Student mental health is linked to improved learning, and there has been significant international investment in policies, practices, and programs focused on preventing and responding to mental health conditions amongst young people. Accordingly, the number of mental health and wellbeing interventions now being implemented in education settings continues to grow, despite a lack of research on teacher readiness to implement such interventions. This session presents the findings of a recent mixed methods study of educators from schools and universities in Australia, Japan, Pakistan, Samoa, and Indonesia. The research approach included three key activities:(i) a systematic document review and synthesis of literature and policy documents, (ii) a validated "teacher worry" questionnaire that captures overall wellbeing, stress, and reasons for worry amongst educators, and (iii) qualitative interviews with key stakeholders, including educational psychologists, teachers, and preservice education coordinators. Correlation analysis suggests a relationship between individual sources of worry and intention to leave the profession, while thematic analysis offers insights into the experiences of educators, and their need for better support. Overall, the findings suggest that although teachers are already heavily burdened by their workload, they are increasingly subject to elevated expectations of dealing with diverse students’ needs and behaviours. The research also indicates that educators' stress and poor mental health reduces their motivation to help students to reach academic goals. The session concludes by highlighting effective practices that may support teachers in the face of a growing student mental health crisis, and encourage them to remain in the profession.

Authors:
Anna Dabrowski, Australian Council for Educational Research and The University of Melbourne, Australia
Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Australian Council for Educational Research, Australia

About the Presenter(s)
Ms Ahmed is a Research Fellow in the Centre for School and System Improvement at the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). Her interests and work focus largely on student mental-health and well-being, diversity, and social inclusion.

Connect on Linkedin
https://works.bepress.com/anna-dabrowski/

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