The application of salutogenesis to teaching and learning – A systematic review

Abstract

Purpose

The inclusion of salutogenic principles in education deepens and broadens the understanding of the teaching and learning process in a healthy way and opens the potential to create a sound educational environment characterised by the prevention of burnout, improved physical and mental health, and higher levels of achievement. The aim of this review is to fill the lack of comprehensive information regarding the relationship of salutogenesis, sense of coherence, and the process of teaching and learning.

Materials/methods

A literature search was carried out in Web of Science and Scopus electronic databases with the cutoff date of July 2020. Search words were sense of coherence, salutogenesis, education, school, academic performance, achievement, students, and their combinations. Altogether 62 articles were found on the relationship of salutogenesis, sense of coherence, and education but only 6 were related to salutogenic teaching/learning process. These were included in the present review.

Results

The studies included in this review presented salutogenic models related to teaching literacy as a learning process through life, building sustainable relationship between supervisor and students, improving transcultural competence, and being able to solve conflicts across cultures. Practical implications were demonstrated such as the use of drawing as an integration tool to improve self-expression and emotional recognition, realisation of teaching practice as an exercise for self-consciousness, and introducing the concept of teacher as a source of emotional security for students.

Conclusions

The models bring different but equally valuable contribution to the salutogenic teaching process which strengthens the educational environments resulting in better academic performance, as well as physical and mental health.