Mental health has traditionally been explained via medical knowledge, positioning biological pathology and pharmacological treatments as key in addressing psychiatric and psychological ailments. This article introduces the prospect of ecologics as a guide for communities committed to responding to mental health concerns in respectful and ethical…

Taking the 'breakdown' in regular schooling as a result of the COVID pandemic as a catalyst to reimagine education, this article formulates a theoretical framework, using design research, that enables a fundamental reconceptualization and introduction of new actors into the space of schooling, which is a learning environment that traditionally has…

There is a common understanding among researchers and practitioners that the learning environment is a key aspect of the adjustment and well-being of students and teachers. There is a necessity to translate the findings of individual studies on building positive learning environments to a comprehensive and integral framework to sustain and promote…

In recent years, there has been a strong call for more fine-grained analyses of student engagement to better capture its nature as a situated, momentary phenomenon. This special issue aims to promote cross-disciplinary discussions about the complex processes involved in students' momentary engagement and learning situated in classroom contexts.…

Background: Youth violence, victimization, and bullying are pervasive in schools across the United States and are detrimental for learning and healthy development. K-12 school safety is an increasingly urgent issue to research and understand from multiple perspectives. Physical and psychological safety in school is linked to better student and…

Recent history has seen many schools shift from their original purpose of standardization and facts to focus on soft skills and global preparedness. The physical design of a school follows suit, shifting from identical classrooms and autonomous teachers to more collaborative shared spaces deemed 'innovative'. While those who formulate such schools…

Data show an increasing number of Catholic schools from elementary to tertiary levels in developing countries, especially countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. These new Catholic schools seem to follow the industrial-era school design trajectories. However, the exigencies of the 21st century require a paradigm shift, ensuring that Catholic schools move…

For learners to be individuals equipped with the 21st-century skills when they start business life after graduation, they must be able to gain these skills during their education. However, due to their nature, it's not possible for students to acquire these skills under a specific course. For these skills to be achieved, they must be integrated…

School principals must play a vital role in facilitating homeplace and Black joy by promoting, modeling, and holding educators responsible for their roles in contributing to homeplace. We argue that principals can enact homeplace by embodying the tenets of culturally responsive school leadership (CSRL). The purpose of this paper is to make meaning…

Well-being (WB) and Learning for Sustainability (LfS) are two concepts and areas of concern for further action that are receiving increasing attention from policy makers, scholars, educators and many others, due to their relevance in developing of societies fit for the future. In the time of writing of this ad hoc paper, two important reports have…

This paper reviews the characteristics of a good school, emphasising the role of human relationships in the learning process and how relationships can be developed. It highlights the importance of taking human needs into account at school and the importance of the teacher's personality in creating a quality classroom atmosphere and education. It…

I use the term restorative wellness practices as a concept associated with life application strategies and procedures that increase or return wellness to individuals or groups, some of whom have lost or never experienced this due to a lack of opportunities and resources. At the college, where I teach dance, fitness, and health courses, it has…

In this article we present an evidence-based framework of five interacting areas of teacher insight into educational success. This holistic framework comprises: (i) cognitive skills and capabilities, (ii) cross-curricular knowledge, skills and understanding, (iii) subject domain knowledge, (iv) teaching and learning environment, and (v) personal…

North Carolina's Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools believe that employing a diverse staff is key to reaching all five of the district's overarching goals: student achievement, equity and access, community engagement, human resources development, and climate and safety. Recruiting, retaining, and supporting educators of color is an important…

Bullying varies in frequency, intensity, duration and hence severity, and contributes uniquely and directly to mental health problems, with severe and long-lasting consequences. Almost a half of school-age students report being bullied in the past year. All school staff, especially school counsellors, are uniquely positioned to reduce student…