Bitesize Research: What Impacts Student Wellbeing?

By Jaya Carrier

Welcome back everyone! I hope you’re all having an excellent first week back. We’re back with bitesize research! For those new in the WA community, this is a weekly blog article which looks to bring you a short summary of some recent educational research and expertise, and hopefully pique your interest to delve further! To start us off this academic year, I was interested in this work commissioned by the IB on student wellbeing. Objectives: To collate the existing research on wellbeing and start to look at the views of students on wellbeing and what impacts it Summary:

• The researchers in this report started with a literature review. The key conclusions from this were that:
• There is value in school time, money and resources in improving student wellbeing
• Family interactions are very impactful on the wellbeing of students
• School climate is influential on student wellbeing
• School interventions for wellbeing are impactful, and should have a sound theoretical basis

• The report creates a conceptual framework for wellbeing which has four key sections; health, people, environment and skills.
• The report concludes some recommendations for improving student wellbeing going forward:
• Schools should determine their own definition of wellbeing and this should be influenced by the socio-demographic factors that influence the school more broadly
• Subjective wellbeing should be the focus - namely, how students themselves self-report their wellbeing
• Physical activity and wellbeing should be explored by schools, as there is lots to suggests that more active students have greater wellbeing
• Teacher wellbeing is an important predictor of student wellbeing

How does this impact me and my practice?:

Some reflections arising from this that might be helpful to consider are:

• How might I know about the wellbeing of my students and tutees? What opportunities do I have to learn about this?
• How have I supported student wellbeing in the past?
• What new ideas would I like to learn about or try in terms of supporting student wellbeing?
• How can I show students the value of participation in ECA as one medium of improving their wellbeing?
• How might my lessons/actions/language impact the wellbeing of students?
• What will I do to support my own wellbeing? What opportunities do I have to do this?

If you would like to discuss this further with me please get in touch! I’d be delighted to hear from you!

Thanks, Jaya