This paper explores how to systematically cultivate students’ psychological capital through secondary school arts education. Research indicates that the potential psychosocial developmental value of arts education remains underutilised. To address this, the paper constructs a multi-theoretical integrated framework and proposes four pedagogical pathways that can be embedded within conventional arts classrooms: 1) cultivating self-efficacy through mastery experiences and scaffolded instruction; 2) cultivating hopeful thinking through structured art projects; 3) developing psychological resilience through cognitive restructuring and process learning; 4) cultivating optimism through attribution training and future-oriented creation. These pathways emphasise that psychological resource development is embedded within artistic practice itself, rather than being an additional training component. The research also identifies potential implementation challenges, such as insufficient prioritisation of arts subjects, inadequate teacher training, and limitations in assessment methods. Finally, this paper advocates for integrating psychological capital perspectives into teacher education, curriculum design, and assessment systems. This shift aims to transform arts education from a “skills transmission” paradigm towards one that “integrates psychological capital cultivation,” providing theoretical and practical foundations for promoting students’ holistic and healthy development.
Ma Yuwei (Sun,) studied this question.
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