Research

Selected Scientific Journal Publications

Brown, A., Haregu, T., Gee, G., Mensah, F., Waters, L., J Brown, S., M Nicholson, J., Hegarty, K., Smith, D., D’Amico, S., Ritte, R., Paradies, Y., & Armstrong, G., (2023). Social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Aboriginal controlled social housing. BMC Public Health 23, 1935. Click here to access

Bullen, J., Hill-Wall, T., Anderson, K., Brown, A., Bracknell, C., Newnham, E., Garvey, G., and Waters, L., (2023). “From deficit to strength-based Aboriginal Health Research- Moving toward flourishing.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Click here to access

Waters, L., Bullock & Loton, D., (2023) When adversity strikes - Maintaining student and teacher wellbeing during Covid-19 pandemic. Scholarly Journal of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences. Click here to access

Allison, L., Kern, L., Jarden, A., & Waters, L. (2022). Development of the Flourishing Classroom System Observation Framework and Rubric: A Delphi Study. Contemporary School Psychology. Click here to access

Waters, L., Dussert, D, Loton, D, & Sanchez Martinez, G., (2022) Conceptualizations of wellbeing During middle childhood. Investigating Developing Shifts through Visual Narrative Analysis. Handbook of Positive Psychology in Schools. Click here to access

Zavala, C., & Waters, L., (2022). “It’s a family matter”: A strengths-based intervention for parents of sexual minority individuals. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Mental Health. Click here to access

Waters, L. & Johnstone, A. (2022). Embedding well-being into school: A case study of positive education before and during COVID-19 lockdowns. Journal of School and Educational Psychology. Click here to access

Brunzell, T., Waters, L., & Stokes, H. (2022). Teacher perspectives when learning trauma-informed practice pedagogies: Stories of meaning making at work. Frontiers in Education. Click here to access

Zavala, C., Waters, L., Arslan, G., Simpson, A., Nunez del Prado, P., & Gargurevich, R. (2022). The role of strength-based parenting, posttraumatic stress, and event exposure on posttraumatic growth in flood survivors. Pyschological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Click here to access

Waters, L. & Higgins, M. (2022). The impact of a teacher-based positive education intervention on student wellbeing literacy. Journal of School and Educational Psychology. Click here to access

Allen, K.-A., Waters, L., Arslan, G., & Prentice, M. (2022). Strength-based parenting and stress-related growth in adolescents: Exploring the role of positive reappraisal, school belonging, and emotional processing disorder. Journal of Adolescence. Click here to access.

Waters, L. & Higgins, M. C. (2022). The impact of a teacher-based positive education intervention on student wellbeing literacy. Journal of School and Educational Psychology. Click here to access.

Morgan, B., Gulliford, L., & Waters, L. (2021). Taking “thanks” for granted: A cross-cultural exploration of gratitude in the UK and Australia. Cross-Cultural Research. Click here to access.

Waters, L., Cameron, K., Nelson-Coffey, S. K., Crone, D. L., Kern, M. L., Lomas, T., Oades, L., Owens, R. L., Pawelski, J. O., Rashid, T., Warren, M. A., White, M. A., & Williams, P. (2021). Collective wellbeing and posttraumatic growth during COVID-19: How positive psychology can help families, schools, workplaces and marginalized communities. The Journal of Positive Psychology. Click here to access.

Waters, L. & Loton, D. (2021). Tracing the growth, gaps, and characteristics in positive education science: A long-term, large-scale review of the field. Frontiers in Psychology. Click here to access.

Brunzell, T., Waters, L., & Stokes, H. (2021). Trauma-informed teacher wellbeing: Teacher reflections within trauma-informed positive education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education. Click here to access.

Waters, L., Dussert, D., & Loton, D. (2021). How do young children understand and action their own well-being? Positive psychology, student voice, and well-being literacy in early childhood. International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology. Click here to access.

Barsky, N. & Waters, L. (2021). Resilience: COVID-19’s most enduring lesson. Cutter Business Technology Journal. Click here to access.

Waters, L., Allen, K.-A., Arslan, G. (2021). Stress-related growth in adolescents returning to school after COVID-19 school exposure. Frontiers in Psychology. Click here to access.

Waters, L., Algoe, S. B., Dutton, J., Emmons, R., Fredrickson, B. L., Heaphy, E., Moskowitz, J. T., Neff, K., Niemiec, R., Pury, C., & Steger, M. (2021). Positive psychology in a pandemic: Buffering, bolstering, and building mental health. The Journal of Positive Psychology. Click here to access.

