Learner Wellbeing Inquiry: what has been learned, and what are the implications for future directions?

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Learner Wellbeing Inquiry what has been learned,
and what are the implications for future
directions?
Jan Warren Manager, Better Pathways Department
for Education and Child Development
www.decd.sa.gov.au/learnerwellbeing
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A bit of background.

• The work to strengthen the place of learner
  wellbeing within DECS commenced in 2004.
• The project had a direct link to the objective
  Improving wellbeing of the Strategic Plan for
  South Australia, focused on improving the quality
  of life and wellbeing for the community and
  individuals, emphasising a preventive approach.
• The DECS Statement of Directions (2005-2010)
  identified Engagement and Wellbeing as one of
  seven goals with the following objectives
  improve levels of child and student attendance,
  retention and engagement in learning programs
  and improve child and student wellbeing.

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Sites engaged in LWBF development

• 62 Pilot Sites (representing childcare centres,
  preschools and schools) explored a locally
  relevant aspect of learner wellbeing using an
  inquiry process, and documented their process to
  inform future professional development and
  collate tools, measures, materials and examples
  of promising practice.
• These outcomes led to the final version of the
  Learner Wellbeing Framework that was released in
  early 2007.

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2007-2008

• The DECD Learner Wellbeing Team implemented
  multiple strategies to assist sites, Regions and
  other Central Office Units become actively
  involved and fully engaged with the Learner
  Wellbeing Framework in pursuit of shared
  recognition of three main principles
• Wellbeing is central to learning and learning is
  central to wellbeing.
• Educators make a significant contribution to
  learner wellbeing.
• Wellbeing is built on the strengths of
  individuals, groups and communities working
  together.
• All DECD sites, from birth to year 12, were
  required to include an inquiry into a locally
  relevant wellbeing issue in their Site Learning
  Plan as an implementation strategy.
• During this phase, eight Pilot Sites participated
  in a research project to track their inquiries
  into the second year, and were known as the Phase
  4 Project Sites.

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Evaluation 2007-08

• The outcomes achieved through the combined
  efforts of the LWBT and involved sites and
  Districts were formally evaluated in 2007-2008
  through an internal-external evaluation
  partnership.

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2008-10

• In response to 2007 evaluation findings, over the
  2008-2010 period, the work was guided by the
  following goal To embed the Learner Wellbeing
  Framework into system and site practice, and four
  related objectives
• To increase the reach of the Learner Wellbeing
  Framework.
• To strengthen the consistency of engagement with
  the Learner Wellbeing Framework across sites.
• To increase site staff understanding of and
  engagement in inquiry as an approach for
  improving learner wellbeing.
• To improve site staff capacity to identify and
  document improved wellbeing and learning outcomes
  as a result of their learner wellbeing
  initiatives.

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2008-10

• Throughout 20082010, the Learner Wellbeing Team
  supported an additional 58 sites, funded through
  an expression of interest, to participate in the
  Wellbeing for Learning Inquiry.
• The Team also supported the work of individual
  Regions to improve levels of student engagement,
  and to integrate the Learner Wellbeing Framework
  with other site improvement policies and
  frameworks e.g. DIAf, and TfEL.
• The resource Understanding student engagement was
  developed and associated professional learning
  provided for schools and the tertiary sector.
• A range of other resources, professional
  learning, and inquiry opportunities were provided
  for all sites and Regions, and two wellbeing
  research partnerships undertaken with Flinders
  University and the University of New south Wales.

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Outcomes of the 2010 evaluation

• 1 Reach of the LWB Framework
• The reach of the LWB Framework LWBT is growing. A
  minimum of 44 of DECD sites are actively
  involved in addressing learner wellbeing to some
  degree due to greater familiarity of site leaders
  and/or senior staff with the LWB Framework.
• 2 Engagement with the LWB Framework
• The level of site and regional engagement with
  the LWB Framework is slowly increasing. The
  evidence suggests that once sites are engaged
  they are likely to sustain their engagement, even
  if the level varies from year to year due to
  site-level changes. In addition, sites commonly
  refine or adapt their focus to respond to site
  and learner needs.

