Compassion at the Core: Reimagining Schools as Centers of Human Flourishing Through Youth-Led Action Research

<p>In an increasingly competitive and standardized world, student wellbeing is a growing priority in K-12 education, alongside an emerging focus on human flourishing. While not commonly paired with wellbeing science, compassion is gaining prominence as an important systemic mindset. Focusing on compassion in schools cultivates attitudes of caring, openness, generosity, concern for others, and concern for the environment, leading to positive impacts on organizational culture and learning. This points to a broader question about what it means for students and communities to flourish. However, it is unclear how compassion is experienced in the lives of students. A common solution has been scaled, external programs implemented as band-aid solutions to wellbeing issues, highlighting how the structure of schools further complicates our understanding of how compassion is experienced. </p> <p>This study draws on critical pedagogy and critical youth studies to implement action research in partnership with youth researchers, positioning students as co-constructors of knowledge rather than subjects of study. Dialogue served as a central means of participation and consciousness-raising, functioning as a pathway to compassionate action. Findings reveal that compassion is most often experienced through positive relationships and spaces that promote belonging. Conversely, students experience significant barriers to compassion including social, relational and systemic challenges such as power imbalances, a hidden curriculum, and a lack of awareness for compassion. Additionally, students resist siloed, top-down approaches that fail to recognize their needs and experiences. Compassion was rarely experienced through formal programs or stated values. </p> <p>At the same time, the study surfaces promising insights for schools that shift our focus beyond programmatic solutions toward more participatory, dialogic and youth-centered approaches. Students are calling for a radical transformation in which compassion is systematically embedded across all structures of the school and normalized in everyday interactions. When we elevate student voice and view them as partners, new possibilities for compassion emerge grounded in school context and learner experiences, ultimately shaping the conditions for human flourishing. </p>

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD Education for Social Justice

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation: Open Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Learning and Teaching

Year dc:date.available

2026

Author dc:creator

• Waudby, Tara S

• Compassion
• Flourishing
• Wellbeing
• Wellbeing Science
• Agency
• Belonging
• Student Voice
• Critical Pedagogy
• Youth Participatory Action Research
• Critical Youth Studies
• K-12 Education
• Educational Leadership
• Holistic Education
• Humane Education
• Other Education
• Other Teacher Education and Professional Development
• Secondary Education and Teaching
• Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations/1113

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digital.sandiego.edu:dissertations-2128