My best possible learning self: Primary school children's perspectives on happiness and success in the classroom

A small pilot study (N=197) asked primary school children from seven classes to draw a self-portrait of their best possible learning self (BPLS) and add words and phrases to describe what it entailed. While visualising and writing about best possible selves activities have well documented benefits for health and well-being and for goal setting and providing insights into motivation, we were curious about the potential of BPLS to reveal how children perceive themselves as learners and to understand what motivates them. We conducted a reflexive inquiry analysis and found that BPLSs were expressed across four broad categories of personal qualities: academic/learning related qualities, psychological traits, social orientation and extra-curricular interests and abilities. The results provide insights into how primary school children perceive happiness and success, and may help to provide an understanding of what influences primary school children’s positive sense of self in the classroom.