‘Start with the heart’: an exploration of teachers’ experiences and impressions of a positive psychology coaching and well-being programme

Positive psychology interventions are increasingly recognised for their role in enhancing well-being, resilience, and professional functioning in educational settings. This study explored the retrospective experiences of teachers who participated in Start with the Heart, a four-day group-based coaching programme designed to promote well-being, resilience, and positive functioning among teachers in international and bilingual schools in China. Twelve teachers from six schools were interviewed six months after the intervention using semi-structured online interviews. Through inductive thematic analysis, we identified key themes reflecting participants’ perceptions of improved interpersonal relationships, self-efficacy, leadership confidence, and emotional regulation. Participants reported enhanced social connectedness, greater reflective awareness, and renewed professional motivation. The coaching framework, grounded in positive psychology and solution-focused techniques, was perceived to support goal-setting, self-reflection, and strengths-based development. Some participants described continued use of self-coaching tools, while others emphasised the value of embedding coaching into professional development culture. Although findings provide valuable insights, they are based on retrospective self-reports and a small, context-specific sample. We tentatively propose that coaching-informed interventions may contribute to teacher well-being and collegiality, though further longitudinal and mixed-method studies are needed to validate and expand on these findings.