Pathways to wellness

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to understand how Pathways to Wellness, a social-emotional learning program codeveloped with an Indigenous community, impacted children's social-emotional well-being. A holistic approach to child well-being is critical for Indigenous children but often lacking in schools. METHOD: = 10.17; 42% girls; 81% Indigenous), for a total sample of 96 children across the 2 years. RESULTS: Quantitative findings showed that children reported more negative classroom climate, lower sense of belonging, more emotional problems, and lower resilience and well-being in the posttest than pretest, particularly in Year 2. Older girls reported the lowest scores on average in social-emotional outcomes. The qualitative results showed three themes: cultural representation in the social-emotional learning program and children's awakened cultural identity, children's enhanced knowledge of well-being and coping, and developmental differences in reactions to the program. CONCLUSIONS: This study showcased a holistic approach that draws on the strengths of the community to support the well-being of Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. The incongruence between some of the quantitative and qualitative findings illustrated the importance to consider the impact of the broader ecological context in implementing and evaluating such programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)

Child development · Context (archaeology) · Indigenous · Psychological resilience · Qualitative property · Qualitative research · Social emotional learning · Social environment · Traditional knowledge · Indigenous Cultures and Socio-Education · Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights · Migration, Education, Indigenous Social Dynamics