Student mental wellbeing in higher education will be supported by academic educators:

  1. adopting practices and creating learning environments that increase the opportunities for students to pursue their interests and goals, and to experience belonging, relationships, autonomy and competence AND
  2. redesigning practices and conditions that control or de-motivate students, direct learning to extrinsic rather than intrinsic goals, undermine a sense of belonging, or thwart experiences of close relationships, autonomy and competence.
Constraints and opportunities
In a range of ways, the conditions that structure contemporary higher education (outlined in 1.2 Student life in the 21st century) – such as, under-funding, increasing student numbers and ‘mass’ delivery – may actively make it more difficult for students to maintain autonomous motivation, and to experience belonging, relationships, autonomy and competence.

Those same conditions – combined with increasing workloads, insecurity and ‘casualisation’ in academic employment – may also undermine the mental wellbeing of academic staff. In this context, it may seem unreasonable to ask university educators to consider adopting strategies to support and enhance student mental wellbeing.

Without doubt, the task of fostering student wellbeing in higher education will benefit from a ‘whole-of-university’, if not sector-wide, approach (outlined in our Framework). Fostering student mental wellbeing will also benefit from collaborative partnerships between student groups, professional staff, university administrators and mental health experts and service providers.

Why a focus on academic educators?
Increasingly, the curriculum is the one consistent element of the student experience. And academic educators are the ones who design and deliver that curriculum. There is thus great potential for academic teachers to foster student mental wellbeing through teaching innovation and the intentional design of learning environments that are psychologically ‘resource-rich’ for students.
Educators’ distinct role
However, as educators, it is our job to facilitate student learning. This means it is in our interests to adopt curriculum, teaching and assessment approaches – informed by psychological principles and research – that may mitigate psychological stressors in the educational environment. This is because good mental health is essential for effective learning, and because curriculum design and teaching practices influence student mental wellbeing (positively or negatively). Adopting teaching and learning approaches that actively support student mental health will enhance the wellbeing and educational experiences of all students, not just those at risk of experiencing mental health difficulties during their time at university.

Principles for enhancing student mental wellbeing
through learning and teaching

A teaching and learning environment designed to support student mental wellbeing aims to:

  • Highlight the social value of discipline practitioners’ knowledge and skills
  • Support students to develop learning goals in line with their intrinsic values and emerging interests and capabilities
  • Demonstrate that you value student learning and understand their perspectives
  • Know your students‘ diverse needs and interests
  • Value diversity and practice social inclusion
  • Induct students into your discipline’s values and professional standards
  • Facilitate student-faculty and peer social interactions
  • Foster collaborative (not competitive) learning
  • Express interest in and care and concern for others
  • Justify required tasks and knowledge, and teaching and assessment methods
  • Within the constraints of the curriculum, give students choice and ensure variety in learning activities and assessment tasks
  • Support students to make informed choices aligned with their interests, values or goals
  • Use informational (rather than controlling) language
  • Ensure an appropriate level of challenge and support at each program level
  • Provide meaningful feedback on student learning and performance

Module Evaluation

Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statements.

 
Strongly agree
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1. The information in this module was useful  5 4 3 2 1
2. I will use the information to inform my teaching practice or professional work  5 4 3 2 1
3. I feel more confident to address issues related to student mental wellbeing  5 4 3 2 1
4. I intend to recommend this website to colleagues  5 4 3 2 1
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