| Description |
The primary purpose of this qualitative case study was to research the effects of gratitude journaling on K-8 teachers. An additional purpose of the study was to identify what teachers journaled about. The study took place at a Montessori charter school with six participating teachers who taught at different grade levels that ranged from kindergarten through eighth grade. Data was collected for four months and included interviews, journal entries, and a researcher's journal. All data went through grounded coding which formed themes and categories that aligned with the theoretical framework of the PERMA Theory. The main categories that emerged were connections, well-being, systems of support, and challenges. The data revealed that teachers found positivity and a better outlook on their days through gratitude journaling. There were challenging days where participants faced extreme difficulty in their lives and couldn't find gratitude but overall, they learned that most situations provided a silver lining in which they found positivity. Teachers journaled in highest frequency about connections: relationships and nature. |
