The term flourishing refers to the experience of living a fulfilling life, rooted in positive relationships, a sense of competence, and a feeling of meaning and purpose. To capture this construct, Diener et al. (2010) developed the Flourishing Scale (FS), and the questionnaire is designed to evaluate psychological and social well-being. Moreover, the emerging concept of flourishing is also examined through the integration of both hedonic (subjective well-being) and eudaimonic (psychological well-being) perspectives. This integration highlights flourishing as a state of high hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, representing a harmonious blend of feeling good and functioning effectively. In this regard, some scholars define flourishing as the idea of “living the good life” and reflect a condition where “all aspects of a person’s life are positive,” leading to comprehensive human well-being (Huppert & So, 2013; Keyes, 2002; Seligman, 2012).

     Its theoretical roots can be traced back to classical philosophy. Flourishing is now widely recognized as a key indicator of well-being, and its theoretical foundation is linked to Aristotle’s philosophy. Aristotle conceptualized flourishing as ‘living well’, emphasizing virtuous activity which is not limited to moral excellences but includes cognitive excellences, practical wisdom, and understanding (Aristotle, 1999; Symons & VanderWeele, 2024). This notion has significantly influenced positive psychology over recent decades, particularly in the framework proposed by Peterson and Seligman (2004), which focuses on character strengths and virtues. Similarly, Ryff (1989) articulates her approach to well-being through six dimensions: autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. Building on these contributions, Keyes et al. (2002) developed a framework of flourishing based on an analysis of the European Social Survey, conceptualizing flourishing as “feeling good and functioning effectively”. Keyes (2003, 2005, 2007) further operationalized flourishing as a combination of emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

     Following the positive psychology paradigm, Seligman (2011) posits that flourishing arises from five pillars of the PERMA well-being model (positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment). Huppert and So (2013) later expanded this conceptualization by linking flourishing to a broader set of attributes, including competence, emotional stability, engagement, meaning, optimism, positive emotions, positive relationships, resilience, self-esteem, and vitality. Building on this growing body of research, Diener’s flourishing concept of prosperity draws on multiple sources. It incorporates humanistic approaches, psychological needs, and earlier theories related to well-being (Diener et al., 2010). The eight-item flourishing scale (FS) combines the well-being dimensions essential to positive functioning from Ryff’s (1989) eudaimonic theory and Ryan and Deci’s (2001) self-determination theory. Overall, the major conceptualization of flourishing is rooted in the Aristotelian perspective, positive psychology paradigm, different well-being perspectives, and self-determination theory.

     The research aims to enhance the scientific application of the FS in Myanmar Teacher Education through translation, cultural adaptation, psychometric validation, and qualitative insights. The integration of quantitative data and qualitative insights would contribute to the holistic definitions of flourishing in the Teacher Education sector, suggesting future well-being and flourishing research nationally and internationally.

Research Hypothesis 1: The instrument FS is expected to: (a) demonstrate reliability and (b) exhibit convergent and factorial validity, thereby establishing construct validity in the Myanmar education setting.

Research Hypothesis 2: The FS is expected to positively correlate with SWLS and CD-RISC 25, and negatively with PHQ-4.

Research Hypothesis 3: The FS measurement models exhibit an adequate fit across demographic factors, including gender, age, and the type of Education Degree College.

Research Question 1: How do Myanmar student teachers conceptualize the notion of flourishing within the context of their personal and professional development?

Research Question 2: What life experiences contribute to Myanmar student teachers’ flourishing during the teacher education journey?

Participants and Procedure The study utilized a cross-sectional survey research design involving 897 student teachers from seven Education Degree Colleges (EDCs) located in Upper and Lower Myanmar. Ethical approval was granted by the Ministry of Education (Permission No. 459/2025(1850)). • Sample 1 (EFA): 304 student teachers from Taungoo, Lashio, Monywa, Yankin, and Thingangyun EDCs (30.9% males, 69.1% females, with a mean age of 20.65 years (SD = 1.22; age range: 18–24) • Sample 2 (CFA): 593 student teachers from Meikhtila and Mawlamyine EDCs (29.2% males and 70.8% females, with ages ranging from 18 to 24 years, M = 20.58, SD = 1.74. Following established guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures, the instruments were translated into Burmese by experts in Myanmar. This adaptation process aims to ensure the suitability of the questionnaire in the Myanmar context by considering the language relevance and cultural adaptation. The translation process consists of six steps: 1. Forward translation, 2. Reconciliation or synthesis, 3. Back-translation, 4. Review and harmonization, 5. Pretesting, 6. Final version, and psychometric testing (Beaton et al., 2000; Guillemin et al., 1993) Measures The Flourishing Scale (FS) is an 8-item self-report instrument designed to evaluate an individual’s perceived success positive relationships, competence, meaning and purpose in life, optimism, and self-esteem (Diener et al., 2010). The internal consistency was high, with a Cronbach’s α of 0.823 and a McDonald’s ω of 0.823. The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), developed by Diener et al. (1985), is a 5-item self-report tool used to evaluate overall life satisfaction. The internal consistency was 0.729, and McDonald’s ω was 0.736, demonstrating good reliability in this context. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC 25 Burmese) is a widely used self-report instrument developed by Connor and Davidson to measure psychological resilience, or the ability to cope with stress and adversity. Internal consistency α = 0.882 and McDonald’s ω = 0.883. The Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) is an ultra-brief screening scale that combines two items from the PHQ-2 for depression and two items from the GAD-2 for anxiety. Cronbach’s α = 0.838 and McDonald’s ω = 0.839 for internal consistency. Two open-ended questions exploring the meanings and lived experiences of flourishing. Data Analysis • EFA was conducted using Principal Component Analysis with Promax rotation. • CFA was conducted with AMOS 23 using Maximum Likelihood Estimation. • Convergent validity was examined through correlations among FS, SWLS, CD-RISC, and PHQ-4. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically.

Findings confirmed the single-factor structure of the Burmese FS, with satisfactory factor loadings and reliability. Measurement invariance analysis demonstrated the FS’s applicability across gender and age groups at the configural, metric, and scalar levels, though partial invariance was noted across institutional contexts. Correlations with life satisfaction, resilience, and psychological distress further supported its convergent validity. Qualitative insights revealed a culturally relevant understanding of flourishing, highlighting Professional Competence, Practicum Experience, Moral-religious Values, and Personal Growth in Teacher Education. These themes delineate the specific domains in which student teachers connect their personal well-being to social and ethical responsibility, reinforcing the notion of flourishing as the simultaneous pursuit of personal and professional excellence in the context of Teacher Education. Moreover, Myanmar student teachers conceptualized the notion of flourishing within their personal and professional development: i. Flourishing signifies living actively and meaningfully: achieving success in life, realizing positive outcomes, and maintaining physical, mental, and social well-being. ii. Flourishing involves effectively utilizing one’s strengths and abilities to fulfill professional duties while nurturing optimism and psychological resilience. iii. Flourishing means skillfully executing teaching responsibilities, deepening knowledge and experience, supporting student learning, and contributing positively to the community. iv. Flourishing includes the effective application of pedagogical skills and professional knowledge during teaching practice, successfully completing tasks, and experiencing personal satisfaction. This perspective encompasses both hedonic dimensions, such as satisfaction and happiness, and eudaimonic dimensions, including purpose, virtue, and growth, which align with the theoretical underpinnings of flourishing research. The qualitative findings offer substantial content and cultural validation for the concept of flourishing within the Teacher Education context. Overall, these findings affirmed the suitability of the Burmese FS and the value of combining quantitative and qualitative approaches when researching flourishing in non-Western contexts.

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