Allison, L., Waters, L., & Kern, M. (2020). Flourishing Classrooms: Applying a systems-informed approach to positive education. Contemporary School Psychology. Click here to access.

Waters, L. (2020). SEARCH: A meta-framework for bringing wellbeing into schools. Independence Journal. Click here to access.

Zavala, C., & Waters, L. (2020) Coming out as LGBTQ+: The role of strength-based parenting on post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth. Journal of Happiness Studies. Click here to access.

Waters, L., Strauss, G., Somech, A., Haslam, N., & Dussert, D. (2020). Does team psychological capital predict team outcomes at work? International Journal of Wellbeing. Click here to access.

Waters, L. (2019). Searching for wellbeing in schools: A new framework to guide the science of positive education. Journal of Educational and Psychological Research. Click here to access.

Waters, L., Loton, D., Grace, D., Jacques-Hamilton, R., & Zyphur, M. (2019). Observing change over time in strength-based parenting. Frontiers in Psychology. Click here to access.

Waters, L., Loton, D. (2019). SEARCH: A meta-framework and review of the field of positive education. Springer Nature. Click here to access.

Waters, L., Brunzell, T., & Stokes, H. (2019). Shifting teacher practice in trauma-affected classrooms: Practice pedagogy strategies within a trauma-informed positive education model. Springer Nature. Click here to access.

Waters, L., & Brunzell, T. (2018). Five ways to support students affected by trauma. Greater Good Magazine. Click here to access.

Waters, L., Loton, D., & Jach, H. (2018). Does strength-based parenting predict academic achievement? The mediating effects of perseverance and engagement. Journal of Happiness Studies, 1-20, first online. Click here to access.

Brunzell, T., Stokes, H., & Waters, L. (2018). Why do you work with struggling students? Teacher perceptions of meaningful work in trauma-impacted classrooms. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43, 116-142. Click here to access.

Allen, K., Kern, P., Vella-Brodrick, D., & Waters, L. (2018). Understanding the priorities of Australian secondary schools through an analysis of their mission and vision statements. Educational Administration Quarterly, 54(2) 249 –274.​ Click here to access.

Rusk, R., Vella-Brodrick, D., Waters, L., (2017). A complex dynamic systems approach to lasting positive change: The synergistic change model. The  Journal of Positive Psychology, 1-13, doi: 10.1080/17439760.2017.1291853 Click here to access.

Williams, P., Kern, M., Waters, L. (2017). The role and reprocessing of attitudes in fostering employee work happiness: An intervention study. Frontiers in Psychology, 8:28, doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00028 Click here to access.

Jach, H., Sun, J., Loton, D., Chin, T., Waters, L. (2017). Strengths and subjective wellbeing in adolescence: Strength-based parenting and the moderating effect of mindset. Journal of Happiness Studies. doi: 10.1007/s10902-016-9836-8  Click here to access.

Allen, K., Kern, M., Vella-Brodrick, D., Hattie, J., Waters L. (2016). What schools need to know about fostering school belonging: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 1-34. Click here to access.

Waters, L. (2016). The relationship between child stress, child mindfulness and parent mindfulness. Psychology, 7, 40-51. Click here to access.

Allen, W., Vella-Brodrick, D., & Waters, L. (2016). Fostering school belonging in secondary schools using a socio-ecological framework. The Educational and Developmental Psychologist, first online. Click here to access.

Brunzell, T., Stokes, H., & Waters., L., (2016) Trauma-informed flexible learning: Classrooms that strengthen regulatory abilities. International Journal of Child, Youth and Family studies, 7(2), 218-239. Click here to access.

Rusk, R., Vella-Brodrick, D., & Waters, L. (2016). Gratitude or gratefulness? A conceptual review and proposal of the system of appreciative functioning. Journal of Happiness Studies, 5(1), first online. Click here to access.

Patston, T,. & Waters, L. (2016). Positive instruction in music studios: Introducing a new model for teaching studio music in schools based upon positive psychology. Psychology of Wellbeing: Theory, Research and Practise, 5(1). Click here to access.

Brunzell, T., & Stokes, H. & Waters, L. (2016). Trauma informed positive education:  Using positive psychology to repair and strengthen vulnerable students. Contemporary School Psychology available, 20, 63-83 Click here to access.

Waters, L. (2015). Strength-based parenting and life satisfaction in teenagers. Advances in Social Sciences, 2, 158-173. Click here to access.

