Iranian Journal of Curriculum Studies

Iranian Journal of Curriculum Studies

Students' lived Experiences of Understanding the Concept of Happiness in the School Curriculum

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 , shahid beheshti university,، Tehran,، Iran
2 shahid beheshti university،Tehran، Iran
3 shahid beheshti university، Tehran، Iran
Abstract
This study explores the students' lived experiences of understanding the concept of happiness in the curriculum by employing phenomenological approach. The participants of this research were 10 female secondary school level junior students in Tehran, selected through purposive sampling and typical case sampling method. The number of interviews was determined based on the researchers' information saturation. The data were collected through a semi-structured interview and analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings show that categories such as happiness as a good and pleasurable feeling, as a kind of feeling of relaxation and detachment from stress, as constructive and positive energy, and optimism towards oneself and life could be the essence of happiness, forming students' viewpoint. Moreover, in relation to dimensions of happiness from the students' perspective, categories such as teacher, meaningful learning tools, individual learner, school facilities and equipment, family and school staff dimensions were identified in the students' real-life experiences. With regards to the increasing level of students' happiness through curricula, factors including developing curricula based on students' interests, paying attention to extracurricular activities in schools, holding conferences and competitions, revising the educational methods, increasing students' participation level, establishing friendly interaction with students, paying attention to creativity, and predicting opportunities for social activities were found to be effective.
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  • Receive Date 15 December 2024
  • Revise Date 28 May 2025
  • Accept Date 07 June 2025