How researchers are empowering children to think positively

Published on 3, October, 2024

As we prepare to celebrate World Teachers’ Day (Saturday 5 October), two researchers from the University of Sunderland are working with teachers across the north-east to help children develop their positive mindset so they can thrive in today’s world.

Over the last year, Dr Elizabeth Hidson and Dr Kate Duffy, in partnership with personalised educational provider Global SpiritEd, have been implementing the Mini Mind programme in schools across the region, supporting teachers in promoting positive psychology amongst pupils.

The programme, designed by training and coaching company, Mindspan, is for Key Stage 1 and 2 children (ages five to 11) to empower them to take responsibility for their actions and choices, understand how they think about themselves, life, and the world around them. 

It is a 12-hour programme of learning and support tasks, exploring three areas:

Self – Focus, Belief, Responsibility

Life – Attitude, Purpose, Clarity

World – Emotion, Empathy, Influence

Dr Hidson, Senior Lecturer in International Initial Teacher Training and Research and Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the University of Sunderland, said: “We know from research in the wake of the pandemic that teachers find the academic gaps in learning relatively straightforward to address – they know how to improve maths or English skills. What is much harder is the social and emotional skills that have been underdeveloped in recent years.

“The schools we have worked with on this project wanted to make a difference to their pupils’ understanding of themselves. It has been amazing to work with these practitioners as they have researched how a programme like Mini Mind can help.”

The project began with a workshop earlier this year at the University’s Wearside View, St Peter’s Campus, which was attended by teachers from Barnes Park Infants in Sunderland; Newbottle Primary Academy in Houghton-le-Spring; West Park Academy in Darlington and Coxhoe Primary School in Durham.

The workshop, led by Global SpiritEd, supported teachers to work with the Mini Mind programme and to begin planning how they will implement it in their schools.

Data collected so far by Dr Hidson and Dr Duffy from school visits and focus groups with teachers shows that the Mini Mind programme is meeting the initial aims that schools had identified for their children.

The programme has also shown some unexpected early indications of academic resilience of children and the language they use about success and failure is more positive.

Schools will complete the programme next year when Dr Hidson and Dr Duffy will carry out more analysis on the development and the efficiency of the programme, which will be presented in a report and journal article.

The ultimate aim is to train more teachers across Sunderland and beyond on how to implement the Mini Mind programme in schools and develop Mini Mind School Champions who will support the initiative across school teams.

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Dr Duffy, Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Sunderland, said: “We can’t in good conscience, continue measuring the academic success of our young people without a more meaningful consideration as to the emotional effect of learning.

“For teachers, the Mini Mind programme is the best of both worlds, it draws upon positive psychology in its theory, but it is underpinned by a relational pedagogy which has enabled teachers to strengthen classroom relationships. The safety and security that this can instil in our children will carry them through their learning journeys.”  

Director of Global SpiritEd, Kevin Holland, said: “The Mini Mind project has been a tremendous success, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from each participating institution. Educators have praised the project's impact on student engagement and well-being, highlighting its innovative approach to mental health, mindfulness, and positive psychology.

“Working directly with the University of Sunderland and its partner schools has added tremendous value to this project. Developing this work into a piece of research that can be shared and widened could not have happened without this support. We are excited about the continuation of this work here at Global SpiritEd CIC.

“The enthusiasm surrounding the project has paved the way for exciting next steps and developments, including plans for expanding the programme's reach and incorporating new, interactive elements to further support students' mental health in the coming school year.”

The Mini Mind project is being supported by the University of Sunderland’s Impact funding, which allows researchers to grow the impact of their work and to evaluate the difference it makes beyond the University.

For more information about Mini Mind and Mindspan, click here.