Developing guidelines for program design, practice, and research toward a positive and wellbeing education practice

Abstract

Positive education, a growing field that integrates positive psychology principles into educational settings, has gained momentum over the past 15 years. The field, however, faces challenges in translating positive psychology concepts into teachers’ professional practice and maintaining the quality of programs. To ensure the effectiveness and credibility of positive education, it is essential to develop clear guidelines for program design, practice, and research. This article presents proposed guidelines that emphasize the importance of a solid scientific foundation, multidimensional approach, embedding positive education into school culture, and ethical values. These guidelines provide a roadmap for promoting rigorous, relevant, high-quality research and practice in positive education. By adhering to these guidelines and fostering stakeholder collaboration, positive education has the potential to thrive, reaching more students and communities worldwide, ultimately transforming the educational landscape for the betterment of all.

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Developing guidelines for program design,
practice, and research toward a positive and well-
being education practice
Margaret L. Kern, Ricardo Arguís-Rey, Covadonga Chaves, Mathew A. White
& Maggie Y. Zhao
To cite this article: Margaret L. Kern, Ricardo Arguís-Rey, Covadonga Chaves, Mathew A.
White & Maggie Y. Zhao (12 May 2024): Developing guidelines for program design, practice,
and research toward a positive and well-being education practice, The Journal of Positive
Psychology, DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2024.2352743
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2024.2352743
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Developing guidelines for program design, practice, and research toward
a positive and well-being education practice
Margaret L. Kern
a
, Ricardo Arguís-Rey
b
, Covadonga Chaves
c
, Mathew A. White
d
and Maggie Y. Zhao
e
a
Centre for Wellbeing Science, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia;
b
Santiago Hernández High School, Saragossa, Spain;
c
Facultad
de Psicología, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain;
d
School of Education, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia;
e
Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
ABSTRACT
Positive education, a growing eld that integrates positive psychology principles into educational
settings, has gained momentum over the past 15 years. The eld, however, faces challenges in
translating positive psychology concepts into teachers’ professional practice and maintaining the
quality of programs. To ensure the eectiveness and credibility of positive education, it is essential
to develop clear guidelines for program design, practice, and research. This article presents
proposed guidelines that emphasize the importance of a solid scientic foundation, multidimen-
sional approach, embedding positive education into school culture, and ethical values. These
guidelines provide a roadmap for promoting rigorous, relevant, high-quality research and practice
in positive education. By adhering to these guidelines and fostering stakeholder collaboration,
positive education has the potential to thrive, reaching more students and communities world-
wide, ultimately transforming the educational landscape for the betterment of all.
ARTICLE HISTORY
Received 19 December 2023
Accepted 14 March 2024
KEYWORDS
positive education;
well-being education;
positive psychology;
well-being; flourishing
Introduction
Positive psychology, dened as ‘the scientic study of
what makes individuals and communities thrive’
(International Positive Psychology Association, 2023),
has become a broad international movement spread
across the world and a variety of disciplines, including
clinical psychology, education, health, public policy,
spirituality, and work and organizations.
The implementation of positive psychology within
education is termed ‘positive education’ and, in more
recent times, well-being education (Seligman et al.,
2009). Positive education seeks to integrate the princi-
ples and practices of positive psychology into educa-
tional settings to enhance students’ well-being,
resilience, and academic growth. The positive perspec-
tive has gained momentum over 15 years with diverse
approaches and implementation strategies. Many edu-
cational programs, interventions, training programs,
research, and practical experiences have emerged in
this area, aiming to create a more holistic and supportive
learning environment for students, teachers, and the
wider school community. Recent reviews by Waters
and Loton (2019, 2021) traced the growth, gaps, and
characteristics of positive education, highlighting the
expansion of the eld over the past two decades. They
found that research on positive education has focused
on various well-being constructs, such as character
strengths, resilience, mindfulness, and positive emo-
tions, among others.
While positive education represents a promising and
burgeoning eld, it also raises some important concerns
about how positive psychology concepts are translated
into teachers’ professional practice as they plan for and
implement positive education interventions. One of the
main challenges is the marked variation in the quality,
eectiveness, rigor, and ecacy of dierent approaches.
Some positive education programs and interventions
are built on exacting standards that draw on causal
research or synthesis of positive education and well-
being education research that uses rigorous methods
to provide insights into educational practice; however,
some others ignore recent scientic advances and
informed practice or at worst, are driven by a zeitgeist
or prot motives (White, 2016). This variability in the
quality of positive education programs has the potential
to undermine the long-term credibility and eectiveness
of positive education, leading to skepticism among edu-
cators, policymakers, and the public.
