Symposium Summary:

The proposed symposium focuses on the sense of meaning of students and teachers – which was proposed to impact well-being, coping, and performance, and is considered a core component of eudemonic happiness. The symposium comprises an overview of studies conducted in Israel, Singapore, and India, all of which have concrete implications for educators and policy makers. Each of the four presenters provides a unique perspective on the impact of the sense of meaning in education, and on its components, and presents paths for developing and nurturing it. The first two presentations focus on students’ sense of meaning. The presentation by Pninit Russo-Netzer, provides an introduction to conceptualization of the sense of meaning and its importance for children and youth, and presents empirical evidence from three studies. Then, the author delineates a heuristic model for interventions for children and youth – the “Meaning Detectives” model, based on these studies. The second presentation, by Imelda Caleon, Tan Chee Soon, and Nur Qamarina Ilham, presents qualitative findings about the role of students’ sense of meaning and purpose in attaining resilience, and delineates its links with self-perceptions of the present and future. The third and fourth presentations focus on teachers’ sense of meaning. Tammie Ronen presents a study of resources and mechanisms that enhance teachers’ well-being, and an intervention project that builds on its findings for fostering the sense of meaning among teachers in India. Shiri Lavy presents a set of daily-survey studies and two multi-level studies (of teachers and principals), that highlight the effects of teachers’ sense of meaning on their well-being and attitudes, and propose personal and organizational paths for increasing their sense of meaning. Taken together, the four presentations provide a broad overview of the effects of the sense of meaning in schools, and shed light on mechanisms that can foster it.

Symposium Presentation 1: Recalibrating the Compass in a Changing World: Education for Meaning and Meaningful Education

Presenter: Pninit Russo-Netzer, Ph.D.

Recent years have witnessed a growing sophistication in assessing meaning in life and new conceptualizations regarding its place within general models of well-being and coping. Although the need to find meaning in life is a fundamental and universal motivation in human existence, its manifestation may vary across cultures, settings, and life stages. In face of the global scale of the current wave of political and social changes, and in particular following the ongoing challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, interest in meaning and purpose is more deliberately and explicitly expressed, individually and collectively. Yet, little is known about interventions and methods designed to cultivate in everyday life, and in particular to educational settings. This talk will focus on the importance of education for meaning and meaningful education as essential ingredients in preparing children and adolescents for the changing and uncertain world of the future. I will discuss empirical evidence from three studies and then propose a heuristic model for intervention (the 'meaning detectives' model).

Symposium Presentation 2: Sense of Meaning, Purpose and Future Orientation in the Face of Adversities: Insights into the Resilience Development of Academically At-risk Students in Singapore

Presenter: Imelda Caleon, PhD., Tan Chee Soon, Nur Qamarina Ilham

Having a sense of meaning, purpose and future orientation has been reported to influence academic functioning and self-regulated learning, but limited studies on this topic have been conducted with students who were “academically at-risk”. For this study, these students (1) had an aggregate score lower than the cohort mean in their national examinations at the end of Grade 6; (2) received failing grades in English Language and/or Mathematics at the end of Grade 7; (3) scored below the 23^rd percentile for the focal subjects in a standardized test.  The study examined the sense of meaning, purpose and future orientation of academically at-risk students who developed high resilience (i.e., received passing grades or higher in the focal subjects and scoring above the 23^rd percentile in standardized achievement test) with that of their peers who developed low resilience (i.e., did not meet the stated criteria for high resilience). With 651 secondary students who participated in a three-wave longitudinal study as the main sample pool, 16 high-resilience and 14 low-resilience students were identified and invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Drawing on resilience paradigms, and possible-selves, value-expectancy, and meaning-in-life theories, we applied thematic analysis on our interview data. The results of the study suggest that more resilient students tend to have a greater sense of meaning and purpose in relation their studies and clearer academic goals and career plans. Goal commitment and focused goals were also another feature that distinguished more resilient students from their less resilient counterparts. Furthermore, students who were found to develop a higher level of resilience indicated clearer mental models and significance of their possible futures, more concrete strategies and plans on how to achieve their goals, and a positive attitude towards failure or challenges. Implications for nurturing student resilience and flourishing at schools are discussed.

Symposium Presentation 3: Helping teachers to find meaning at work: Harnessing teachers’ personal resources (self-control skills, strength and creativity) and environmental resources (peer support) in their daily work

Presenter: Tammie Ronen, PhD.

Modern society exposes teachers, especially those who work with difficult students, to burnout, stress and anxiety. The main questions are: can we help teachers find meaning in work, what kind of resources can mediate the link between the negative feelings and high level of wellbeing, and how can we actually apply it to daily coping. The first study addresses Israeli teachers in special education, looking for personal and environmental resources. The current findings support the existence of different mechanisms influencing positive affect and negative affect. Although stress did increase teachers' negative affect, it did not directly cause a decrease in positive affect. Also, self-control and social support as coping mechanisms were found to increase the positive aspects of SWB – enhancing teachers' positive affect and life satisfaction – but did not directly impact teachers' negative affect. Following the study, a project has been conducted with teachers in India, looking for ways to increase their meaning at work by imparting skills to find their own strength and virtues and integrate it in a routine teaching. The lecture describes the way to move from a study to field projects.

Symposium Presentation 4:Teachers’ and Principals’ Sense of Meaning: Why It Matters and What Promotes It

Presenter: Shiri Lavy, PhD.

In contemporary organizations, people do not work only to make a living. The role work plays in providing meaning to our lives was suggested as a key motivator in different occupations and organizations. The sense of meaning is considered key in some arenas, such as education, due to their characteristics and impact. In this talk I will discuss the impact of teachers’ and principals’ sense of meaning at work on their motivation, well-being, and functioning. I will further focus on the two main sub-dimension of the sense of meaning at work (Martela & Pessi, 2018): broader purpose and self-realization, and discuss their effects and daily dynamics. The studies that will be presented comprise daily surveys and multi-level studies (incorporating data from teachers and principals). Taken together, the studies reveal different paths through which meaningfulness can be achieved, and how it can affect work-related outcomes. The theoretical and practical implications that these studies hold for teachers, principals and their development programs will be discussed.