The Didactic Potential of Positive Pedagogy in Foreign Language Teaching : the Emotional and Motivational Dimension of University Education

Abstract

The article examines the theoretical foundations and practical approaches to applying positive pedagogy in the process of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in Ukrainian higher education institutions. The authors emphasize the relevance of rethinking traditional teaching methods under the psychological, emotional, and social challenges caused by the full-scale war. In such learning conditions, positive pedagogy acts as a tool for emotional support, internal motivation formation, and the development of psychological resilience among both students and teachers. The study emphasizes that the concept of positive pedagogy is based on Martin Seligman’s PERMA model, which includes five key elements: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. Implementing these components in the process of foreign language learning contributes to the development of emotional literacy, empathy, self-confidence, and motivation to achieve learning outcomes. The authors analyze both domestic and international research (including the works of Mandić, Oades, Gros & Pierré), demonstrating that applying the principles of positive pedagogy creates a favorable environment for enhancing student motivation and interpersonal interaction. The article presents a set of practical recommendations for using positive pedagogy principles: emotional “check-ins” at the beginning of lessons, mini-presentations emphasizing students’ strengths, formative assessment, interactive exercises, multimedia resources, and gamification elements. The findings confirm that positive pedagogy holds high didactic potential in teaching English at universities, as it promotes the formation of emotionally stable, communicatively competent, and socially responsible professionals.The authors stress that further research in this direction should focus on developing new textbooks, e-courses, and methodological recommendations grounded in the principles of positive pedagogy.