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�Examining the Nexus of Education and Wellbeing: A Comprehensive Literature Review on the Educational Factors Influencing Adolescent Wellbeing in Sub-Saharan Africa.�

University of Rochester

Patricia Agarukire Mulumba

Uganda

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Teaching Background and Research Project �Summary

This literature review aims to investigate the complex relationship between education and the wellbeing of adolescents in some Sub-Saharan African countries. It seeks to identify and analyze the educational factors that contribute to poorer wellbeing among adolescents in this region. Additionally, it explores the educational supports and interventions necessary to improve the wellbeing of adolescents in some Sub-Saharan African countries. The research delves into existing studies, theories, and empirical evidence to offer a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge in this field, with the ultimate goal of providing insights and recommendations for policymakers, educators, school counsellors, students and researchers working towards enhancing the wellbeing of adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa through education

After covid 19, schools suffered a lot due to the learners social emotional distress. Anecdotal evidence revealed a crisis in schools Nov 12th 2022 in the Saturday Monitor, Stephen Kafeero & Patrick Ssentongo reported over 20 cases of suicide. It was high time attention was paid to the well being of the adolescents!

Background

20 years teaching experience
Served in all capacities of a school setting
Achieved different awards as a motivation for my learners
Authored 2 books including one for adolescents (Teens Get Spurred on)
Won a water system for my school by empowering students to be job creators

DIRECTIONS:

Please keep the logos, fonts, and coloring of the slide the same.
Type 3-4 SHORT bullets about your teaching background, including the subject you teach, the type of school in which you teach, and how many years you have been teaching. For example, “Subject: English as a Foreign Language, School Type: Rural Public School, Years Teaching: 17.”
Type 2-3 SHORT bullets about why you chose your topic. Include relevant information such as the main reason you chose the topic and the main question behind your project. For example, “Main Reason: in my experience, English teaching in Japan is ineffective, Main Question: what teaching strategies can be used to improve English teaching in Japan?”
Write a SHORT summary of your inquiry project (fewer than 100 words). This can be in paragraph form or some other creative form. This space is your chance to summarize your project. Only include essential details in your summary as you will have a limited amount of time to explain this during your presentation.

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Research Project Main Key Takeaways

The Nexus of Education and Wellbeing: As Educators, we must know that Education & wellbeing is bidirectional. While Education leads to better life outcomes, Psychosocial wellbeing facilitates effective learning and academic achievement.
Holistic Development of students: A balance between Education and Wellbeing can be created to enable every learner to fight against poverty, inequality and self abuse through equipping every teacher with the support measures required.
Together Each One Achieves More: I plan to write articles, hold talk shows on TV/Radios, and sessions and workshops with teenagers, parents, teachers, school counselors and also some policy makers from the government of Uganda on the intervention measures to enhance wellbeing of adolescents.

DIRECTIONS:

Please keep the logos, fonts, and coloring of the slide the same.
Type the most important takeaway from your inquiry project for a wider audience. This point should be important and interesting to your fellow panelists, your DAI colleagues in the audience, staff from the U.S. State Department, staff from IREX, and guest speakers at the workshop. For example, “The methods of teaching English as a Foreign Language in Japan are outdated and boring, so students do not feel inspired to learn the second language.”
Type your next most important takeaway from your inquiry project. For example, “Teaching English in Japan can be improved by introducing student-centered instructional practices such as ‘thinking routines’ and redesigning assessments at the school-level.”
Type the last main takeaway from your inquiry project. Try to make this point about what you will implement in your home community. For example, “I plan to hold monthly meetings with my Japanese colleagues where we can read, learn, and discuss student-centered approaches to teaching as a professional community.”
Optional: You may add 1-2 small pictures/graphics to this slide for some color as long as the slide does not look crowded.

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Personal experiences

The school counseling class at Warner school

A counseling session at Mt.St Mary’s Namagunga(Uganda)

Community building with students families at Ndejje SS(Uganda)

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Real world Application & Discussion Question�When I return home...

1. Create Awareness: I will advocate for wellbeing and education to be looked at as an area of importance as I believe it is high time we made the wellbeing of adolescents more important since they are the future generation, the backbone of every family, community & world at large.

2. Advocate for Teacher Training Programs: Actively advocate for and participate in teacher training programs aimed at creating support measures to improve the wellbeing of adolescents. If more teachers are empowered with social emotional wellness knowledge and tools, then more learners are helped.

3. Conduct sessions for adolescents in their different schools. Still related to my work lately, I will reach out to more learners with an aim of listening to their voices and then ensure that together we create a better space for their learning and wellness.

4. Collaborate for Resource Solutions: Engage with educational stakeholders to collaborate on seeking solutions for student health, school climate and more parent engagement and involvement.

Is meaningful learning possible in an educational environment where students' psychosocial wellbeing is neglected or compromised? Why or why not?

DIRECTIONS:

Please keep the logos, fonts, and coloring of the slide the same.
Type 2-3 statements about what you plan to do when you return home. These are your ‘action-statements’ for bringing about change in your home community. Action statements should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely). For example, “I will recruit 2-3 teachers from each high school in my rural town to join monthly meetings to discuss student-centered teaching strategies,” AND “I will plan a 12-month curriculum for our monthly meetings about student-centered practices that includes objectives, readings, activities, and assessments.”
Construct ONE discussion question for the audience in your panel session room. Audience members will have approximately 5-minutes to discuss your question, so it should be open-ended, interesting, and widely relevant. For example, “If you were designing a student-centered teaching practice workshop for teachers, what would you include in the curriculum?”

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REFERENCES & RESOURCES

1. Alameda-Lawson, T. (2014). A pilot study of collective parent engagement and children's academic achievement. Children & Schools, 36(4), 199–209. https://doi.org/10.1093/cs/cdu019
2. Allen-Meares, P., Montgomery, K. L., & Kim, J. S. (2013). School-based social work interventions: A cross-national systematic review. Social Work, 58(3), 253–262. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/5Wt02210.1093/ sw/swt022
3. Ager, A., Akesson, B., Stark, L., Flouri, E., Okot, B., McCollister, F., & Boothby, N. (2011). The impact of the school-based Psychosocial Structured Activities (PSSA) program on conflict-affected children in northern Uganda. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 52(11), 1124–1133. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02407.x
4. Beaumont, J., Putwain, D. W., Gallard, D., Malone, E., Marsh, H. W., & Pekrun, R. (2023). Students’ emotion regulation and school-related well-being: Longitudinal models juxtaposing between- and within-person perspectives.Journal of Educational Psychology, 115(7), 932–950. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000800
5. Blaine, J., & Akhurst, J. (2022). A journey to adolescent flourishing: Exploring psychosocial outcomes of outdoor adventure education. South African Journal of Education, 42(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v42n3a2061