Learning Opportunities - School prosperity is a goal for a happiness researcher.
Can happiness be taught? - Certainly, it's ideal to initiate this process in elementary schools, says Tobias Rahm, a researcher on happiness from Braunschweig. Alongside his team from the Technical University and author Carina Mathes, Rahm developed the "Happiness Competence in Elementary School" (Happy Project), in which over 500 elementary school children from Lower Saxony participated in the previous school year 2022/23. Now the team is reviewing the project.
"All involved have reported positive outcomes," states Rahm, referring to the children, parents, teachers, and school administrators. The scientists' primary aim was to increase happiness and well-being at schools. Fourth-graders, therefore, had "happiness lessons" on their schedules, alongside subjects like math and German. These classes were conducted by future teachers from the university.
They received a user-friendly program with entertaining stories, parental information, workbooks, and craft instructions. Each lesson included a learning video and a reflection period with psychologist Rahm. "Here you learn how to become happier," explained a fourth-grader in December 2022, who attended a session focusing on praise, compliments, appreciation, and recognition.
A significant impact was that the frequency of negative emotions had reduced after a month, according to the university's report. Rahm adds that children who received less support at home at the start or had a less clear self-image profited more from these happiness hours.
Rahm suggests that more advanced instruments and more in-depth programs are needed to show noticeable progress. Concerning anticipated impacts such as improved mood, the university attributes this to comparisons with other programs that are more extensive and led by more qualified teachers. The Happy Project alleviates teachers' workload, requires limited funding, and can be seamlessly incorporated into the school day.
Hence, a follow-up project known as "Happiness Lions" is planned. This project expands the lessons to an entire semester and finances the happiness classes through donations. Rahm also mentions the "Psychological Health and Well-Being in School" project of the City of Braunschweig, which targets as many eighth-grade classes as possible. The ultimate goal is to offer opportunities in all grades and, if achievable, create additional training opportunities for staff. "We want to transform schools into flourishing places," states Rahm.
With a high occurrence of psychological symptoms in children and adolescents, Rahm believes it's crucial to make promoting psychological health and well-being in schools compulsory. He cites several scientific findings that indicate these initiatives not only help prevent the onset of mental illnesses but also contribute to better academic performance. "By following the examples of Scandinavian countries or places like Australia, New Zealand, and England, we can see that Germany is lagging in this area," says Rahm.
The schools have provided positive responses, as mentioned by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Culture during the project. The Regional Office for School and Education in Braunschweig shared that the content could fit in well with the school routine. However, they didn't feel a separate school subject was necessary, said a ministry spokesperson at the time.
Read also:
- Tobias Rahm, a happiness researcher from Brunswick in Lower Saxony, believes that happiness can be taught and should ideally begin in elementary schools.
- The "Happiness Competence in Elementary School" project, developed by Rahm and his team, involved over 500 fourth-graders from Lower Saxony schools in the 2022/23 academic year.
- As part of the project, fourth-graders had "happiness lessons," which were conducted by future teachers from the Technical University and focused on reducing negative emotions and increasing happiness.
- Scientific research on the project showed that children who had less support at home or had a less clear self-image experienced the most significant improvements in happiness levels.
- Rahm plans to expand the project with a follow-up known as "Happiness Lions," which aims to offer happiness classes to more students and finance them through donations.
- Although schools have expressed positive responses to these initiatives, Rahm believes that promoting psychological health and well-being in schools should be mandatory, citing scientific findings that link these initiatives to better academic performance and mental health.
