Introducing the Concept of Optimal Best: Theoretical and Methodological Contributions

Abstract

The school system is relatively complex, and encompasses a myriad of learning activities, social events, well-being experiences, and intricate teacher-student and student-peer relationships. One major purpose of school, of course, entails the fostering of enjoyable learning and enriched well-being experiences. Indeed, it is important for educators and researchers, alike, to consider in-class pedagogical strategies and school-based programs that could serve to enhance quality learning and positive school-based well-beings. Recently, expanding on the extensive works of student well-being, we introduced the concept of optimization. Optimization reflects a positive, non-deficit approach to the study of learning and human behavior. How do we assist individuals, in general, to strive for educational and non-educational successes? In this article, as a major theoretical contribution, we expand on our recent work of optimization by focusing on an in-depth examination of optimal best. This inquiry of optimal best is related closely to an individual's realistic best in a particular domain of functioning. Optimal best, in this case, is an index of performance of an individual to his/her fullest capacity. The striving of optimal best, in this analysis, is indicative of aspirations, motivation, and personal growth. In our theoretical discussion of optimal best, we also place emphasis on the exploratory nature of optimization and how this process explains the achievement of optimal best.