Happiness in the formal, informal and hidden curriculum.

This case study presents a project that aims to explore happiness in the curriculum, with the intention of identifying potential curriculum design strategies and making recommendations for embedding happiness in HE. The longer-term aim is to develop life ready graduates and in that respect is clearly aligned with the theme of nurturing learning communities. This is a cross faculty project across Ulster University Business School and the faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Ulster University.

Happiness in HE, is an under researched area as highlighted by Kuo et al., “Happiness is an important but less-explored topic in higher education…however, the ultimate goal of education is to help students fulfil their lives and lead their lives filled with happiness” (2021 p.361). Young et al. (2022), found that students engaging in wellbeing interventions evidenced higher gains for students with low baseline wellbeing than for those valuing happiness more, indicating happiness interventions have greater value for some students.

Recent research indicates that student enrolment on a Science of Happiness course at Bristol University, results in significant benefits in relation to personal and mental wellbeing (Hood et al., 2021). This course (the first of its kind in the UK), launched in 2018 is open to any enrolled student, giving credit towards their degree, through engagement in weekly activities and “happiness hubs” (University of Bristol, 2021). In the context of the newly revised QAA Subject Benchmarks incorporating wider social goals around equality, diversity and inclusivity (QAA, 2022), this project aims to work towards developing life ready graduates.

This baseline and evaluation will be derived from data collection utilising a questionnaire design, centered on the Flourishing Scale (Diener et al., 2009), which aims to measure “social-psychological prosperity” (2009:144) and is founded on identified human psychological needs including competence, relatedness and self-acceptance as well as approaches to the ideas of social and psychological capital and their relationship with wellbeing (Deiner et al., 2009).

The Advance HE Education for mental health toolkit (2022), underlines the importance of human functioning and wellbeing and its relationship with surroundings, activities and behaviours, social connections, understanding of ourselves and relationship with the world: “Every aspect of University life will have a potential impact on the wellbeing of students – whether considered and planned for or not” (Hughes et al., 2022, p. 3). There is a growing body of evidence that suggests student happiness can be enhanced through carefully designed aspects of curriculum design (ibid) and arguably positive emotions, engagement and happiness are an integral part of wellbeing (Giangrasso, 2018).

The overall aim and outcome is to establish a baseline of what makes students happy, developing a “happiness toolkit” that can be adapted to align happiness indicators into the curriculum, working towards the achievement of creating thriving individuals that contribute toward their community and society.

This session will convey the overall aim of the project, highlight the concept of happiness in HE as innovative and important and share initial findings indicating potential curriculum design strategies for embedding happiness in the formal, informal and hidden curriculum.