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Outcomes of the 2010 evaluation

• 3 Understanding of and engagement in inquiry
  processes
• Site understanding of and engagement in inquiry
  processes has improved over the past two years
  although it was apparent there are sites that
  would benefit from learning more about how to use
  inquiry as an ongoing improvement process.
• Sites that participate in formal inquiry
  processes, and achieve positive learner outcomes
  and change in staff/site practices, were more
  likely to embed a culture of inquiry within their
  site as a result of directly experiencing the
  benefits of an inquiry process.
• The LWBT assisted sites to link their work on
  learner wellbeing to DIAf Self-Review and their
  Site Improvement Plan. This has complemented the
  teams mentoring and professional learning
  strategies, and contributed to improved site
  understanding of and engagement with inquiry.

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Outcomes of the 2010 evaluation

• 4 Identify and document improved wellbeing and
  learning outcomes
• The LWBT placed increasing emphasis on
  identifying, documenting, analysing and reporting
  change in learner wellbeing over the past two
  years, however, ongoing effort is required as it
  remains a more challenging area for sites.
• Only sites showing higher commitment to
  addressing learner wellbeing through a whole of
  site approach had and/or developed better
  capacities in data collection, analysis and
  reporting.
• Sites with higher commitment to addressing
  learner wellbeing based on a whole of site
  approach were also more likely to be pro-active
  in addressing learner voice in an authentic
  manner. This contributed to them achieving real
  outcomes from their inquiries.
• Improving site capacity in this area contributes
  to site uptake of and skills in other improvement
  related initiatives.

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Outcomes of the 2010 evaluation

• 5 Embed the Learner Wellbeing Framework into
  system and site practice
• Wellbeing for learning as a principle and
  practice is apparent in several key DECD
  initiatives, particularly where the LWBT has
  facilitated collaboration with other units. While
  this indicates progress in having the LWB
  Framework embedded within system practice, this
  can occur more frequently and be initiated by
  other units in DECD.

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Outcomes of the 2010 evaluation

• 5 Embed the Learner Wellbeing Framework into
  system and site practice
• Implementing multiple rather than single
  strategies has assisted sites to embed learner
  wellbeing in site planning and structures, with
  the most critical being
• ensuring learner wellbeing is included in site
  improvement plans and review processes (including
  DIAf)
• proactive leadership that coordinates whole of
  staff involvement with learner wellbeing
• a genuine commitment to speaking about and
  enacting democratic relationships with learners
• active engagement of parents and community
  members as valued members of the school community
  with a stake in achieving improved learner
  wellbeing.

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Recommendations1. Engagement with the learner
wellbeing framework and inquiry

• Recommendation 1 Support sites implement the
  LWB Framework Continue implementation of
  intensive site-based support strategies, with an
  emphasis on an integrated approach to improvement
  that addresses local, state and national
  priorities.
• Recommendation 2 Regional engagement Continue
  implementation of the LWBTs regional engagement
  strategies with a focus on supporting Regional
  staff and clusters of sites to address locally
  relevant Regional and site priorities.
• Recommendation 3 Embedding the LWB Framework in
  site culture Continue to profile effective
  strategies that sites employ to embed the LWB
  Framework in site structures and culture through
  professional learning, communication mechanisms
  and further research.
• Recommendation 4 Learner voice In all
  intensive site-based support strategies, continue
  to sustain an emphasis on sites taking steps to
  strengthen learner voice in authentic ways due to
  the time it can take to gain full staff support
  for this focus.

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Recommendations 2. Professional learning and
presentations

• Recommendation 5 Peer presenters Continue the
  successful strategy of supporting sites to
  present at forums and professional learning
  options, including actively involved and highly
  engaged sites not currently involved in intensive
  support strategies.
• Recommendation 6 Peer support Encourage sites
  actively undertaking learner wellbeing inquiries
  to work in clusters of either like-minded or
  geographically-based sites to support each other
  in their work, in addition to LWB Project Officer
  support.
• Recommendation 7 - Strategies for engagement of
  learners and parents Ensure that further
  professional learning includes a specific focus
  on strategies or resources that assist with
  engaging both learners and parents in site
  learner wellbeing inquiries.
• Recommendation 8 - Twilight sessions and cluster
  forums Continue with negotiating twilight
  sessions and other variations on cluster forums,
  particularly for sites that have difficulty
  attending larger events that involve travelling
  significant distances.

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Recommendations 3. Supporting sites to assess
progress and document outcomes

• Recommendation 9 Assessing site progress
  Develop the draft site-assessment tool created
  through the WfLI meta-analysis so it can be
  practically applied by both the LWBT and
  individual sites to assess progress in
  implementing and embedding the LWB Framework.
• Recommendation 10 Collection, analysis, and
  reporting of data A two part approach is
  required to addressing this area
• maintain and strengthen the LWBTs focus on how
  sites can be more effective in collecting,
  analysing and reporting data regarding learner
  outcomes and change in staff/site practice
  through all professional learning, site-support
  and regional engagement work
• collaborate with other Central Office units on
  exploring a whole of DECD approach to collecting,
  analysing and reporting improvement-related data.

