Creating a Stress-Free School Environment

Abstract

This chapter discusses how transformative skills-based health education can be designed and implemented to create a stress-free school environment for early adolescent students (EASs). It analyzes both the process and outcome of participatory action research (PAR) on addressing EAS' stress-related problems. Building on transformative learning theory, the authors discuss how EASs can develop the necessary skills to transform their own attitudes and behaviors towards mental health issues by participating in multiple activities. The authors use a multi-phase PAR model to engage EASs in identifying stress-related problems and designing and executing relevant participatory activities to address them. They have focused on the role of two major activities—awareness-raising and classroom-based meditation—in creating a stress-free school environment. The findings of the study show that PAR-based and action-oriented skills support EASs to develop their critical awareness, new skills and knowledge, and critical agency for their mental well-being.