Mia Kile, associate professor of Interior Design, is part of an interdisciplinary research team at the University of Oklahoma that is leading a new approach aimed at improving Head Start teachers’ well-being.
Their four-year project is funded by a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and will take a holistic view of physical, psychological and professional well-being, as well as the impact of workplace conditions, for Head Start teachers in Oklahoma. Head Start programs promote school readiness through early childhood education, health, nutrition and well-being services to low-income children and families.
This project is built on a foundation of research established through the Happy Teacher Project, which examines the well-being of early childhood teachers. In collaboration with researchers from multiple disciplines at OU, the Happy Teacher Project began in 2018 through the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education at OU-Tulsa.
The multidisciplinary research team includes OU faculty with expertise in physical “built” environments; the use of technology in personalizing and advancing the well-being methods; advancing the teachers’ professional development; and improving the academic literature on comprehensive educator well-being.
Mia Kile will investigate the impact of the physical environment of the teachers’ well-being.
She says, “We will assess the built environment in which teachers work to better address challenges they may face in regard to their overall health and well-being. This includes a survey of existing conditions, which we will then compare against recommended standards set by industry. When inconsistencies are found, we will provide suggested strategies for teachers or centers to implement.”
“Creating spaces that work for the teachers as well as the students is one of the things we want to try to accomplish with this project,” she added.
OU is one of six universities funded through this initiative by the Administration of Children and Families.
This post is adapted from a press release from the University of Oklahoma’s Vice President for Research and Partnerships. To read more, click the link below!
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