To address these concerns and promote the continued
growth and success of best practices in positive educa-
tion, we argue that guidelines are needed to orient
research and evidence-informed practice within positive
CONTACT Maggie Y. Zhao myzhao@hku.hk Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong 999077,
China
THE JOURNAL OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2024.2352743
© 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

education. This article oers a starting point for such
guidelines, providing a set of standards for promoting
rigorous and relevant high-quality research and practice
in positive education in a particular context. By drawing
on the collective knowledge and expertise of researchers,
practitioners, and education stakeholders, these guide-
lines may be rened and expanded over time to address
emerging challenges and opportunities within the posi-
tive education eld.
Denitions of positive education
The origins of positive education can be traced back to
the early 21st century, when Seligman and
Csikszentmihalyi (2000) introduced positive psychology,
arguing the case for a ‘science of positive subjective
experience, positive individual traits, and positive insti-
tutions’. From the founding paper of positive psychol-
ogy, Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000) emphasize
the potential for schools to act as ‘positive institutions’.
The question of how to approach this endeavor was
then answered by Seligman et al. (2009) groundbreaking
work laying the foundation for the eld drawing on
Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi’s positive psychology
introduction. This seminal publication outlined the
essential concepts, principles, and evidence-based prac-
tices that underpin positive education and inform its
development. According to the authors, positive educa-
tion is dened as ‘education for both traditional skills
and for happiness’ (Seligman et al., 2009, p. 293). Positive
education has also been dened in various ways as it has
evolved. For example, Oades et al. (2011) dened posi-
tive education as ‘the development of educational envir-
onments that enable the learner to engage in
established curricula in addition to knowledge and skills
to develop their own and others’ wellbeing’ (p. 432),
highlighting the importance of creating supportive
learning environments that foster both academic suc-
cess and well-being. Additionally, Norrish et al. (2013)
described positive education as ‘bringing together the
science of positive psychology with best-practice teach-
ing to encourage and support schools and individuals
within their communities to ourish’ (p. 148), underscor-
ing the integration of positive psychology principles
with eective teaching strategies to promote ourishing
among students and the broader school community.
Further, White et al. (2017) dened positive education
as ‘an umbrella term to describe empirically validated
interventions and programs from positive psychology
that have an impact on student wellbeing’ (p. 1), empha-
sizing the use of evidence-based interventions and prac-
tices from positive psychology to enhance students’
well-being.
Building on these diverse denitions and the foun-
dational work of Seligman et al. (2009), positive edu-
cation has seen increased adoption across all
educational levels, including early education, primary,
secondary, tertiary, and alternative sectors
(International Positive Education Network, 2017).
While the exact boundaries of the eld remain uid,
the various denitions and approaches used reect
a broad and evolving understanding of positive edu-
cation. It is important to acknowledge that positive
education diers across cultures, schools, and disci-
pline backgrounds, encompassing labels such as
social and emotional learning, character education,
positive youth development, positive behavioral
approaches, and a double helix of well-being and
academic growth, among other models
(International Positive Education Network, 2017).
Despite these variations, three distinctive features
(Figure 1) can be identied across denitions and
applications, providing a cohesive foundation for
the continued growth and development of positive
education as a eld:
(1) An emphasis on non-academic factors, such as
well-being, character, and social and emotional
skills, emphasizing that these factors are just as
important as developing academic skills. This hol-
istic approach acknowledges that mental, emo-
tional, and social aspects of students’
development are crucial for their overall growth
and thriving. By integrating non-academic factors
into the educational experience, positive education
aims to cultivate well-rounded individuals who are
not only academically procient but also mentally
resilient, socially engaged, and possess various
other valuable attributes.
(2) An emphasis on evidence-informed approaches,
incorporating scientic approaches from psychol-
ogy and other related elds and their translation
into teachers’ professional practice. By incorporat-
ing evidence-informed interventions and strate-
gies, positive education strives to provide
scientic approaches for enhancing students’
well-being and academic performance. This com-
mitment to evidence-informed practice is a critical
component of positive education (and positive
psychology), as it helps to ensure that educators
employ the most eective and scientically vali-
dated approaches to support their students. This
may also include practitioner-generated evi-
dence, where practitioners or teachers gain
insights from their day-to-day teaching practice
of positive education.
