The exploration of the philosophical concept of happiness and its implications to education

Posted by: Principal/Editor | March 14, 2014

The exploration of the philosophical concept of happiness and its implications to education

Constance Chew Li Ching

The pursuit of happiness appears to be a common goal for people all over the world. However, their orientation towards happiness might be different, and this has a huge impact on whether they are happy or think they have achieved happiness. Many research have found that people who orientate their pursuit of happiness towards eudaimonia (finding meaning in life and tasks) and engagement (doing something that one enjoys greatly and driven by intrinsic motivation) are happier. Teachers’ happiness has been an area of study in happiness research, and their level of happiness has direct effect on their motivation and volition, which in turn has indirect effect on their students’ learning outcomes. Due to the cascading effects and implications to teaching and learning, threats to happiness in teaching are discussed in this article, and some suggestions are provided for further exploration.

PLS Working Paper Series No.7

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