Universität Wien

490121 KU Social and Personal Competencies (2024W)

2.00 ECTS (1.00 SWS), SPL 49 - Lehrer*innenbildung
Continuous assessment of course work
REMOTE
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 20 participants
Language: German, English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 06.11. 16:45 - 20:00 Digital
  • Wednesday 13.11. 16:45 - 20:00 Digital
  • Wednesday 20.11. 16:45 - 20:00 Digital
  • Wednesday 27.11. 16:45 - 20:00 Digital

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Title: Embodied Wellbeing in Education.

Teachers are encountering escalating levels of stress in their professional duties. In addition to transmitting and assessing pedagogical content, they are now expected to self-regulate their behavior and emotions, adeptly manage classroom dynamics, and foster both their own and their students' psychophysical wellbeing. Therefore, it is crucial for educators to cultivate an awareness of wellbeing and enhance their personal and social competencies.

The course is grounded in the embodied education approach as its overarching theoretical framework and will address the individual (micro), classroom/school (meso), and societal (macro) dimensions of wellbeing in education. Throughout the lessons, we will explore key theoretical aspects of wellbeing in education, such as eudaimonia, hedonism, and hedonic adaptation. Additionally, we will examine the terminological and semantic nuances of wellbeing, including concepts like happiness, flourishing, and quality of life. The course will also provide opportunities for practical exercises and strategies aimed at promoting psychophysical wellbeing within educational contexts (e.g. mindfulness meditation).

We will also examine the systemic and policy dimensions of wellbeing in education. Students will have the opportunity to engage with an ongoing research project titled “Teaching the Good Life” and explore topics such as the role of local learning networks (e.g., Bildungsgrätzl) in promoting social wellbeing, the influence of educational policies on wellbeing promotion, and the challenges associated with the datafication of happiness.

In particular, we will explore:
• The primary definitions of teachers' and students' wellbeing.
• The usage, effects, and potential issues of contemplative practices in educational settings.
• How to design and implement educational projects focused on quality of life in schools.
• The concept of Bildungsgrätzl and its impact on quality of life in Vienna.
• The Quality of Life Movement, including relevant policies and indexes.

This course will enable students to develop professional skills and awareness in the domain of personal and social wellbeing within educational contexts. By the end of the course, students will acquire the following competencies:
• Recognize and employ technical terminology and concepts from the fields of wellbeing education.
• Evaluate and enhance key aspects of personal and social wellbeing.
• Integrate fundamental elements of body-mind practices in educational settings to improve the wellbeing of teachers and students.
• Design and implement well-being activities in the classroom.
• Cultivate a critical and scientific perspective on wellbeing policies and indexes.

The course will encompass frontal teaching, interactive discussions, case studies, group work, and experiential training. The teaching method is highly interactive and participatory. Learning activities include:
• Lectures with media support on central theoretical concepts and empirical topics.
• Plenary discussions.
• Small group work.
• Final presentation and discussion of research projects in plenary.
• Guided mindfulness experiences.

In this course, we employ a combination of formative and summative assessments. At the end of each session, there will be a dialogic or written evaluation to ensure the acquisition of the main concepts covered. At the conclusion of the entire seminar, and under the supervision of the lecturer, students will be required to prepare a final project based on the knowledge acquired during the course.

The primary language of instruction for this course is English, German language is also possible.

The use of Artificial Intelligence for written works throughout the seminar and for the final project is permitted, provided it is shared with the lecturer.

Assessment and permitted materials

Hinweis der SPL:
Die Verwendung von KI-Tools (z. B. ChatGPT) für die Produktion von Texten ist nur dann erlaubt, wenn dies von der Lehrveranstaltungsleitung ausdrücklich gefordert wird (z. B. für einzelne Arbeitsaufgaben).
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Students are expected to attend lectures and actively participate in discussions, case studies, research tasks, and exercises. For the final examination at the end of the seminar, students may choose between a written assignment and an oral examination.

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is permitted for written assignments in this course. Please inform the lecturer and discuss the modalities with him.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The students’ works will be evaluated on a scale from 0 to 100 points distributed as following:
- Attendance to the classes, class works and groupwork: 30 points.
- Summative assessment during each session: 20 points.
- Final project (either written or oral exam): 50 points.

The final grading:
- 1 (sehr gut): 89-100 points
- 2 (gut): 76-88 points
- 3 (befriedigend): 63-75 Punkte
- 4 (genügend): 50-62 points
- (nicht genügend): 0-49 points

For the final project, students will have to apply and show proficiency with the terminology and concepts used during the course. Some options for the topic of the final project will be suggested during the course.

The lecturer will provide further information about the oral exam.

Examination topics

All of the content covered in the course. Supporting learning material will be available on Moodle, such as presentations, papers, documents, videos, slides, reference literature.

Reading list

- Albrecht, N. J., Albrecht, P. M., & Cohen, M. (2012). Mindfully teaching in the classroom: a literature review. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 37(12), n. 12.
- Brinkmann, M. (2015). Übungen der Aufmerksamkeit. In Aufmerksamkeit (pp. 199-220). Springer VS, Wiesbaden.
- Ergas O. (2014). Mindfulness in education at the intersection of science, religion, and healing. Critical Studies in Education, 55:1, 58-72.
- Francesconi, D. (2018). Eudaimonic Wellbeing and Education. In Galvin, K. T. (Ed.). Routledge International Handbook of Wellbeing. London, UK: Taylor and Francis Books. DOI: 10.4324/9781315724966-30.
- Francesconi, D., & Tarozzi, M. (2019). Embodied Education and Education of the Body: The Phenomenological Perspective. In Leib–Leiblichkeit–Embodiment (pp. 229-247). Springer VS, Wiesbaden.
- Hirshberg, M. J., Flook, L., Enright, R. D., & Davidson, R. J. (2020). Integrating mindfulness and connection practices into preservice teacher education improves classroom practices. Learning and Instruction, 66, 101-298.
- Hyland, T. (2017). McDonaldizing spirituality: Mindfulness, education, and consumerism. Journal of Transformative Education, 15(4), 334-356.
- Hwan et al. (2017). A systematic review of mindfulness interventions for in-service teachers: A tool to enhance teacher wellbeing and performance. Teaching and Teacher Education, 64: 26-42.
- Meiklejohn, J., Phillips, C., Freedman, M.L. et al. (2012). Integrating Mindfulness Training into K-12 Education: Fostering the Resilience of Teachers and Students. Mindfulness, 3: 291-307.
- Roeser R. W. et al. (2012). Mindfulness Training and Teachers’ Professional Development: An emerging area of research and practice. Child Development Perspectives, 6, 2: 167-173.
- Sharp, J.E. & Jennings, P.A. (2016). Strengthening Teacher Presence Through Mindfulness: What Educators Say About the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) Program. Mindfulness. 7: 209.
- Soloway, G. B. (2016). Preparing teacher candidates for the present: Investigating the value of mindfulness-training in teacher education. In Handbook of mindfulness in education (pp. 191-205). Springer, New York, NY.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Tu 05.11.2024 14:06