2M. L. KERN ET AL.

(3) A strengths-based, positive perspective that
emphasizes growth, development, and potential
for optimal function. Rather than dwelling on def-
icits or problems, this perspective emphasizes the
importance of nurturing students’ inherent
strengths. This strengths-based approach not
only enhances students’ motivation and engage-
ment but also helps to cultivate a supportive and
empowering educational environment in which
students can thrive.
Practices of positive education
The translation of positive psychology research and the
implementation of positive education in educational
settings is very diverse, with dierent schools and insti-
tutions adapting the principles and practices to suit their
contexts and needs. Early examples include Geelong
Grammar School in Australia, which has developed
a comprehensive model of positive education that inte-
grates the promotion of well-being throughout the
entire school community (Norrish et al., 2013). This
model involves explicit teaching of positive psychology
concepts and skills, as well as embedding well-being
principles across the curriculum, extra-curricular activ-
ities, and school culture. Australian independent schools,
including Geelong Grammar School (Norrish et al., 2013),
St Peter’s College in Adelaide (White & Murray, 2015),
and the Ravenswood School for Girls in Sydney (Waters
& Johnstone, 2022), have garnered international
attention and been inuential in inspiring other schools
to adopt similar models of positive education. In addi-
tion to whole school approaches like Geelong Grammar
School, there are numerous examples of smaller-scale
positive education interventions implemented within
specic classrooms or as targeted programs (e.g.
Waters & Loton, 2019). Overall, the diversity of positive
education implementation can be observed in the fol-
lowing aspects, including program content, program
design, pedagogy, target population, and facilitators.
Program content in positive education initiatives var-
ies widely, including topics such as character education,
character strengths, grit, happiness and well-being, mind-
fulness, mindset, resilience, self-determination theory,
and social and emotional skills, among many other con-
cepts. While some applications focus on one or two areas
(primarily social and emotional skills or character), others
adopt multidimensional, holistic approaches (e.g. Slemp
et al., 2017).
For program design, Grenville-Cleave (2013) distin-
guishes between ‘o-the-peg programs’ (the implemen-
tation of a ready-made curriculum), ‘tailor-made
programs’ (creating the school’s own program, adapted
to their specic objectives), and mixed strategies. This
description is also characterized by White and Murray
(2015) as taught and caught positive education curricula,
which may be specically designed programs combined
with more holistic approaches to school culture inu-
enced by positive psychology. This diversity in program
design allows schools to select or create positive
Figure 1. Distinctive features of positive education.
THE JOURNAL OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 3

education initiatives that best align with their unique
needs, goals, and resources.
Regarding the pedagogy that integrates positive
education contents into the school curriculum, Green
(2014) identies three dierent approaches: 1) explicit
(‘well-being classes’, based on stand-alone courses on
positive psychology); 2) implicit (experiencing and living
positive psychology, embedded within the whole school
curriculum), and 3) a combination of implicit and explicit
approaches (e.g. ‘live it, teach it, embed it’, Norrish et al.,
2013). Research suggests that successful positive educa-
tion programs often require a blend of explicit and
implicit approaches, ensuring well-being principles are
both explicitly taught and integrated throughout the
learning environment (Norrish et al., 2013; Waters &
Loton, 2019; M. White & Murray, 2015).
Positive education initiatives can also vary in terms of
their target population. Some programs focus exclu-
sively on students, while others aim to improve the well-
being of teachers or even the entire school community
(including families and the local neighborhood). This
variation highlights the recognition that well-being is
a shared responsibility that involves students, teachers,
school sta, parents, and other stakeholders.
Facilitators promoting these practices also vary
widely, ranging from the isolated action of one or
a few teachers in a school, to the collaborative action
of groups of teachers, to the entire teaching sta, leader-
ship, parents, and other stakeholders.
Proposed Guidelines: Program Design and
Practice
In this section, we propose guidelines for program
design and practice in positive education. We propose
four core conditions and 15 additional recommenda-
tions for developing and applying positive education
within educational communities.
Core conditions
Grounded on a solid scientific foundation
Positive education programs must be grounded on
a solid scientic foundation, drawing from principles
and ndings of positive psychology and associated
scientic disciplines. These programs should be guided
by well-established theories and models, such as
Seligman’s PERMA model (2011), which focuses on posi-
tive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and
accomplishment, as well as Waters and Loton’s SEARCH
framework (2019), which emphasizes strengths, emo-
tional management, attention and awareness, relation-
ships, coping, and habits and goal-setting. This
grounding not only provides a solid conceptual frame-
work for program design but also ensures the imple-
mented activities are supported by empirical evidence.
