Browsing by Author "Selin-Patel, Miivi"

Aim: The aim of this thesis is to investigate if an intervention in positive psychology can im-prove students’ subjective well-being and cultivate a growth mindset. The health in school study has shown that students experienced more school fatigue, difficulties with school as-signments and more anxiety and depression than before (THL, 2017; 2019; 2021). The pro-ject Study with Strength has developed an intervention course to support students in their everyday lives and my dissertation is written within this project. The study is based on two theories, positive psychology, and Mindset theory. Methods: The thesis is based on interviews of upper secondary students who participated in the Study with Strength intervention. Six students from different locations in Finland partici-pated in the study. The participants were between 16 and 19 years old. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews conducted via video. These interviews were transcribed and then analyzed with a thematic analysis. Results and conclusions. The results in my research showed that all the students felt that their conscious presence and their relationships had improved after the intervention. Fur-thermore, the students found methods to deal with their negative feelings. The students felt that finding out their strengths had improved their well-being as well as given them more self-confidence. This shows that the intervention has a positive effect on how students perceive their subjective well-being. Further results showed that the students’ belief in themselves and ability to develop had a positive change. They also viewed setbacks differently and were less scared to fail. All the students had also learnt how to manage their stress differently which lead to them feeling less stressed. Some of the students felt that they had a more positive view on challenges. Half the students had a more positive view on feedback after the intervention. The results show that the students perceived that their mindset had changed towards a more growth mindset.