My academic journey has traversed diverse fields, from Archaeology and Latin to Language Acquisition and Linguistics. Since transitioning into teaching in 2005, I have committed to enhancing educational and mental health practices. Shifting my focus to Psychology, I completed my MSc in Psychology & Neuroscience of Mental Health at King’s College London and am now pursuing a PhD in the Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience. The nature of my project means I have an "off campus" status and spend 2 months a year in the UK to meet with my supervisors.
My current goal is to complete my PhD and transition into an academic role where I can equip future educators with essential tools for addressing the challenges of teaching and mental health support. My mentors, Dr Brenda Williams and Dr Gisele Dias, have been indispensable in guiding me through my academic and professional journey over the past three years. Dr. Dias, in particular, introduced me to the "Time to Flourish" study, which has significantly shaped my approach to integrating positive psychology into educational settings.
My PhD project "Learn To Thrive: Co-designing and Evaluating a Curriculum-embedded Wellbeing Programme for Students in a Taiwanese School Setting," addresses the growing mental health challenges among secondary school students in Taiwan. This research aims to embed a Positive Psychology Intervention (PPI) within the Theory of Knowledge curriculum for 11th graders, focusing on enhancing students' resilience, positive emotions, and coping strategies. The initiative responds to the urgent need for effective mental health support in Taiwanese schools and seeks to create a replicable model for other IB institutions.
The rise in stress, anxiety, and depression among Taiwanese students highlights the need for innovative mental health interventions. My research faces broad challenges like the stigma against mental health issues, and procedural challenges such as coordinating with multiple stakeholders, adapting positive psychology to an epistemological curriculum, and ensuring ecological validity. By embedding the PPI into the existing curriculum and collaborating closely with the school community, I aim to improve student wellbeing and academic performance while contributing to a broader understanding of how such interventions can be effectively implemented in educational settings.
The study's strengths include its co-design with the entire school community—administrators, teachers, students, and parents—ensuring broad support and relevance. The program aligns with IB standards, allowing for potential replication across other IB schools. It addresses pressing mental health issues in Taiwan, making it highly relevant. Furthermore, the PPI is seamlessly integrated into the regular school curriculum and implemented over two semesters, ensuring depth and sustainability in its application.