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Recommendations 4. Ongoing monitoring and
evaluation of the LWB Framework

• Recommendation 11 Monitoring and evaluation
  strategy Utilise the existing evaluation methods
  and outcomes used in the 2008 and 2010 evaluation
  to provide a longitudinal picture of ongoing
  involvement, degree of engagement and focus on
  learner wellbeing within DECD sites and Regions.

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Thriving at our place Findings from the
Wellbeing for Learning Inquiry 2008-10  

• 58 sites, funded through an expression of
  interest, to participate in the Wellbeing for
  Learning Inquiry.
• Site inquiry questions demonstrate the
  significant diversity of the contexts, issues and
  perspectives each site brings.
• Sites explored locally relevant issues by
  examining, for example, the impact of their own
  wellbeing programs on learning achievement how
  relational teaching and learning might improve
  relationships and student engagement how boys
  could become more actively involved and thus
  improve their future pathway options.
• Sites conducted local inquiries and reflected on
  the effectiveness of practices to improve learner
  wellbeing and engagement through extensive and
  broad action research.

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Much has been learned, affirmed, challenged and
extended

• In attempting to deepen understandings of
  wellbeing and its connection to learning
  achievement and engagement, inquiry has become
  not only more sophisticated, but also more
  dynamic, more discursive, more creative and more
  speculative.
• Meta-learnings arising from the projects detail
  the consistent elements, approaches, strategies
  and capabilities that, when embedded in educator
  practice, improve wellbeing for learning and
  learner outcomes.

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Thriving at our place

• harvests the learnings from a range of
• Learner Wellbeing inquiry sites
• conveys a sense of the journey travelled by
• the many educators who participated
• identifies future challenges
• reflects the research partnership with Flinders
  Universitys School of Education through the
  Flinders/DECS Australian Research Council (ARC)
  Linkage Project.

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Meta learning from the inquiry

• When sites saw wellbeing for learning as core
  business by embedding it across the site, by
  fostering a learner-centred ethos, and by working
  in partnership with all staff, students, their
  families and the wider community, they
  demonstrated both improved wellbeing for learning
  and learner achievement.
• Although these sites were subject to the same
  challenges as all other sites, they were
  committed to devoting time, energy and resources
  to make cultural change.
• Outcomes often surpassed their expectations, as
  they found their sites transformed into places
  where mutual respect and learning combined to
  produce improved learning outcomes and wellbeing
  for learners (Stacey Armitage, 2010, p.67).

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Meta learning

•  
• Higher performing inquiry sites demonstrated that
  when a consistent set of elements, approaches,
  strategies and capabilities were embedded in
  educator practice, wellbeing for learning and
  learner outcomes improved.

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Domain of practice Learning environment

• Wellbeing for learning and learner achievement
  improve when sites
• take a whole of site approach where learner
  wellbeing practices are not seen as an add-on but
  which underpin and are embedded in all domains of
  practice
• have effective leaders who recognise the high
  importance of wellbeing, both for learners and
  staff, and who drive significant cultural change
  by fostering in all staff common understandings
  of site, behaviour, and learning values
• where staff understand, respect, respond to,
  engage with and address the individual learning
  and wellbeing needs of all learners through the
  five dimensions for wellbeing for learning the
  cognitive, emotional, physical, social and
  spiritual dimensions

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Domain of practice Learning environment

• Wellbeing for learning and learner achievement
  improve when sites
• involve all staff in focused professional
  learning so they recognise the significance of
  wellbeing for learning and are involved in the
  inquiry process to increase understandings of the
  connection
• make wellbeing a priority at all meetings, so all
  staff are continually engaged in meaningful and
  reflective discussions about practice to increase
  wellbeing for learning, including understanding
  that behaviour and engagement issues usually have
  a deep and underlying cause that needs to be
  addressed

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Domain of practice Learning environment

• Wellbeing for learning and learner achievement
  improve when sites
• create caring and safe environments which promote
  democratic relationships across all domains of
  practice, recognising that relationships between
  staff, between learners and staff, and between
  learners are key to learning
• provide regular release time for staff to build
  professional learning communities, so they can
  better understand, reflect on and take collective
  responsibility for learner wellbeing and increase
  their personal and professional capacities by
  using and reflecting on current educational
  research
• embrace a culture of success, which is mapped,
  celebrated, and shared with other sites.