Activities should be derived from well-designed studies,
such as randomized controlled trials, which demonstrate
their positive impact on student well-being, academic
performance, or other relevant outcomes. Examples of
empirically supported activities include gratitude exer-
cises (Waters, 2011), mindfulness practices (Maynard
et al., 2017), and strengths-based interventions (Kumar
& Mohideen, 2021; Lavy, 2020).
A multidimensional approach
Just as academic skills and performance incorporate
multiple dimensions, the holistic function of students
and other educational community members includes
multiple interrelated aspects. Educational communities
are systemic in nature; specic and isolated approaches
that ignore the broader context can be a starting point,
but it is necessary to combine diverse areas of interven-
tion beyond occasional interventions focused on very
specic topics. Relying solely on occasional interventions
focused on narrow topics may provide short-term ben-
ets but may not lead to sustainable improvements in
the overall well-being of the educational community. To
create a more comprehensive and eective positive
education program, schools should consider adopting
a multifaceted approach that targets various aspects of
well-being, including emotional, social, cognitive, and
physical well-being. This may involve implementing
a range of evidence-based interventions and strategies,
such as promoting positive relationships, fostering resi-
lience and coping skills, cultivating a growth mindset,
and encouraging healthy lifestyle habits, among others
(Kern et al., 2015).
Embedded into the school’s culture and context
For positive education programs to be sustainable, they
must move beyond separate add-on sessions and be
incorporated directly into curriculum and co-curricular
activities, and implicit and explicit aspects of the
school’s culture and context. This involves incorporat-
ing well-being topics, skills, and practices into aca-
demic subjects by connecting them with positive
psychology concepts, such as resilience and empathy.
Co-curricular activities can also be utilized for students
to develop and practice well-being skills outside the
classroom. Moreover, embedding positive education
principles into implicit aspects of the school’s culture,
such as its core beliefs, values, and attitudes, can be
achieved by modeling positive behaviors, encouraging
open communication, and fostering a sense of commu-
nity among students, sta, and parents. Visible and
4M. L. KERN ET AL.

tangible elements, such as the school’s policies, proce-
dures, rituals, or symbols, should reinforce these
principles.
Built on a foundation of virtue ethics
Programs should be underpinned by a virtue ethics
values approach that respects character as a life-long
moral development goal for all human beings,
encourages healthy development, and emphasizes soli-
darity with others. Personal growth needs to be
balanced with the rights of others and highlighting soli-
darity. By grounding programs in these virtue ethics
approaches, schools may create a supportive and nur-
turing environment that promotes personal growth
while also instilling a sense of social responsibility and
interconnectedness among students.
Additional recommendations
Customized programs
While programs and initiatives should build upon best-
known research and practices, they should be custo-
mized to the individualized needs of the local culture
and context, building on what is already working well
but adjusting practices to the specic culture and needs
of the community (Green, 2014). Customizing the pro-
gram to suit the specic culture, strengths, and chal-
lenges of the community ensures the interventions are
relevant, engaging, and eective for the target popula-
tion (White, 2023).
Whole of community approaches
The systemic nature of educational communities should
be recognized, and programs should aim to impact not
only students but also school leaders, teachers, sta,
families, and the broader community. School leaders,
teachers, and sta play a vital role in shaping the learn-
ing environment and modeling positive behaviors for
students. Families are essential partners in the education
process, and their involvement and support can signi-
cantly impact students’ well-being and achievement.
The broader community can also play a signicant role
in supporting positive education programs. By involving
these various stakeholders in the process, schools can
create a supportive and interconnected ecosystem that
fosters holistic well-being for everyone involved.
As simple as possible while recognizing complexity
Schools are complex institutions, encompassing diverse
individuals, varying needs, and multiple interconnected
systems, and that complexity needs to be acknowledged
and managed. Whole school approaches that include
multiple levels of intervention and work collaboratively
with students, sta, and families can address some of
that complexity while nding actionable and eective
places to intervene.
