Rabat- While traditional psychology focuses on understanding human disorders and diseases, positive psychology (PP) endeavors to develop human potential and well-being. This scientific field of study has significantly evolved in the past two decades and has established a solid link with the sciences of education through positive education (PE).
Researcher in Educational Psychology and University Professor Zineb Birrou told Morocco World News (MWN), “Positive education focuses on the idea that schools and universities can teach more than technical and knowledge-based courses.”
Birrou further explained that this approach to education includes social and emotional learning “to increase the students’ well-being and psychological resilience which are important factors in students’ engagement, academic performance, employability and even personal fulfillment.”
Although the PE model is not yet popular in Morocco, it has already been adopted by some schools and universities in several countries, such as the UK, Australia, Sweden, the US, Mexico, and the UAE, among others.
The professor noted that “The Science of well-being has been taught at NYU and Harvard University in the United States,” and that the UAE has been considerably forward thinking on the approach by hosting multiple international conferences on the topic.
Such practices and interventions have extended beyond the West and “have reached the East most likely because of the universality of our human species to strive to experience higher levels of physical, emotional, mental and even spiritual well-being,” Birrou continued.
Slowly but surely
Even though the first ever wellness conference was held in South Africa’s Port Elizabeth in 2000, the researcher believes there is still room for development on the continent. Birrou recalled her difficulties finding relevant literature on PE in the African context, “I think that it is still an uncharted territory in Africa and still at the embryonic stages in some schools and universities while completely non-existent in most,” she stressed.
In the interview, Birrou told MWN “the initiatives regarding soft skills still focus on study skills and not life skills yet.”
Since the COVID-19 crisis, Moroccans’ mental health has significantly declined. A report showed that 26% of Moroccans have suffered from depression at least once in their life. The report also indicated that only 6% of the nation’s budget is allocated to mental health projects.
This data shows the lack of investment that prioritizes human capital as well as a failure to raise awareness around mental health issues. In this sense, investing in human capital, such as education on the topic, could contribute to the well-being of Moroccans.
Other initiatives still exist, yet they remain decentralized, marginal, and optional for students. For example, in 2017, a group of Moroccan trainers created the Positive Discipline Association Morocco (ADPM) in partnership with the American Positive Discipline Association (PDA) to improve youth interactions in an educational setting.
Birrou added that as a professor, she teaches a course called ‘wellness’ to aerospace and automotive engineering students at the International University of Rabat (IUR).
The course aims to “explore the evidence-based tools to develop higher levels of well-being, including neuroscience,” she told MWN. More students are becoming interested in PE in Morocco, the researcher recently undertook a tour of public universities, including Meknes’ Moulay Ismail University, and noticed that her lecutres had a large and engaged audience.
Integrating PE in schools still faces challenges as there is a lack of training for teachers on the subject and a general resistance to change.
As an expert in the field, Birrou indicated that implementing a top-down strategy (meaning educating the teachers on the topic) and a systemic change at the policy level is the “most suitable vision” to sustainably impact practices and values. Such methods could place more value on mental health as a mean to improve resilience and life skills, she suggested.
Secondly, she emphasized the key role of professors, “training the trainers are essential to effectively integrate PE in our classrooms,” she noted.
A survey indicated that the teachers’ knowledge on the topic is an important factor that can affect integrating PE in schools. The study also highlighted that teachers need to perfect a subject before they can educate others on the topic.
Finally, Birrou stressed that the best “antidote” against human nature’s resistance to change, is “making the unfamiliar familiar.” She believes that it is essential for universities to raise awareness on PE by creating a space dedicated to discussions in order to avoid burnout from stress.
In summary, the researcher hopes that “our African continent will strengthen its efforts to recognize that students’ well-being is the key in education and that equipping our younger generations with self-awareness and resilience is a crucial investment.”