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Domain of practice Curriculum and pedagogy

• Wellbeing for learning and learner achievement
  improve when sites
•  
• create learning environments which recognise that
  positive relationships between learners and staff
  are critical for learning, and which encourage
  democratic relationships and authentic student
  voice
• create, in partnership with learners, teachers
  and parents, individual learning plans and goals
  for all learners, so learning is strengths-based,
  where learners understand and utilise their
  preferred learning styles, and participate in
  collective and individual inquiry

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Domain of practice Curriculum and pedagogy

• Wellbeing for learning and learner achievement
  improve when sites
• create a community of learners involving
  learners, staff, parents and the community in
  which they collaboratively learn and deliver
  programs and activities
• increase learners social and emotional
  competencies and empower them to gain a good
  understanding of wellbeing and wellbeing for
  learning, whilst encouraging them to see and map
  their own progress, and to celebrate successful
  outcomes.

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Domain of practice Partnerships

• Wellbeing for learning and learner achievement
  improve when sites
•  
• support parents and the community through active
  and regular communication in understanding the
  significance of wellbeing for learning and
  involve them as partners in inquiry
• establish a synergistic dedicated wellbeing
  action committee, based on democratic
  relationships and strong authentic voice, which
  includes learners, staff, parents, the community
  and outside agencies in collaborative inquiry and
  in influencing decisions about site and classroom
  practices, procedures, pedagogy, curriculum,
  programs, assessment, activities, and the
  learning environment

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Domain of practice Partnerships

• Wellbeing for learning and learner achievement
  improve when sites
• promote communities of learners, including
  cross-age group relationships, in which staff,
  parents, learners and the community share skills
  and knowledge to run and participate in programs
  and activities which benefit the whole learning
  community
• provide leadership training for learners so they
  understand the nature and responsibility of
  effective leadership and can act as
  representatives in community forums and
  committees.

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Domain of practice Partnerships

• Wellbeing for learning and learner achievement
  improve when sites
• provide leadership training for learners so they
  understand the nature and responsibility of
  effective leadership and can act as
  representatives in community forums and
  committees.

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Domain of practicePolicies and procedures

• Wellbeing for learning and learner achievement
  improve when sites
• embed wellbeing for learning inquiry into site
  improvement planning processes and self review
• recognise the interconnectedness with other state
  and national frameworks and initiatives
• collect, use and report on meaningful data,
  including learner, staff, parent and community
  surveys and forums anecdotal data and learner
  observations and other DECS data, such as
  NAPLAN, attendance, retention, behaviour
  incidents, student subject selection, and
  engagement data, and use this data to inquire
  deeply into site practices and measure distance
  travelled

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Domain of practicePolicies and procedures

• Wellbeing for learning and learner achievement
  improve when sites
• map approaches and initiatives to the Learner
  Wellbeing Framework, focusing on local wellbeing
  issues and using inquiry to drive further change,
  recognising that meaningful change takes time to
  allow for thinking, reflection, adaption and
  evaluation
• allocate resources for a dedicated wellbeing
  leadership or staff role to oversee wellbeing
  across the whole site
• use an inquiry approach for continuous
  improvement by encouraging collaboration to
  harness the multiple talents and abilities of
  learners, staff, parents, the community, and
  outside agencies to strengthen positive learning
  cultures

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Domain of practicePolicies and procedures

• Wellbeing for learning and learner achievement
  improve when sites
• recognise and understand that site attendance and
  behaviour issues usually have a deep and
  underlying cause that needs to be addressed and
  that they improve when attention is paid to
  learner wellbeing and engagement and when there
  are good peer and staff/student relationships.

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Future challenges

• Since its inception in 2005, the Learner
  Wellbeing Framework has provided a solid
  underpinning to guide educators in their mission
  to create positive learning environments for all
  learners.
• The results of inquiry projects and other forms
  of collaborative research have contributed to the
  development of increasingly more sophisticated
  understandings of wellbeing, as demonstrated in
  this resource.
• While much has been achieved during this time,
  there remain a number of areas worthy of further
  consideration.