Waters, L. (2015). The relationship between strength-based parenting with children’s stress levels and strength-based coping approaches. Psychology, 6, 689-699. Click here to access.

Waters, L., & White, M. (2015). Case study of a school wellbeing initiative: Using appreciative inquiry to support positive change. International Journal of Wellbeing, 5(1), 19-32. Click here to access.

Williams, P., Kern, M., & Waters, L. (2015). Happiness at work: A longitudinal examination of the association between psychological capital, perceptions of organizational virtuousness and work happiness in school staff. Psychology of Wellbeing: Theory, Research and Practise, 5(1). Click here to access.

Waters, L., Barsky, A., Ridd, A. & Allen, K. (2015). Contemplative education: A systematic, evidence-based review of the effect of meditation interventions in schools. Educational Psychology Review, 27(1), 103-134. Click here to access.

Waters, L. & Stokes, H. (2015). Positive education for school leaders: Exploring the effects of emotion-gratitude and action-gratitude. Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist. Click here to access.

Kern, M., Waters, L., Adler, A., & White, M. (2015). A multidimensional approach to measuring well-being in students: Application of the PERMA framework. Journal of Positive Psychology, 10, 262-271. Click here to access.

Rusk, R., & Waters, L. (2015). A psycho-social system approach to well-being: Empirically deriving the Five Domains of Positive Functioning. Journal of Positive Psychology, 10(2), 141-152. Click here to access.
 
Rusk, R., Vella-Brodrick, D., & Waters, L. (2015). Components of appreciative functioning: A thematic analysis of relevant literature and content analysis of existing measurement scales. Psychology of Wellbeing: Theory, Research and Practise, 5(1). Click here to access.
 
Heled, E., Somech, A., & Waters, L., (2015). Psychological capital as a team phenomenon: Mediating the relationship between learning climate and outcomes at the individual and team levels. Journal of Positive Psychology, 11(3), 303-314 (20%) Click here to access.

Allen, K., Ryan, T., Gray, D., McInerney, D., & Waters, L. (2014). Social media use and social connectedness in adolescents: The positives and the potential pitfalls. Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 31, 18-31. Click here to access.

White, M., & Waters, L. (2014). A case study of ‘The Good School’: Examples of the use of Peterson’s strengths-based approach with students. Journal of Positive Psychology, 10(1), 69-76. Click here to access.

Kern, M., Waters, L., White, M., & Adler, A. (2014). Assessing employee wellbeing in schools using a multifaceted approach: Associations with physical health, life satisfactions, and professional thriving. Psychology, 5, 500-513. Click here to access.

Waters, L., Briscoe, J., Hall, D., Wang, L. (2014). Protean career attitudes during unemployment and reemployment: A longitudinal perspective. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 84(3), 405-419. Click here to access.

Rusk, R., & Waters, L. (2013). Tracing the size, reach, impact and breadth of positive psychology. Journal of Positive Psychology, 8(3), 207-221. Click here to access.

Reed, J., Muller, J., & Waters, L. (2013). The importance of latent benefits and meaningful leisure activity in predicting quality of life in Australian retirees. Australian Journal of Career Development, 22, 63-71. Click here to access.

Yim, L. & Waters, L. (2013). The role of interpersonal comfort, attributional confidence, and communication quality in academic mentoring relationships. Education Research and Perspectives: An International Journal, 40, 58-85. Click here to access.

Waters, L. (2013). Using positive psychology to foster character strengths and wellbeing in students. Forward Thinking: Emerging Answers to Education's Big Questions. Australian College of Educators, 28-36. Click here to access.

Waters, L. (2012). Predicting job satisfaction: Contributions of individual gratitude and institutionalized gratitude. Psychology, 3, 1174-1176. (Open Access). Click here to access.

Waters, L., White, M. & Murray, S. (2012). Toward the creation of a positive institution. The International Journal of Appreciative Inquiry, 14(2), 60-66. Click here to access.

Muller, J., & Waters, L. (2012). A review of the Latent And Manifest Benefits (LAMB) Scale. Australian Journal of Career Development, 56(1), 32-38. Click here to access.

Waters, L. (2011). A review of school-based positive psychology interventions. Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 28(2), 75-90. Click here to access.

Joslin, F., Waters, L., & Dudgeon, P. (2010). Perceived acceptance and work standards as predictors of work attitudes and behavior and employee psychological distress following an internal business merger. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 25(1), 22 – 43. Click here to access.

Don’t see what you’re looking for? Contact Lea.

Selected Peer Reviewed Book Chapters