A description of the factors that enable further education students to flourish: a photovoice and appreciative inquiry study

ABSTRACT

Recently, society and further education institutions have seen an increase in the reporting of poor mental health and wellbeing. Although further education settings (typically comprising of study programmes ranging between levels one to six, including A levels, apprenticeships, T levels, GCSEs, BTECs and higher education qualifications) are appropriately placed to be part of a solution to this issue, they are suffering from a shortage of resources and an inability to intimately understand poor mental health and wellbeing. Consequently, it has become difficult for institutions toimplement appropriate interventions that prevent poor mental health and wellbeing. Appreciative inquiry was used to explore a further education institution and how they encouraged students to flourish. The novel use of photovoice allowed the researchers to empower the participants and produce a dynamic and deep conversation. The study found that informal peer and teacher support were crucial in ensuring students flourished. More pertinently, a trusting and collaborative environment was established through informal conversations between teacher and student. An unexpected outcome was students consistently citing happiness as an essential element of a flourishing student. Due to the differing cultural and geographical contexts, other institutions should conduct similar research to investigate what enables their students to flourish.

KEYWORDS:

• Further education
• mental health
• wellbeing
• flourishing
• photovoice
• positive psychology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lliam Dickinson

Lliam Dickinson is a Higher Education Pathway Leader in the Service Industries department at Barnsley College Higher Education. He has an MSc in Health and Wellbeing. A former Advanced Practitioner and Wellbeing lead. His current research, teaching, and vocational interests include student experiences and wellbeing, the role of the environment on health, and physical activity.

Daniel Connolly

Daniel Connolly is a Teaching and Learning Coach at Barnsley College and a Senior Fellow of Advance HE. Having completed an MSc in Sport and Physical Education by Research, he now has interests in pedagogical approaches in HE, assessment for learning and authentic learning experiences.