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Engaging with learner wellbeing

• Lack of time was frequently cited as a reason to
  not engage with and embrace the learner wellbeing
  inquiry. Some sites considered they were too busy
  managing their sites due to a busy and
  overcrowded curriculum, or because they were
  dealing with crisesto plan strategically and
  audit and map strategies.
• Some educators continue to argue against a
  responsibility to build positive relationships.
  There is a reluctance, particularly in secondary
  schools, for teachers to become involved and to
  see that wellbeing is everybodys responsibility
  and that wellbeing goes beyond settling yard
  disputes and bullying to a wider and more
  holistic focus on wellbeing for all learners.

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Engaging with learner wellbeing

• Some educators are either unaware of or devalue
  their student-teacher relationship role in
  influencing student wellbeing in relation to
  either learning or social/emotional outcomes or
  to both.
• There is a need therefore to provide further
  professional development in order for them to
  become more aware of the impact of supportive or
  stressful learner-teacher relationships and
  develop their own relational competences.
• Professional learning presentations by inquiry
  and non-inquiry sites has been successful, as
  peer to peer learning is valued and respected.
• When sites work in clusters, peer support is
  fostered, particularly when sites with a varying
  degree of experience in learner wellbeing work
  collaboratively.

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Engaging with learner wellbeing

• Sites that had made the most progress in
  increasing learner wellbeing were those who had
  focused on learner voice and engaging parents and
  the wider community in their journey. Many sites
  expressed a desire to gain more professional
  learning opportunities in these areas.

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 Engaging in site inquiry

• While all sites were supported with their
  inquiries, there was considerable variation in
  sites understanding of the need for record
  keeping and data collection and the very real
  opportunities these offered in gaining deeper
  understanding about the interconnection between
  wellbeing and learning.
• For some sites there was a reluctance to engage
  in site inquiry, with a preference to receive a
  checklist of answers as to how to do
  wellbeing, rather than inquiring into wellbeing
  in the local context of the site.
• Frequently these same sites would focus on
  fixing up marginalised learners, often based on
  narrow constructs of the normal 21st century
  child/student, instead of embracing whole-school
  wellbeing strategies for all of their learners.

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Engaging in site inquiry

• There was evidence amongst some inquiry sites
  that teachers do not always have the confidence
  or trust in their peers to work collegially as
  learners to share and negotiate with their
  colleagues and engage in new ways of deep
  thinking to change embedded practices.
• For these teachers, even more challenging was
  seeing learners as co-inquirers who could be
  invited to collaborate in inquiry around policies
  and procedures or even to construct and negotiate
  their own learning. Regional personnel could play
  a greater role in supporting this work.

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The dimensions of wellbeing

• Frequently sites were not seeing wellbeing
  holistically, and were focusing on only one or
  two dimensions, generally the emotional and
  social, particularly with a focus on disruptive
  behaviour or bullying.
• There is a need for more balance and integration
  between the dimensions, since they often tend to
  be treated separately as 'wedges'.
• Each dimension could be explored further for its
  distinctive richness and potential to move on
  from what appears at times be a somewhat
  generalised approach to wellbeing.

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The dimensions of wellbeing

• There still seemed to be a focus on the
  intellectual or mental dimension, although not in
  its higher forms.
• This may well be driven by a societal demand,
  through parents, politicians and the media, to
  focus on the cognitive dimensions of learning to
  the exclusion of the other four dimensions. This
  could be alleviated by including the wider
  community in pedagogical research and improvement
  initiatives.

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The dimensions of wellbeing

• The emotional realm could have been delved into
  more deeply as an inner experiential domain of
  students and teachers.
• The social dimension appeared often to be
  confused with the emotional dimension and the
  focus seemed to be more on the outer dimension.
• The physical dimension did not seem embodied
  enough. There was not enough clarity about the
  inner or outer dimensions of wellbeing.
• The dimensions did not seem connected enough a
  weakness of the model may have been its inability
  to convey a holistic approach to moving
  cyclically through the sections.
•  

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The dimensions of wellbeing

• There is also potential for much more widespread
  use of strategies to develop cognitive wellbeing.
  According to researchers from the Flinders
  University Centre for Analysis of Educational
  Futures, who worked collaboratively with the
  Learner Wellbeing project officers, there is a
  gap between their research findings and
  teaching-learning practices in some classrooms.
• There is therefore scope to further develop
  students use of cognitive and metacognitive
  strategies these have been shown to have a
  positive and powerful effect on learning
  achievement, particularly for those students who
  cope less well with schoolwork. Instruction in
  cognitive and metacognitive strategies needs
  therefore to be woven into the fabric of regular
  class lessons (Centre for Analysis of
  Educational Futures, 2010, p16).
•  

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The dimensions of wellbeing

• There may be a need for more exploration into the
  spiritual dimension of wellbeing.
• Case study research conducted by Burrows (2009)
  indicated the potential value for educators in
  learning more about how to provide conditions in
  schools and other settings that have the capacity
  to generate spiritual wellbeing and even
  stillness, particularly for the most vulnerable
  and reactive young people.