Combine explicit and implicit approaches
Activities and approaches are included both in the
taught curriculum and as part of the ‘caught’ curriculum
(White & Kern, 2018). The taught curriculum refers to the
formal content and instruction students receive in and
out of the classroom, incorporating the deliberate appli-
cation of positive psychology principles. The ‘caught’
curriculum encompasses the culture and inspirational
inuence of the school community in fostering a positive
ethos that motivates and promotes well-being cultiva-
tion. In addition to these approaches, the sought curri-
culum provides varied opportunities for habit formation
and character commitments, helping students over time
to actively pursue their character development (Jubilee
Centre for Character and Virtues, 2022). Despite the
benets and disadvantages of each approach, the opti-
mal outcome can be derived from a combination of
these explicit and implicit approaches to create a more
comprehensive and holistic positive education
experience.
Culture, content and context focused
Positive psychology interventions run the risk of being
primarily centered on changing the internal contents of
human beings (thoughts, feelings, or attitudes), neglect-
ing the importance of cultural and contextual factors.
Environments are needed where children and young
people feel supported and can choose personally impor-
tant and meaningful actions, and to teach them helpful
skills to respond eectively and exibly to their environ-
ment so they can reach their full potential (Ciarrochi
et al., 2016). Acknowledging the impact of contextual
factors requires understanding the numerous elements
that shape students’ experiences, including physical
spaces, social relationships, cultural norms, and institu-
tional policies.
Inclusion of ethical assessment and evaluation
Evaluation should be included within programs and
initiatives, and the resulting knowledge should be dis-
seminated with the broader positive education commu-
nity, updating knowledge around best-practice
approaches. Both quantitative and qualitative
approaches should be considered, includingpractitioner-
generated evidence garnered by teachers in their pro-
fessional practice through observation, assessment, and
insights. Quantitative approaches typically involve col-
lecting and analyzing numerical data, such as student
performance metrics, attendance rates, or well-being
THE JOURNAL OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 5

survey results, to assess the eectiveness of the inter-
ventions and identify areas for improvements.
Qualitative methods focus on exploring the experiences,
perspectives, and narratives of students, sta, and other
stakeholders through interviews, focus groups, or open-
ended survey questions, capturing the nuances and
complexities of the educational context. By combining
both quantitative and qualitative approaches, schools
can gain a more holistic and nuanced understanding of
their positive education initiatives.
Inclusion of school leader, teacher, and all staff
education
Schools should support professional development
opportunities that provide the necessary theoretical
foundations and intervention strategies to implement
a positive education program, including both initial
training and ongoing support. Professional develop-
ment opportunities could begin by providing educators
with a solid grounding positive education’s core princi-
ples and theories, such as the study of well-being, resi-
lience, and character strengths. In addition to theoretical
foundations, professional development could also focus
on equipping educators with practical intervention stra-
tegies and tools to eectively implement positive edu-
cation programs in their classrooms and schools.
Ongoing support provides a framework for continuous
improvement and adaptation. It may involve regular
workshops, peer coaching, or mentoring programs that
encourage collaboration, reection, and sharing best
practices among educators.
Combine cognitive, emotional, and behavioral
learning, and facilitate the implementation in
simulated or real situations
The activities to be implemented with students should
promote reection and critical thinking, be linked to
students’ feelings, and oer opportunities to be prac-
ticed in real contexts. Incorporating emotional compo-
nents into learning activities helps acknowledge the
central role of emotions in shaping students’ experi-
ences and well-being. Providing opportunities for stu-
dents to practice skills and concepts in real-life contexts
is essential for ensuring the transferability and relevance
of their learning. This experiential learning approach can
help students gain rsthand experience and internalize
the skills and concepts they have learned.
Teacher engagement
The teaching sta should be encouraged to be involved
in the program implementation, supporting their own
mental health and taking responsibility for teaching
positive education to their students. As teaching sta
play a central role in shaping students’ experiences and
well-being, supporting their well-being and empower-
ing them to take ownership of teaching their students
positive education principles is essential. This is also
crucial to fostering a positive school culture that values
well-being.
Sufficient time
Sucient time needs to be reserved in schools for the
program implementation. Positive education constitutes
a permanent attitude in the classrooms and cannot be
reduced to the practice of isolated or anecdotal activities.
This comprehensive approach to positive education
requires a long-term commitment to prioritizing well-
being, professional development, and continuous improve-
ment, driving a fundamental shift in mindset and approach
that permeates all aspects of the learning environment.
