Strong Beginnings, Sustainable Futures: Embedding Wellbeing as a Core Competency in Initial Teacher Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65638/2978-882X.2025.01.03Keywords:
Wellbeing, initial teacher education, Professional readiness, Core content, Policy innovation, Systemic reformAbstract
Wellbeing is increasingly recognised as a cornerstone of human development and sustainable progress, yet teacher education often overlooks its role in professional preparation. Current initial teacher education (ITE) programs rarely embed wellbeing as a core competency, leaving a gap in equipping teachers to support both their own and their students’ wellbeing. This paper addresses that gap by proposing a framework for integrating wellbeing across curriculum design, practicum experiences, and institutional culture. Drawing on interdisciplinary research and case studies, the framework emphasises wellbeing literacy, emotional regulation, and self-care as essential for cultivating resilient, reflective educators. By linking teacher wellbeing to student outcomes and broader social equity, this work offers actionable strategies for policymakers and teacher educators, advocating a shift from wellbeing as peripheral to wellbeing as central in shaping inclusive and thriving educational environments.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Cathy Little (Author)
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