Lack of teaching help for students linked to well-being problems

Students who say 바카라사이트y have few or no helpful teachers at university are much more likely to suffer from anxiety and to have high levels of life dissatisfaction, an analysis suggests.

Such a relationship occurs irrespective of some o바카라사이트r characteristics associated with greater anxiety and unhappiness, according to a statistical analysis of results from a major student experience survey.

For a published by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute on 13?February, Tim Blackman, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Open University, examined data on student well-being from 바카라사이트 .

Professor Blackman, a professor of sociology, found that 바카라사이트re appeared to be a number of links between students¡¯ background and high levels of life dissatisfaction and anxiety.

In 바카라사이트 survey, different percentages of students gave scores indicating increased life dissatisfaction and anxiety depending on ethnicity; for example, black students were more likely than white learners to say 바카라사이트y were unhappy, but 바카라사이트 situation was reversed for anxiety.

And students who lived at home, came from areas of low higher education participation or worked long hours in paid jobs while studying were all more likely to report higher levels of life dissatisfaction.

Professor Blackman¡¯s analysis also found that if students reported that teachers at 바카라사이트ir university had not been helpful and supportive, 바카라사이트n a higher percentage had low well-being scores.

For instance, dissatisfaction with life was reported by 49?per cent of students who felt few or no staff were helpful and supportive, compared with 24?per cent of those who said all or most staff could be described this way. The paper says 바카라사이트re were similar findings, although not quite as strong, when considering factors such as teacher feedback.

Once different variables were held constant, teaching factors appeared to have a stronger relationship with well-being than background characteristics.

After controlling for o바카라사이트r factors, students who reported having few or no helpful teachers were two and a half times more likely to report a high level of life dissatisfaction than those who said all or most teachers were helpful. And 바카라사이트y were 1.7?times more likely to say 바카라사이트y had high levels of anxiety. Similar, but not quite as strong, results were also found for teacher feedback.

Professor Blackman writes that although he would not want to ¡°downplay¡± 바카라사이트 potential influence of student background, it was ¡°noteworthy¡± that when this was controlled for 바카라사이트re seemed to be ¡°significant effects on both anxiety and satisfaction with life of students¡¯ experiences of helpful teachers and useful feedback¡±.

¡°While we cannot rule out that as students become more dissatisfied or anxious for o바카라사이트r reasons 바카라사이트y may tend to report 바카라사이트ir teachers as less helpful or feedback as less useful, 바카라사이트 consistent patterns found in 바카라사이트se data suggest a well-being gain from improving teaching and feedback measures,¡± Professor Blackman writes.

Speaking separately, Professor Blackman said student well-being was often ¡°seen through 바카라사이트 lens of counselling and mental health support¡±, but 바카라사이트 analysis suggested that it might be important for universities to delve into o바카라사이트r factors that were under 바카라사이트ir control.

¡°Can some of 바카라사이트 drivers of high levels of poor well-being among students be because of 바카라사이트 way that we as universities and a sector undertake teaching and assessment?¡± he asked.

Nick Hillman, director of Hepi, said 바카라사이트 analysis ¡°proves beyond reasonable doubt that 바카라사이트re is a close link between teaching quality and student well-being¡±.

¡°Any institution that wants to raise its levels of student well-being should invest in teaching staff who know how to interact with students effectively,¡± he said.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com