Wellbeing and relationships between people, space, place and time: Canterbury primary school principals’ perceptions of wellbeing in the context of their school environment

Abstract

Interest in wellbeing in schools is being influenced by diverse stakeholders unified by a rising global economic agenda which requires schools to ensure students take responsibility for their own wellbeing to ensure personal, national, and global achievement and success, yet, there is no collective definition of wellbeing. Principals have found wellbeing and wellbeing initiatives difficult to define and identify and New Zealand has a piecemeal approach to wellbeing in education. The important role principals play in promoting wellbeing in schools and the scant knowledge of how principals understand, observe, and experience wellbeing led to this qualitative study, which included both seated and walking interviews. The perceptions of ten Canterbury primary school principals, within the context of their school environment, were analysed in a thematic manner. Although the conceptualisation of wellbeing in education is becoming narrowly, neoliberally informed, increasingly future focussed, binding wellbeing to achievement and success, this study found principals’ perceptions of wellbeing were expansive. Principals’ perceptions were mediated through sentimental connections of care for people, whenua [land] and whakapapa [connection], enriched by personal and professional experiences and beliefs over time, and were, therefore, history laden and needs focussed. As schools underwent processes of change through innovation, principals socially recreated spaces with their teams and students. Principals engaged in advocacy and amelioration when responding to pressures from educational, social, and economic policies and processes. However, while principals could be resilient, motivated by care and social justice, and attracted likeminded teams, the impact of broader government policy and economics created friction points that led to principals having to balance their own wellbeing in response to the role demands. This study has implications for the development of a unified vision for wellbeing in educational settings that includes and appreciates school principals’ experience and perceptions.