From Positive to Negative: Dynamics of Talking with Children about Well-Being at School

The positive (re)definition of well-being represents one of the "major shifts" (Ben-Arieh, 2006, p. 1) in child well-being research over recent decades. It is based on the recognition that well-being is more than the absence of harm (Ben-Arieh, 2005; Moore et al., 2004; Aber/Jones, 1997) and has led to a research practice that asks children to give information about positive aspects of their lives and „good news“ (Ben-Arieh/Goerge, 2005). In terms of school well-being, this change in perspective "From Negative to Positive" (Ben-Arieh et al. 2014: 14) can currently be observed, for example, in the OECD PISA studies, which, for the third consecutive time, have also concentrated on student well-being. While the initial focus was primarily on issues such as bullying, which negatively impact children's well-being, there is now a greater emphasis on positive aspects that contribute to the quality of students' lives, such as openness to diversity, social relationships, and resilience (OECD, 2023, p. 65). The presentation will draw on initial findings from an ongoing PhD project that empirically show a reverse shift emerging in qualitative interviews on school well-being, which ask about positive factors for children's well-being. Children 'use' these interviews to address and draw attention to problems and circumstances at their schools that make them feel unwell. The presentation will theoretically and methodologically reflect on these findings.