Faye McCallum

The health of the teaching profession is essential for the innovation and productivity potential of our young people. Teachers are faced with preparing young people for an unknown future, with the reduction of manual tasks and an increased focus on people skills, problem-solving, and creative thinking. Teachers are critical in helping students achieve, belong, and develop socially and emotionally. But how well prepared are teachers and other school staff for shifting conditions, and how satisfied and productive are they? The reality is that many teachers, leaders, and school staff are struggling. Drawing on two research studies, this chapter explores experiences of staff wellbeing. Findings indicate that for young people to be well, to achieve at school, and to be prepared for the future, teachers must also be well. Strategies for supporting teacher wellbeing and implications for the future are discussed. A well-educated population is key to a nation’s prosperity, peace, and human flourishing.

With increasing levels of teacher accountability, more knowledge and an understanding of student achievement in reading, writing and scientific knowledge, educators and school leaders are confronted by the pace of change in the twenty-first century and the educational disruption of COVID-19. The aim of this chapter was to provide an overview of significant international forces considered in this book and an overview of the conceptual framework of appreciative inquiry. By adopting a practitioner-researcher perspective, we considered the problem of how to strengthen educational outcomes considering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment results. While controversy abounds in the interpretation and education policy responses to trends in these surveys, there is a body of evidence about the roles teachers and teaching play in enhancing educational outcomes. Finally, we contend because of the appreciative approach; the book is new knowledge on enhancing educational outcomes essential for developing a well-educated population.