The Impact of Social Innovation Education in Ireland on Student and Teacher Wellbeing

This PhD research explored the impact of social innovation education (SIE) on the wellbeing of students and teachers. SIE teaches students the skills needed to be social innovators through a self-directed social action project, using pedagogy grounded in critical learning, transformational learning, and epistemological development. SIE projects are supported by teachers who act as guides to help students develop their ideas. In Ireland, social innovation education is delivered by the non-profit organisation Young Social Innovators (YSI). The YSI SIE programmes are operating in secondary schools across Ireland, for students aged 12 to 19-years. The current study is a multiple methods examination of how teachers and students experienced wellbeing in relation to the YSI SIE programmes in Irish secondary schools across 2020 - 2022. The research is jointly funded by the Irish Research Council and Young Social Innovators (YSI), through an Employment Based Postgraduate Scholarship. The PhD research was guided by four research questions (RQ). RQ1 asked what evaluated programmes meet the characteristics of social innovation education, what are their characteristics, and how are they evaluated? This question was answered using a scoping review of evaluated SIE programmes, programme characteristics, and evaluation outcomes. A total of 2,192 studies were identified using database searching. Of these, 18 met inclusion criteria and were synthesised in the scoping review. RQ2 asked in what ways do students experience wellbeing through SIE? This question was answered using an inductive thematic analysis of interviews with 22 participants (students, alumni, teachers, principals, and parents) from two best practice schools participating in SIE. RQ2 asked what are the reciprocal relations between SIE and student wellbeing? This question was answered using a statistical path analysis of pre- and post-assessments completed by 94 post-primary students participating in the YSI programme. Finally, RQ4 asked how is teacher engagement related to a student-focused SIE programme? This question was arrived at after the first three studies pointed to the importance of classroom engagement and teacher engagement relating to SIE. RQ4 was answered using a mixed methods analysis of semi-structured interviews and survey data with 63 teachers. The culmination of all four studies provides a multi-informant in depth understanding of how SIE impacts wellbeing, along with implications for both policy and practice.