Multi-year programming
Plans should develop grade-by-grade sequencing and
align with the cognitive development of students. This
would ensure every student receives a systematic posi-
tive education every year, from preschool to primary and
secondary education. Such a systematic approach to
positive education ensures continuity and progression
in students’ learning experiences and supports teaching
sta in implementing positive education.
Be culturally sensitive and linguistically responsive
Positive education programs and interventions
should take into account the cultural diversity of
most educational settings to adapt their proposals
to the cultural and linguistic aspects of the ethnic
and cultural groups that are present in the class-
rooms (CASEL, 2013). Accounting for cultural diversity
in the design and implementation of positive educa-
tion programs and interventions is crucial for ensur-
ing these initiatives’ inclusivity, relevance, and
eectiveness.
Establish leadership
For initiatives to be sustained, they need the support of
leadership, including governing bodies, principals, and
leadership teams. Leadership support is instrumental in
setting the strategic direction and priorities of the
school, which can signicantly impact the degree to
which positive education is valued and prioritized within
the educational setting. The backing of leadership is also
essential for ensuring the allocation of adequate
resources, including time, funding, and personnel, to
the implementation and maintenance of positive educa-
tion initiatives.
6M. L. KERN ET AL.

Recognize and support existing and ongoing needs
Even as positive education promotes a proactive
approach to mental health, students and sta members
will still have needs that must be supported. Positive
education principles should not be seen as a one-size-
ts-all solution or a replacement for more targeted men-
tal health interventions and support services. Instead,
positive education should complement existing support
structures, providing a holistic approach to mental
health and well-being that addresses both prevention
and intervention.
Balance short-term needs with long-term vision
Shifting toward a positive community takes time and
sustained eort. There are no quick xes or silver bullets,
and programs oering such a change should be regarded
with caution. Creating a positive community involves
a comprehensive and multifaceted approach that encom-
passes various aspects of the learning environment,
including curriculum, school culture, professional devel-
opment, and support services. This necessitates ongoing
collaboration among students, teachers, administrators,
parents, and other stakeholders to ensure that positive
education principles are integrated into all aspects of the
school community.
In sum, we recommend promoting systematic, sys-
temic approaches to positive education that meet the
needs and culture of the educational community. While
specic and focused interventions in schools serve as an
important starting point, the long-term sustainability
and success of positive education will depend on the
involvement of multiple stakeholders that deliver and
benet from these positive education initiatives.
Proposed Guidelines: Research
The previous section provided guidelines for pro-
gram design and practice in positive education.
This section proposes guidelines for designing,
implementing, and reporting on research in positive
education. Since educational programs, interven-
tions, training programs, and practical experiences
are proliferating in the eld, it is crucial to establish
high-quality standards for research that can evaluate
these programs’ eectiveness, ecacy, and value.
The RE-AIM Framework (Glasgow et al., 1999, 2003;
Hone et al., 2015) provides a tool to guide such stan-
dards. Building upon this framework, we propose ve
core domains with related aspects for structuring
research and program evaluation and 10 additional
recommendations.
Core domains
Reach
Reach concerns the representativeness of samples.
Consideration of how representative a sample is should
be clearly identied and reported, and care should be
taken in generalizing ndings beyond the reach of the
study. The following aspects should be considered in
designing and reporting of research:
(a) characteristics of the target population
(b) method used to select and recruit the target
sample
(c) school or community characteristics that impact
recruitment and participation in the study
(d) inclusion and exclusion criteria
(e) sample size, participation rate, attrition (numbers
eligible/invited to the study, beginning the study,
completing the study, lost to follow-up)
(f) detailed characteristics of participants and non-
participants
(g) factors impacting non-participation.
Efficacy/Effectiveness
Ecacy and eectiveness consider the extent to which
the benet of an intervention outweighs harm. Ecacy
considers these benets in ideal circumstances, whereas
eectiveness considers benets within the usual circum-
stances of practice. The following aspects should be
considered in establishing the ecacy and/or eective-
ness of the intervention:
(a) At least one validated measure should be
included.
(b) When feasible, pre-test, post-test, and follow-up
measures should be included.
(c) Factors impacting study design should be recog-
nized and disclosed (cf. Campbell & Stanley, 1963;
Cook & Campbell, 1979).
(d) Descriptions should include an intention-to-treat
analysis.
(e) Factors impacting attrition should be identied
and reported.
(f) Null and unexpected ndings should be disclosed.
(g) Eect sizes, with condence intervals, should be
reported. Care should be taken in interpreting
and making claims based on statistical signi-
cance alone.
