Well-Being in Schools

Gearing up for World Mental Health Day, this week's review highlights the importance of students' wellbeing, examining the impact of global crises, academic pressures and social media.

Well-Being in Schools: Three Forces That Will Uplift Your Students in a Volatile World

Hargreaves, Andy. by Andy Hargreaves and Dennis Shirley Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2022
188p bibl index, 9781416630722 $32.95, 9781416630739

Well-being in schools : three forces that will uplift your students in a volatile world book cover. Orange background with a sun in the top right corner. On bottom of page are brown, green, orange and yellow mountains.

In Well-Being in Schools, authors Hargreaves (Univ. of Ottawa, Canada) and Shirley (Boston College) remind readers of the significance of students’ well-being and how factors such as mental health, social media, and global crises can have rippling effects on children’s well-being in schools around the globe. The authors spotlight the evolving findings on the fluctuation of academic performance consequent to the unpredictability of an ever-changing society, especially given the stresses of such recent traumas as the COVID-19 pandemic and school shootings. They further challenge readers’ perceptions and assumptions about the fundamentals of students’ academic achievement and well-being through each carefully curated chapter. In particular, they argue against prioritizing achievement over well-being in education policy. This timely volume is a significant contribution to the interdisciplinary field of education and provides an insightful resource for educators, families, and communities.

Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels.
Reviewer: M. Wong-Lo, Biola University
Subject: Social & Behavioral Sciences – Education
Choice Issue: Oct 2022


Enjoy this week’s review? Check out more reviews of related titles: