Conference Agenda
Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
Please note that all times are shown in the time zone of the conference. The current conference time is: 19th Aug 2026, 21:30:55 EET
|
Daily Overview |
| Session | ||
08 SES 12 A: Child-centred perspectives on happiness, connectedness and wellbeing
Paper Session | ||
    | ||
08. Health and Wellbeing Education
Paper Seeing well-being through children’s eyes: Perspectives on Happiness in ECEC Settings Graduate School of Education, Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan Presenting Author:Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) plays a critical role in shaping children’s developmental trajectories, with long-lasting effects on educational attainment, health, and social and economic outcomes later in life (Reynolds et al., 2007). While a substantial body of research has demonstrated the positive impact of high-quality ECEC on academic outcomes and school readiness (Shoshani & Aviv, 2012; Shoshani & Slone, 2017), recent scholarship has increasingly emphasised its equally important contribution to children’s social-emotional development and overall well-being (Campbell & Løkken, 2023; Lee-Pang et al., 2025; Robson et al., 2019). ECEC environments are designed to support children’s holistic development by fostering emotion regulation, resilience, engagement, and supportive relationships (Hosokawa et al., 2024; Martikainen et al., 2024), with evidence from large-scale meta-analyses demonstrating that social and emotional learning interventions yield significant benefits for children’s well-being, behaviour, and learning (Durlak et al., 2011). Despite this growing recognition, much of the existing empirical evidence focuses on children in middle childhood and adolescence, particularly those aged above 10 years (Andresen et al., 2019; Sandseter & Seland, 2016). Less is known about how younger children understand and experience well-being in ECEC contexts. This gap is especially pronounced in non-WEIRD settings, where children’s perspectives are seldom included in research (Hernández-Torrano, 2020). In Kazakhstan, a low- to middle-income country facing systemic challenges and fragmentation in ECEC provision (Kulsary et al., 2025), exploring children’s own accounts of well-being is particularly important for understanding how local practices and environments shape children’s everyday experiences beyond academic preparation. Responding to these gaps, the present study adopts a child-centred approach to explore how children aged 4-7 years in Kazakhstani ECEC settings understand and experience well-being. Children are invited to self-report on what makes them happy in their ECEC environments, thereby positioning them as active social actors rather than passive recipients of care (Moore & Lynch, 2016; Rees, 2017). The central research question guiding the study is: How do young children describe the experiences that contribute to their well-being in ECEC settings? Taking a child-centred perspective, the study moves beyond adult-defined indicators to capture how well-being is constructed and lived from children’s viewpoints, providing a contextually grounded understanding of early childhood well-being and the ways ECEC environments can foster young children’s flourishing in Kazakhstan and comparable contexts. The study is theoretically grounded in Positive Psychology (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000) and uses the PERMA-H model as an organising framework for understanding young children’s well-being (Seligman, 2011). Traditional conceptualisations of well-being, including subjective well-being (SWB) and psychological well-being (PWB) (Deci & Ryan, 2008; Ryff, 2014), have largely been developed for adult populations and often inadequately capture young children’s lived experiences. Emergent scholarship emphasises the “here-and-now” nature of child well-being, foregrounding children’s immediate experiences of joy, safety, belonging, and engagement (Street, 2021; Lee-Pang et al., 2025). PERMA-H model conceptualises well-being through six interrelated dimensions: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment, and Health (Kern, 2022; Seligman, 2011). This study employs PERMA-H as a flexible analytic lens rather than a strict measurement model. Specifically, it is used to interpret children’s own accounts of “what makes me happy here,” while remaining sensitive to developmental realities of early childhood, such as the centrality of play, relational safety, and embodied engagement (Shoshani & Slone, 2017; Turner et al., 2023). In doing so, the study contributes to theoretically informed, child-centred understandings of well-being in ECEC and foregrounds children’s voices in shaping more responsive and contextually relevant early childhood education. Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used This study adopted a qualitative, child-centred research design. A purposive sampling strategy was used to recruit participants with characteristics relevant to the research question, allowing for depth, variability, and contextual richness (Campbell et al., 2020; Cohen et al., 2018). A total of 316 children aged 4-7 years from eight public and private kindergartens across North (n = 103), South (n = 111), and Central Kazakhstan (n = 102). The sample included 153 boys and 163 girls, with representation from both public (n = 152) and private (n = 164) settings. Sample size was guided by the principle of variability rather than statistical saturation, ensuring comprehensive coverage of children’s perspectives (Guest et al., 2006). Ethical procedures were rigorously followed. Informed consent was obtained from parents or legal guardians through kindergarten communication channels, while children’s assent was sought repeatedly using age-appropriate explanations. Children were reminded of their right to withdraw at any time, with assent provided verbally or in writing depending on children’s abilities. Data were collected using the Draw, Write, and Tell (DWT) technique, a well-established child-friendly method that enables children to express experiences through drawing, brief writing, and verbal explanation (Mitchell et al., 2011; Pope et al., 2018). Children were asked to respond to the prompt: “What makes you happy in your kindergarten?” Four trained researchers conducted data collection in quiet rooms. Children’s verbal explanations were audio-recorded, and detailed field notes were taken to capture contextual observations and interactions (Phillippi & Lauderdale, 2018). Interviews were transcribed verbatim, translated from Kazakh and Russian into English, and checked for accuracy by multilingual team members. Data analysis followed a constructivist qualitative approach, emphasising meaning-making through researcher-participant interaction (Mills et al., 2006). Drawings and transcripts were organised in NVivo. Initial inductive coding was conducted using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis, allowing themes to emerge from the data. Through iterative team discussions, these themes aligned closely with the PERMA-H framework, which was subsequently adopted as an analytic lens. A blended inductive-deductive approach was then used to refine the codebook and integrate both emergent insights and theoretical dimensions (Saldana, 2013). Multiple coders independently coded the data, with regular consensus meetings to enhance reliability. Rigor and trustworthiness were ensured through credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability strategies (Merriam, 2009). These included triangulation of data sources, collaborative coding, detailed documentation of analytic decisions, and reflexive dialogue among local and international researchers. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings The thematic analysis revealed that young children’s accounts of well-being in ECEC settings largely aligned with the six dimensions of the PERMA-H framework, though with important age-specific interpretations. The most prominent dimensions were Positive Emotions, Engagement, and Relationships. Positive emotions were most often expressed through tangible and concrete elements rather than abstract affective states. Children (69%) associated happiness with specific places and spaces (indoor and outdoor), elements of the natural environment (63%), and toys (58%). Outdoor playgrounds, green spaces, sunlight, flowers, and animals featured frequently in children’s drawings and narratives. Toys such as dolls, Lego, cars, and character figures were also central sources of joy, often embedded within play and social interaction. Engagement emerged as a core contributor to well-being, with nearly all children (97%) emphasising play (imaginative, social and physical play) as their primary source of happiness. Artistic activities (e.g., drawing, dancing, singing) and learning-related activities (e.g., writing, counting, reading) also featured as meaningful forms of engagement. Relationships were another central dimension. Children (64%) highlighted peer relationships most frequently, emphasising shared play, helping, sharing, and celebrating together. Relationships with parents (22%), teachers (15%), and extended family members (14%) were also important, reflecting children’s relational worlds extending beyond the kindergarten setting. Meaning, Accomplishment, and Health appeared less frequently but provided valuable insights. Meaning was often embedded in relationships, celebrations, and aspirations rather than articulated explicitly. Accomplishment was expressed through mastery of skills, task completion, and recognition. Health emerged unexpectedly through references to physical activity, eating, and sleeping. The findings suggest that the PERMA-H model usefully translates the broad concept of well-being into tangible and educationally meaningful dimensions. However, it does not fully align with young children’s lived realities that favour the “here-and-now” as well as the joyful, engaging, and socially supportive experiences as central to their well-being. References Andresen, S., Bradshaw, J., & Kosher, H. (2019). Young children’s perceptions of their lives and well-being. Child Indicators Research, 12, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-018-9551-6 Campbell, J., & Løkken, I. (2023). Inside out: A scoping review on optimism, growth mindsets, and positive psychology for child well-being in ECEC. Education Sciences,13(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13010029 Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Self-determination theory: A macrotheory of human motivation, development, and health. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 49(3), 182–185. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012801 Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta‐analysis of school‐based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405-432. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x Hernández-Torrano, D. (2020). Mapping global research on child well-being in school contexts: A bibliometric and network analysis (1978–2018). Child Indicators Research, 13(3), 863–884. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-019-09659-x Kern, M. L. (2022). PERMAH: A useful model for focusing on well-being in schools. In K. A. Allen, M. Furlong, S. Suldo, & D. Vella-Brodrick (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology in schools (3rd ed.). Taylor & Francis. Lee-Pang, L., Levickis, P., Murray, L., McFarland, L., & Quach, J. (2025). Applying conceptualisations of child well-being to Early Childhood Education and Care: A scoping review of the literature. Early Childhood Education Journal, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-025-01940-9 Reynolds, A. J., Temple, J. A., Ou, S., Robertson, D. L., Mersky, J. P., Topitzes, J. W., & Niles, M. D. (2007). Effects of a school-based, early childhood intervention on adult health and well-being. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 161(8), 730-739. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.161.8.730 Robson, S., Brogaard-Clausen, S., & Hargreaves, D. (2019). Loved or listened to? Parent and practitioner perspectives on young chil¬dren’s well-being. Early Child Development and Care,189(7), 1147–1161. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2017.1369976 Ryff, C. D. (2013). Psychological well-being revisited: Advances in the science and practice of eudaimonia. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 83(1), 10–28. https://doi.org/10.1159/000353263 Sandseter, E. B. H., & Seland, M. (2016). Children’s experience of activities and participation and their subjective well-being in Norwegian early childhood education and care institutions. Child Indicators Research, 9(4), 913–932. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-015-9349-8 Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Simon & Schuster. Shoshani, A., & Slone, M. (2017). Positive education for young children: Effects of a positive psychology intervention for preschool children on subjective well-being and learning behaviors. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1866. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01866 08. Health and Wellbeing Education
Paper Whose Voices Count? Using a Child-centred Methodology with Focus Groups to Research School Connectedness University of New South Wales, Australia Presenting Author:This paper examines how a qualitative research methodology supported primary school children to express their perceptions of school connectedness. Through an innovative use of focus groups, semi-structured interviews were coupled with a drawing activity to enable children to develop, share and compare their perspectives amongst peers. This was a child-centred, rights-based approach to empirical research about school connectedness which foregrounded student voice. School connectedness is a universal phenomenon describing the cohesiveness between diverse groups in the school community, including students, families, school staff, and allied health professionals (Rowe & Stewart, 2011). It is a function of the characteristics and actions of both students and schools, and of the moderating effects of socialising and reciprocating on this interplay (Hoenig & Cumming, 2026). In this context, the current paper extends previous data analysis about primary school students' perceptions of school connectedness (Hoenig & Cumming, 2026) to offer an effective method for research with children. School connectedness has consistently been identified as a precursor to positive academic, social, emotional, and health outcomes, and as a key protective factor against adolescent risk-taking behaviours (e.g., De Bortoli et al., 2024; Fabris et al., 2024). A sense of connectedness has been shown to positively influence students’ future orientation (Somers et al., 2020), engagement in learning (De Bortli et al., 2024), and self-efficacy in academic outcomes (Daley et al., 2025). It supports students' feelings of safety, being part of the school community (Porter et al., 2024), and the development of a social support network (Fabris et al., 2024). Moreover, school connectedness has been found to prevent youth depression and anxiety (Raniti et al., 2022), burnout (Lo Cricchio et al., 2023), media addiction (Fabris et al., 2024), and is negatively associated with bullying (Lo Cricchio et al., 2023;), school absence, and dropout rates (Cameron et al., 2025; Porter et al., 2024), each of which can place students' long-term wellbeing at risk. Accordingly, increasing school connectedness is a critical issue for educational policy and an essential goal for school-based interventions and preventative strategies (Somers et al., 2020). However, strategies aimed at enhancing primary school students’ connectedness have largely been informed by research with older age groups, despite their differing needs and contexts. A sizeable number of studies have collected data from adolescents and adults, while primary school students' views remain underrepresented in empirical research. Furthermore, these studies have created a gap in research methodologies with primary-aged children. Dismissing primary school students' voices has overlooked their first-hand experiences, thus depriving research, policy and practice of valid, authentic data needed to inform decisions that best serve children's interests. The attention given in this study to children's interpretations of school connectedness assured they were given a voice and that their views were given due weight in matters that affect them. This is fundamental to Australia's obligation under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, particularly in relation to Article 12 (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989, Article 12). Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used A qualitative research design used focus groups, supported by observations and descriptive notes, to collect data while positioning children as active and informed research participants. The focus groups incorporated a drawing activity and a picture book stimulus to facilitate children's idea generation and communication with the group. The design offered children aged 8-12 years the opportunity to confidently express their thoughts, feelings and opinions without starting from adult conceptualisations. Ethical approval was granted by the University of New South Wales for purposive sampling of independent non-government schools through a peak educational body not involved in the study. The independent sector was characterised by increasing enrolments and, on average, higher socioeconomic backgrounds than government and Catholic sectors (De Bortoli et al., 2024). The participating schools were nevertheless diverse in terms of the communities they serve, their student populations, size, and educational philosophies. This diversity enabled the inclusion of research participants with various world views and perspectives on school connectedness. Fifty students from Years 3 to 6 gave informed assent to participate in the study, with the consent of their parents. Twelve focus groups were conducted in the participants’ school settings over a period of 4 months. The researcher, as facilitator, used a semi-structured interview protocol to invite children’s detailed descriptions of their experiences. Part One involved an introduction to the purpose of the study, confidentiality measures and the participants' rights. Part Two involved a drawing activity in which participants were invited to draw a picture of a time when they felt connected to school. The activity created a relaxed environment, fostered group rapport, and provided a familiar form of engagement and expression suited to the diverse group of students. Part Three included prompts such as: Do you feel connected to school? and, What helps you to have school connectedness? Focus groups transcripts, as well as observations and descriptive notes, were interpreted though Reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021). Discussions about the drawings were included in the transcripts when they were audible, though the drawings themselves did not contribute to the dataset. Analysis engaged with Ecological Systems Theory and the Process-Person-Context-Time model of human development (Bronfenbrenner, 2005). The process was open-ended and iterative, such that it was in keeping with constructivist and interpretivist values and assumptions. Using this approach, each child contributed their perspective to the focus group discussions and themes were created through the researcher’s interpretation of the data. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings The study aimed to explore primary school students’ perceptions of school connectedness while positioning children as active and informed research participants. Data collection relied on focus groups with a semi-structured interview protocol to elicit children's rich descriptions through words and pictures. The findings showed three critical themes positioned within children's ecological systems: a Breadth of Opportunities and Collaborative Communities in the microsystem, and Supportive School Systems within the macrosystem. Subthemes highlighted the influence of activities on children’s connection to school, including extracurricular and curricular opportunities, special events and school representation, as well as relationships with friends and teachers. These factors have the potential to foster or weaken students’ school success and overall wellbeing. This study contributes to the international literature by prioritising primary school children's interpretations of school connectedness and positioning them as experts regarding their own experiences. In doing so, the study offers a methodological contribution by demonstrating the use of focus groups, with a drawing activity and picture book stimulus, as an effective approach for capturing primary students' perspectives. Attention to student voice in this study broadens previous research and offers a more in-depth perspective of school connectedness than relying on adolescents', teachers' or parents' views. In the field of education, where studies of connectedness have rarely included primary school students', this study helps to address the gap by demonstrating how researchers can effectively use a focus group methodology to enable primary-aged students to share their experiences and opinions. While the insights gained from this qualitative study may not be generalisable, they can offer valuable lessons for countries facing similarly concerning levels of school connectedness and shared aspirations for primary school children's health and wellbeing. References Braun, V., and Clarke, V. (2021). One Size Fits All? What Counts as Quality Practice in (Reflexive) Thematic Analysis? Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(3), 328–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238. Bronfenbrenner, U. (2005). Making human beings human: Bioecological Perspectives on Human Development. Sage. Cameron, C., Villadsen, A., Roberts, A., Evans, J., Hill, V., Hurry, J., Johansen, T., Van Herwegen, J. and Wyse, D. (2025). School absence and (primary) school connectedness: Evidence from the Millennium Cohort Study. London Review of Education, 23(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.14324/LRE.23.1.05 Daley, S. G., Heckman, M. E., Rosen, R. L., & Sari, H. I. (2025). School connectedness and academic self-efficacy during pandemic learning: A mixed-methods study of middle school students' science experiences. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 45(1), 76–103. https://doi.org/10.1177/02724316241230517 De Bortoli, L., Underwood, C., Friedman, T., & Gebhardt, E. (2024). PISA 2022. Reporting Australia's results. Volume II: Student and school characteristics. Australian Council for Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.37517/978-1-74286-726-7 Fabris, M.A., Settanni, M., Longobardi, C., & Marengo, D. (2024). Sense of belonging at school and on social media in adolescence: Associations with educational achievement and psychosocial maladjustment. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 55(6), 1620–1633. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-023-01516-x Hoenig, J.F., & Cumming, T.M. (2026). Primary school students’ perceptions of school connectedness: “You’re all in it together”. The Australian Educational Researcher, 53(12). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-025-00930-5 Lo Cricchio, M. G., Zambuto, V., Palladino, B. E., Nocentini, A., Salmela-Aro, K., & Menesini, E. (2023). The association between school burnout, school connectedness, and bullying victimization: A longitudinal study. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 47(6), 508-520. https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254231198028 Porter, J., McDermott, T., Daniels, H., & Ingram, J. (2024). Feeling part of the school and feeling safe: Further development of a tool for investigating school belonging. Educational Studies, 50(3), 382-398. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2021.1944063 Raniti, M., Rakesh, D., Patton, G. C. & Sawyer, S. M. (2022). The role of school connectedness in the prevention of youth depression and anxiety: A systematic review with youth consultation. BMC Public Health, 22, 2152. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14364-6 Rowe, F., & Stewart, D. (2011). Promoting connectedness through whole‐school approaches: Key elements and pathways of interest. Health Education, 111(1), 49-65. https://doi.org/ 10.1108/09654281111094973 Somers, C. L., Goutman, R. L., Day, A., Enright, O., Crosby, S., & Taussig, H. (2020). Academic achievement among a sample of youth in foster care: The role of school connectedness. Psychology in the Schools, 57(12), 1845–1863. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22433 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). Convention on the rights of the child. Geneva, Switzerland: United Nations (Retrieved January 2026, from http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CRC.aspx) 08. Health and Wellbeing Education
Paper Profiling young children’s well-being in Early Childhood Education and Care Graduate School of Education, Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan Presenting Author:The growing field of Positive Psychology emphasises the significance of understanding and promoting well-being by focusing on human strengths and flourishing rather than merely addressing deficits and disorders (Hendricks et al., 2019; Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Within this paradigm, positive experiences and happiness are recognised as essential components of well-being and optimal development, particularly in childhood, a critical period for establishing the foundations of lifelong mental health (Diener et al., 1999; Fredrickson, 2001). Well-being in young children serves as a foundational pillar for numerous positive developmental outcomes, including emotional and physical, social, and academic (Lubans et al., 2016; Shoshani & Slone, 2017; Graziano et al., 2007), while also contributing to sustained advantages that extend into later stages of life (Park et al., 2022). Research highlights the significant role of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in enhancing these long-term outcomes, showing that high-quality early experiences can significantly influence them (Reynolds et al., 2007). In recent decades, there has been growing research interest in how the psychosocial dimensions of educational settings influence children’s well-being (Proctor, 2022; Sandseter & Seland, 2016). However, young children’s voices remain largely underrepresented in the research, with existing evidence primarily centered on those in middle childhood and adolescence (over the age of 10) (Andresen et al., 2019; Sandseter & Seland, 2016). The study of young children’s well-being has evolved significantly over recent decades, shifting from adult-centric and deficit-oriented models toward holistic, strengths-based, and child-centred approaches (Ben-Arieh et al., 2014; Fattore et al., 2016; Lee-Pang et al., 2025). Children’s well-being is increasingly recognised not only as a key outcome of educational, social, and health policies but also as a foundational condition for their learning, thriving, and lifelong mental health (Al-Hendawi et al., 2024; Shoshani & Slone, 2017). Despite its central importance, conceptualising young children’s well-being remains complex and ambiguous due to its abstract, multidimensional nature, as well as inconsistent definitions across disciplines and frequent conflation with related constructs such as mental health, thriving, or quality of life (Ben-Arieh et al., 2014; Fattore et al., 2016; Lee-Pang et al., 2025). In ECEC, child well-being is often understood both as an outcome and as a dynamic process supporting developmental milestones (Lee-Pang et al., 2025; Shoshani & Slone, 2017). Young children tend to express well-being through everyday experiences of joy, connection, and present-moment enjoyment, elements that are easily observed and reported in this age group (Watkins et al., 2018). Happiness, conceptualised as a high frequency of positive affect and general life satisfaction, is generally understood as a foundational element of children’s SWB (Ben-Arieh et al., 2014; Stewart-Tufescu et al., 2019). Recent perspectives highlight the importance of prioritising children’s well-being in the here-and-now, rather than only viewing them as future adults, with relational experiences, play, and emotional expression emerging as key indicators from children’s own perspectives (Lee-Pang et al., 2025; Street, 2021). Methodologically, this study adopts a person-centred approach, addressing growing recognition that children’s well-being is heterogeneous and not adequately captured by variable-centred averages. Using Latent Class Analysis (LCA), the study seeks to identify distinct well-being profiles among children aged 4-7 in Kazakhstani ECEC settings based on their self-reported sources of happiness. In addition, demographic differences across profiles by age, gender, and kindergarten type (public vs. private) are examined. Accordingly, the study is guided by two research questions: RQ1: Can young children in Kazakhstani ECEC settings be grouped into distinct well-being profiles based on their self-reported sources of happiness? Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources Used The sample comprised 316 young children aged 4-7 years, purposefully selected from eight public and private kindergartens across Northern (32%), Southern (35%), and Central (33%) Kazakhstan. Inclusion criteria required that children were enrolled in an ECEC setting, fell within the specified age range, were available during data collection, and had parental consent alongside their own verbal or written assent. The children’s age ranged from 4 to 7 years (M = 4.89, SD = 0.76), with the largest group being 5-year-olds (45.6%). The sample included 167 girls (53%) and 149 boys (47%). Of the total participants, 152 children (48%) attended public kindergartens, while 164 children (52%) were enrolled in private institutions. Data for this study were drawn from a prior qualitative study employing the Draw, Write, and Tell (DWT) technique, in which children were invited to draw and explain what made them happy in their kindergarten. Children’s verbal explanations were transcribed and analysed inductively, revealing strong alignment with the PERMA-H framework. For the purposes of the present study, however, the analysis moved beyond a purely thematic interpretation. Each coded subdimension of children’s self-reported sources of happiness was treated as a separate indicator and converted into binary variables (0 = not mentioned; 1 = mentioned). Eighteen indicators capturing environmental, relational, activity-based, achievement-related, and health-related experiences were initially included and assigned concise labels (e.g., Play, Friends, Nature, Study, Mastery, Health). All analyses were performed in R 4.4.1 (R Core Team, 2024). The psych package (Revelle, 2023) was used to conduct exploratory factor analyses (EFA) with tetrachoric correlation matrices, appropriate for binary-coded variables. Indicators with very low or very high endorsement were excluded, resulting in 12 indicators retained for further analysis. Parallel analysis supported a four-factor solution, reflecting relational–environmental experiences, basic physiological well-being, play and peer interaction, and cognitive-academic engagement. LCA were conducted with poLCA (Linzer & Lewis, 2011) to identify unobserved subgroups of children sharing similar patterns of happiness indicators. Models specifying two to five latent classes were estimated and compared using information criteria (AIC, BIC, SABIC), entropy, and substantive interpretability. Conditional response probabilities were examined to characterise the resulting well-being profiles. Multinomial regression analyses were carried out with nnet (Venables & Ripley, 2002) to examine whether gender, age group (4-5 vs. 6-7 years), and kindergarten type (public vs. private) predicted class membership. Missing age data were addressed through multiple imputations, and results were pooled across imputed datasets. Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or Findings Four distinct latent well-being profiles were identified among young children in Kazakhstani ECEC settings. The largest group was Comfort-seeking (34.2%), characterised by strong endorsement of basic physiological needs such as eating and sleeping, alongside play, toys, and close peer connections. The Nature-loving profile (25.6%) emphasised engagement with the natural and physical environment (e.g., sunlight, trees, outdoor spaces), combined with play and friendships, but showed little emphasis on academic activities. A smaller Mastery-oriented profile (14.9%) was defined by a strong focus on studying and learning-related achievement, while still valuing play and peer relationships. Finally, the Playful profile (25.3%) centred primarily on unstructured play, toys, and companionship, with minimal reference to learning, artistic activities, or physiological comfort. Across all four profiles, play and peer relationships emerged as universal foundations of children’s happiness, highlighting their central role in early childhood well-being regardless of profile type. Descriptive analyses revealed few differences in children’s self-reported sources of happiness across demographic groups, although girls were more likely than boys to mention nature-related experiences, while boys more frequently emphasized play. Academic-related indicators were mentioned more often by children attending private kindergartens, though kindergarten type did not significantly predict latent profile membership. Multinomial logistic regressions revealed that gender and age significantly predicted profile membership in the Nature-loving and Mastery-oriented classes, with girls more likely than boys to belong to these groups; and older children more likely to fall into the Mastery-oriented class. Kindergarten type was not a significant predictor. The findings highlight the multidimensional nature of young children’s well-being and the existence of multiple pathways to happiness in kindergarten. Supporting flourishing from the earliest years, therefore, requires flexible, equitable, and developmentally appropriate interventions that respond to children’s diverse pathways to well-being. Implications for ECEC practice, curriculum design, and policy are discussed. References Andresen, S., Bradshaw, J., & Kosher, H. (2019). Young children’s perceptions of their lives and well-being. Child Indicators Research, 12, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-018-9551-6 Ben-Arieh, A., Casas, F., Frønes, I., & Korbin, J. E. (2014). Multifaceted concept of child well-being. In Handbook of child well-being (pp. 1-27). Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9063-8_134 Fattore, T., Mason, J., & Watson, E. (2016). Children’s understandings of well-being. In Children’s well-being. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0829-4 Lee-Pang, L., Levickis, P., Murray, L., McFarland, L., & Quach, J. (2025). Applying conceptualisations of child well-being to Early Childhood Education and Care: A scoping review of the literature. Early Childhood Education Journal, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-025-01940-9 Linzer, D. A., & Lewis, J. B. (2011). poLCA: An R Package for Polytomous Variable Latent Class Analysis. Journal of Statistical Software, 42(10), 1-29. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v042.i10 Park, J., Jung, H. J., & Han, Y. (2022). Latent profile analysis of associations among children’s risk profiles, rights, and subjective well-being across 16 countries. Current Psychology, 42(20), 16801-16814. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-02916-3 Proctor, C. (2022). Enhancing well-being in youth: Positive psychology interventions for education in Britain. In K. A., Allen, M. J., Furlong, D., Vella-Brodrick, & S. Suldo, (Eds.). (2022). Handbook of positive psychology in schools: Supporting process and practice. Routledge. Reynolds, A. J., Temple, J. A., Ou, S., Robertson, D. L., Mersky, J. P., Topitzes, J. W., & Niles, M. D. (2007). Effects of a school-based, early childhood intervention on adult health and well-being. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 161(8), 730-739. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.161.8.730 Sandseter, E. B. H., & Seland, M. (2016). Children’s experience of activities and participation and their subjective well-being in Norwegian early childhood education and care institutions. Child Indicators Research, 9(4), 913–932. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-015-9349-8 Seligman, M. E., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction (Vol. 55, No. 1, p. 5). American Psychological Association. Shoshani, A., & Slone, M. (2017). Positive education for young children: Effects of a positive psychology intervention for preschool children on subjective well-being and learning behaviors. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1866. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01866 Stewart-Tufescu, A., Huynh, E., Chase, R., & Mignone, J. (2019). The Life Story Board: A task-oriented research tool to explore children’s perspectives of well-being. Child Indicators Research, 12(2), 525-543. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-018-9533-8 Street, M. (2021). Benefits and limitations of eliciting the well-being views of two-four year olds living in a low-income area in England. Child Indicators Research, 14(2), 661-680. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-020-09773-1 Venables, W. N., & Ripley, B. D. (2002). Modern applied statistics with S (4th ed.). Springer, New York. | ||