do at school is meaningful and in line with how they see themselves.

Research shows that both of these parts are significant for learning. That is why, in developing hejpomelo.se, our aim has been to support schools in working systematically and preventively to promote students' wellbeing. Our modules are designed both to create a positive learning environment and to strengthen students' own socio-emotional skills.