Adoption
Adoption refers to the extent to which others adopt
a program or intervention. To enable others to test and
THE JOURNAL OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 7

adopt interventions and programs, the following aspects
should be considered and reported:
(a) specic description of the intervention location,
including country, culture, and relevant socio-
economic factors
(b) criteria for selecting the participating location(s)
(c) description of sta who deliver the intervention,
including how they are identied and recruited,
their level of expertise, and knowledge of hypoth-
eses and intervention intentions.
Implementation
Implementation refers to the extent to which a program
is delivered as intended. The following aspects should be
considered and reported:
(a) Details of the intervention content should be pro-
vided, with enough detail that other researchers
can replicate the intervention.
(b) Detailed processes should be provided with any
intervention or program via a detailed manual,
online material, or appendixes so practitioners
can easily follow the process.
(c) The extent to which the protocol was delivered as
intended, with any modications, and rationale or
explanations for those modications included.
(d) Include a clear indication of the cost of imple-
menting the intervention or program.
Maintenance
Maintenance refers to the extent to which a program is
sustained over time. The following aspects should be
considered and reported when available:
(a) individual behavior assessment using at least one
validated measure at least six months following
completion of intervention
(b) the extent to which program material continued
to be used post-intervention, with details of what
was done, intensity, duration, and modications
made
(c) the current status of the program.
(d) measures of the cost of maintaining the
intervention.
Additional recommendations
Include age-appropriate measures
Since positive psychology emerged, several measures of
well-being have been developed. Many of these are
adult-centric (Rose et al., 2017). It is necessary to con-
tinue advancing the validation of scales for children and
young people that include age-appropriate language.
These scales should utilize age-appropriate language
and consider unique experiences of various develop-
mental stages, enabling a more accurate assessment of
well-being in younger populations.
Consider cultural and contextual variations
Many existing measures were developed based on middle
to upper class samples within developed Western coun-
tries. It is insucient to simply translate a measure without
carefully considering the validity and appropriateness of
that measure for the specic culture and setting. It is impor-
tant to recognize that well-being is a complex and multi-
faceted construct that can be inuenced by various cultural,
social, economic, and environmental factors. Measures
developed in one context may not accurately capture the
nuances of well-being in another context, potentially lead-
ing to inaccurate or biased results.
Include positive and negative indicators
Positive psychology is not only about well-being but the
whole person’s experience. Studies should incorporate
both positive and negative indicators, with interventions
simultaneously targeting increases in positive function-
ing and decreases in negative functioning. Adopting
multiple indicators oers a more nuanced understand-
ing of the role of positive psychology in supporting
overall mental health and well-being. It can also help
to challenge the misconception that positive psychology
solely promotes happiness at the expense of acknowl-
edging and addressing negative experiences.
Incorporate multiple methods of measurement
Studies have primarily used self-reported measures
despite the many limitations and biases that such sur-
veys include. When feasible, include alternative assess-
ment methods, including behavioral measures;
experience sampling methods; parent, peer, or teacher
observations; and physiological measures. The use of
multiple assessment methods can help address the lim-
itations of self-reported measures, such as social desir-
ability bias, recall bias, and response bias. In addition to
enhancing the validity and reliability of research nd-
ings, using alternative assessment methods can contri-
bute to a more holistic understanding of the impact of
positive psychology interventions and enable research
ndings to be more generalizable and applicable across
dierent populations and settings.
Include qualitative questions and methods
There needs to be recognition that experimental and
quantitative methods are not the only route to scientic
8M. L. KERN ET AL.

rigor. Qualitative approaches should be included, which
will allow us to better comprehend how practical inter-
ventions derived from these disciplines function beyond
the mere conrmation of a hypothesis or the armation
of correlations, characteristic of quantitative research.
Qualitative research, such as interviews, focus groups,
observations, and narrative analysis, can oer valuable
insights into the experiences, perspectives, and contexts
of individuals participating in positive education inter-
ventions. Incorporating qualitative approaches can also
contribute to developing more culturally sensitive and
contextually appropriate interventions; this can help
identify the factors contributing to the success or failure
of interventions and reveal potential barriers and con-
textual inuences that may not be apparent through
quantitative methods alone.