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Enhancing educator wellbeing

• There is potential to further develop an
  understanding of the impact of the schoolyard on
  the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of
  educators (Centre for Analysis of Educational
  Futures, 2010).
• Findings from collaborative research into teacher
  wellbeing in the yard indicates that educators
  emotional or physical wellbeing may be at risk in
  some sites, as approximately 25 of educators
  reported that yard duty had a negative impact on
  their wellbeing.

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A wider view of wellbeing

• The model of wellbeing in the Learner Wellbeing
  Framework appears to focus in the main on
  personal, rather than societal transformation, as
  in a psychological approach. Yet many educators
  appear to have approached their inquiry projects
  with a strong understanding of the impact of
  political, cultural and social factors on
  individual learner wellbeing.
• Flinders University researcher Krieg (2009)
  cautions that learners who are experiencing
  non-wellbeing due to the social conditions that
  underpin community patterns of health and
  illness, are at risk of being further
  marginalised and excluded from access to and
  participation in the curriculum when wellbeing is
  regarded as an individual problem for both
  teacher and child.

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A wider view of wellbeing

• Peppard, also a Flinders University researcher,
  suggests that too much responsibility for
  wellbeing is placed on the individual child and
  the individual educator.
• Peppard proposes that the focus should be
  broadened to include issues of inequity and
  strategies for closing the gap in learner
  wellbeing to encourage a greater focus on the
  historical, social and economic antecedents of
  wellbeing and the issues that prevent young
  people and families from leading flourishing
  lives.

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A wider view of wellbeing

• Similarly Murray-Harvey and Slee (2010) argue
  that there is a need to shift from
  conceptualising school bullying in terms of
  individual-perpetrator-vs-victim pathology
  towards a focus on wider school community
  relationships that also consider families and
  teachers, along with individuals and peers.
• A whole-school or centre approach is likely to be
  more successful than responding to individual
  learners problems.

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Changes in student wellbeing over time

• Of some concern is the finding that students
  rating of their general contentment and ability
  to cope with different aspects of school seem to
  be at a high point when they leave primary
  school.
• Scores on several indicators in a research
  project conducted in collaboration with Flinders
  University show a decline as students move into
  high school.
• General contentment with school appears to be at
  a low point in year 10.
• Murray-Harvey Slee (2010) suggest that there is
  a need therefore for different approaches to
  support learner wellbeing in primary and
  secondary schools, that are responsive to both
  learner and educator needs.

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Changes in student wellbeing over time

• Students feel less supported and more stressed in
  relationships with educators in their secondary
  (middle) years of schooling.
• Murray-Harvey Slee (2010) suggest that there is
  a need therefore for different approaches to
  support learner wellbeing in primary and
  secondary schools, that are responsive to both
  learner and educator needs.

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Relational wellbeing

• The wellbeing of any individual is highly
  dependent not only on his or her personal
  wellbeing, but also on the wellbeing of his or
  her relationships.
• Murray-Harvey Slee (2010) argue that there
  needs to be a greater focus on building
  supportive relationships and reducing stressors.
• There is a need to pay more attention to the
  impact of supportive and stressful relationships
  amongst all members of school and centre
  communities. In this way a more positive
  relational field can contribute to the
  experiences of individual and collective
  wellbeing for learners, educators, parents and
  other professionals and community members working
  in school and centre communities (Centre for the
  Analysis of Educational Futures, 2010).

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Relational wellbeing

• There is a need to pay more attention to the
  impact of supportive and stressful relationships
  amongst all members of school and centre
  communities.
• In this way a more positive relational field
  can contribute to the experiences of individual
  and collective wellbeing for learners, educators,
  parents and other professionals and community
  members working in school and centre communities
  (Centre for the Analysis of Educational Futures,
  2010).
• Building the capabilities of school communities
  to improve their wellbeing, an Australian
  Research Council Linkage Grant Project, Centre
  for Analysis of Educational Futures, Flinders
  University, 2010. The research was undertaken
  through a partnership between DECD and Flinders
  University as a component of the Learner
  Wellbeing Project.