By drawing attention to well-being within the school environment, we aim to find effective strategies that ensure quality education which also includes the physical and psychological well-being of students. One such strategy is an assessment of a child’s well-being and involvement as two central indicators of the quality of teaching practice.
The first keynote speaker, Professor Ferre Laevers, current director of the Research Centre for Experiential Education based at the University of Leuven and founding father of the “Experiential Education” (EXE) project will address the topic of well-being and involvement in the school environment. Professor Laevers’ research on the concept of engagement or involvement in education has resulted in the formation of an influential movement focused on both educational outcomes and student well-being. Involvement can be described as a state of mind characterized by uninterrupted attention, a high level of interest and motivation and intense mental activity without the feeling of distress or fatigue.
Promoting an approach to teaching based on involvement results in higher quality learning regardless of the usual suspects that contribute to inequality in educational outcomes, like socio-economic status, gender, or ethnicity. Moreover, factors that contribute to engagement, such as overall classroom climate, teacher support and classroom organization support the well-being of students. For more information about Professor Laevers and his work visit the Centre for Experiential Education’s official website.
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