Student Happiness and the Future of Education

Dr. Louise Lambert

Welcome everyone to my new podcast series, Happiness Matters, a positive psychology informed series on happier living. Now, many of you already know me. I'm Dr. Louise Lambert, a positive psychologist living in Dubai. What you may find strange though is my voice. Yes, I've moved to AI and I'm using it to do this series. But, rest assured, it is me behind the voice writing the scripts, pulling up the studies, finding the appropriate references and editing intensely to bring you the best experience. It's also to save time recording in order to do my best work with organizations, schools and individuals directly. So, I hope you'll engage with the ideas and strategies and create your best life going forward. Shall we get started?

Dr. Louise Lambert

Alright, let’s dive into something that’s reshaping the world of education—positive education. Yes, we’re talking about wellbeing, happiness, and how these matter just as much in schools as they do in workplaces or healthcare. Studies show kids with higher wellbeing—meaning life satisfaction, purpose, positive emotional experiences, all the feel-good stuff—tend to do better in life. Better grades, stronger relationships, less stress. But also fewer mental health issues, better employment outcomes as adults, and better physical health too, like sleep duration. That is even more important when you consider that most lifetime cases of mental ill health reach their full peak by the age of 24, with 50% onset by the age of 14. Said otherwise, 50% of mental health issues start in teenage years and tend to stay there well into adulthood, impacting mental, physical, social as well as labor market outcomes.

Dr. Louise Lambert

Specifically, young people experiencing more positive emotional experiences and reporting higher life satisfaction have a greater likelihood of obtaining a college degree and being employed. Their academic performance tends to rise by an equivalent of six additional months of learning. They also tend to have higher earnings over the lifetime.

Dr. Louise Lambert

So, if wellbeing is that important, particularly for learning, what are schools doing about it? Well, positive education brings this magic into the classroom. It's a subset of positive psychology and combines academic learning with the skills of subjective wellbeing and a focus on strengths. Students learn the basics of positive psychology interventions and apply them in the classroom, at home, with the their teachers and friends.

Dr. Louise Lambert

And this isn't fluffy science. In the UAE, recent programs have shown that focusing on things like gratitude, kindness, and emotional resilience not only boosts students' mental health but also nudges academic performance upwards. It's the win schools, parents and students themselves are looking for! But as is usually the case, we turn to international studies to see how these perform. We luckily have one right in the United Arab Emirates to illustrate.

Dr. Louise Lambert

Let me share with you a study I published with my counterpart Dr. Jose Marquez using UAE data from the international PISA study assessing wellbeing and academic outcomes on more than 19,000 15 year olds in the UAE. We found a few interesting things on wellbeing in schools.

Dr. Louise Lambert

Better wellbeing and mental health were observed in the northern emirates compared to Dubai, which had notably lower scores for meaning and purpose, higher scores for negative affect, and the greatest mental health issues of all emirates. Girls reported worse outcomes in wellbeing and mental health compared to boys, with significantly higher levels of negative affect. Students in British schools showed the worst wellbeing and mental health outcomes despite presenting the best academic results. And finally, showed a small positive association between academic competence and wellbeing, suggesting no trade-off between academic success and mental health and wellbeing.

Dr. Louise Lambert

This disconnect between grades and emotional health is a wake-up call for schools. Because seriously, we’re we’re sitting on an opportunity here—imagine shifting some focus from endless test prep to ensuring kids feel seen and supported in their schools. It’s not just vital. It’s overdue. So how do we do that?

Dr. Louise Lambert

I use another published study to explain how it could be done, knowing there are likely many ways to teach wellbeing to students, including teaching their teachers and parents. In our study conducted in a Dubai school, we tried out weekly activities like asking students to imagine tough situations and how they’d overcome them, developing future oriented visions for themselves and plans to attain them, taking part in gratitude letters, hope notes, or identifying their character strengths over the course of one year. By the time, we assessed their wellbeing, students were reporting fewer negative emotions and greater confidence in handling life’s curveballs. But then COVID hit and predictably, we saw scores decrease. However, they did not drop lower than our starting point, which suggested that the gains were definitely tested by online schooling, but not lost.

Dr. Louise Lambert

We also found that during lockdown, teens who got even just a bit more sleep, even 20 or 30 minutes more, showed vastly better moods. Less anxious, more joyful, even feeling more purpose in their lives. The basics really do matter.

Dr. Louise Lambert

So, what does this mean for schools? Honestly, it’s clear. They need to integrate these practices—gratitude, wellness checks, even lessons on sleep hygiene—into their systems. And let’s not complicate it. You don’t need fancy tech or expensive consultants; just ask students what helps them feel their best, and build from there! When schools actively weave happiness—personal habits, community-focused activities—into their programs, the ripple effects are big. Happier students. Better learning. And probably happier parents too.

Dr. Louise Lambert

Speaking of which, parents; if you’re thinking that more expensive schools guarantee happier kids, let me stop you right there. The research doesn’t back that up. For example, studies show that attendance in private schools is not only associated with more psychological distress at age 16 for females, but also predicts it at the age of 42. A strong focus on academic performance may undermine wellbeing and mental health, with a greater emphasis on exams and performance contributing to lower mental health in girls and youth from upper middle-class families in high achieving schools. Academic achievement matters; but the costs of achieving those outcomes can lower wellbeing for some, and which undermines the very academic outcomes being sought. In fact, middle-range schools often clock in with the same academic outcomes but bring more smiles and for less money.

Dr. Louise Lambert

What do you really want for your child? Is it grades that look great on a transcript or a well-rounded, happy kid who thrives in their relationships, community, and life? We sometimes forget that a big part of that success comes down to our emotional and mental wellbeing, and not skill in math or science, although they help. In the end, happiness isn’t only found in high fees and fancy facilities. Often, it’s in the friendships students make, the teachers who truly care, and the joy they find in being themselves.

Dr. Louise Lambert

And with that, we’ve reached the end of today’s journey into better schools, happier students, and the choices that shape their future. Here’s hoping that the lessons we’ve talked about inspire you and prompt a rethink in how we help our kids flourish.

Dr. Louise Lambert

That’s all for today! I’m Dr. Louise Lambert, and it’s been a pleasure sharing these insights with you. Until next time, stay curious and be happy.