Evaluate both student well-being and academic
performance
While positive education emphasizes the importance of
mental health, well-being, character, and other non-
cognitive skills, academics remain the core business of
education. Well-being interventions should not be at the
expense of other educational priorities. Well-being inter-
ventions should be designed and implemented to sup-
port and enhance other educational priorities, ensuring
students receive a balanced and comprehensive educa-
tion that addresses both cognitive and non-cognitive
aspects of their development.
Include multiple perspectives
To enable a holistic view of the eect of interventions, it
is necessary to extend the evaluation to all stakeholders
involved (e.g. teachers, sta, managers, and families).
Incorporating these diverse perspectives can provide
valuable insights into the broader impact of interven-
tions on the entire educational ecosystem and identify
potential areas for improvement or enhancement. This,
in turn, can inform the development of more eective,
sustainable, and contextually appropriate positive edu-
cation programs and practices that support the well-
being and success of all school community members.
Pre-register studies
In line with current trends in psychological science,
researchers should consider pre-registering their studies
through sites such as the Open Science Framework
(http://osf.io) or AsPredicted (http://aspredicted.org).
This guards against over-reliance on signicance testing,
p-hacking (i.e. manipulating data analysis to nd statis-
tically signicant outcomes), and other questionable
methods that over-inate study results.
Focus on meaningful change, not statistical
significance
Following psychological traditions, the impact of studies
is often tested using null hypothesis testing, with deci-
sions based on statistical signicance. It is important to
recognize that statistical signicance is inuenced by
sample size, and a statistically signicant dierence
does not always translate to a meaningful or practically
signicant dierence in real-life contexts. In addition to
statistical signicance, it is worthwhile to consider prac-
tical signicance (Zhao & Hambleton, 2017), taking into
account the magnitude of the eect, the context in
which it occurs, and the potential implications for
practice.
Consider action-research approaches
Positive education occurs in the real world, which is
often less controlled than psychological laboratories or
online studies. Methodologies that are exible and con-
stantly updating (e.g. plan-do-review-assess) yet retain
methodological rigor may be more appropriate to the
complexity and dynamism of educational communities.
This approach emphasizes the importance of continuous
evaluation, reection, and improvement, making it well-
suited to educational communities’ multifaceted and
dynamic nature.
In sum, positive education needs to incorporate the
best methodologies available in the research eld of
psychology and other sciences to learn more about the
functioning of children and young people. By drawing
on cutting-edge research and evidence-based practices,
positive education should prioritize methodological
rigor, ensuring the research conducted in this eld is
reliable, valid, and generalizable to real-world educa-
tional contexts.
Conclusion
The article presents proposed guidelines that oer
a roadmap for the continued growth and development
of positive education as a eld that can potentially trans-
form the lives of children and young people across the
globe. By adhering to these guidelines and fostering
collaboration among researchers, practitioners, policy-
makers and other stakeholders, positive education has
the potential to thrive, reaching more students and
communities worldwide.
Collaboration is key to the growth and success of
positive education. Fostering communication and
knowledge exchange among stakeholders enables
continuous learning, innovation, and renement of
practices. This collaborative spirit benets those work-
ing in positive education and contribute to the overall
THE JOURNAL OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 9

well-being of those involved in the educational com-
munity. Public awareness and advocacy also play
a crucial role in the ongoing success of positive edu-
cation. By raising awareness of the benets and trans-
formative potential of positive education, support
from parents, educational institutions, and govern-
ment agencies can be garnered, which may lead to
increased funding and resources, enabling the wide-
spread adoption and implementation of positive edu-
cation programs.
Moreover, to keep positive education at the fore-
front of innovation and eectiveness, it is important to
remain open to new ideas, perspectives, and emerging
research. Staying informed about the latest develop-
ments in positive psychology, neuroscience, educa-
tion, and related disciplines and adapting existing
practices in light of new evidence, enables the contin-
uous growth of the eld. The rapid evolution of arti-
cial intelligence has the potential to signicantly
inuence and enhance positive education research
and practice. Embracing technological innovations
enables researchers and practitioners to develop
more eective, personalized, and adaptive interven-
tions and strategies that cater to each student’s
unique needs and strengths.
In conclusion, the future of positive education is
bright, with immense potential to promote students’
holistic development and well-being across diverse edu-
cational settings and empower them to reach their full
potential and contribute meaningfully to society. With
clear guidelines, ongoing research, and a collaborative
spirit, the positive education eld holds the promise of
continuously growing and transforming the educational
landscape for the betterment of all.
Disclosure statement
No potential conict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data availability statement
Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data
were created or analyzed in this study.
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