‘When They Struggle, I Cannot Sleep Well Either’: Perceptions and Interactions Surrounding University Student and Teacher Well-Being

Abstract

A wealth of evidence has indicated that both students and teachers experience high levels of stress, burnout, and ultimately compromised well-being in the university context. Although numerous studies have investigated well-being among university students, and other studies have addressed well-being among university teachers, these lines of research are often conducted in isolation from one another. This is surprising, as the importance of considering reciprocal links between students and teachers has been suggested in several empirical studies. Additionally, when researching well-being in academia, the conceptualizations tend to differ from studyto-study. The present research therefore investigated how students and teachers conceptualize well-being at the university based on their personal experiences, as well as how student and teacher well-being interact. To examine this, six university students (50% female), and ten teachers (50% female) from Germany and the Netherlands participated in semi-structured interviews. Qualitative analysis using a multistage coding process revealed detailed insights concerning students' and teachers' perceptions of well-being that coincided with positive psychology, resilience, multifaceted, and basic psychological need fulfillment approaches. Moreover, an interaction between students' and teachers' well-being became apparent, including several factors such as the student-teacher relationship that in turn, contributed to both population's well-being. The present findings lend evidence toward a more coherent conceptualization of wellbeing and are discussed in terms of suggestions for initiatives that simultaneously support both populations, for example, through the student-teacher relationship.

Faculty Subjective Well-being: An Achievement Goal Approach

“…Consequently, teachers with such a focus can be expected to have a desire to succeed, put forth effort, and have successful experiences in teaching that contribute to positive emotions as well as job and life satisfaction. This coincides with findings by Kiltz et al (2020), where university teachers felt that their commitment to succeed in their teaching activities was interwoven with their well-being. Similarly, documented that task approach goals had the most advantageous associations with teaching-related outcomes, including positive affect.…”

“…In addition, it should be acknowledged that just as student-teacher interactions have the potential to be adaptive for aspects of higher education teachers' SWB, they can also be maladaptive. This has also been recognized by Kiltz et al (2020), who found that the student-teacher relationship was frequently mentioned to be important by university instructors, both in a positive and in a negative light.…”

When in Doubt … Career Indecision, Mental Wellbeing, and Consultation-Seeking Behaviour—A Qualitative Interview Study among Students and Counsellors

“…On the other hand, it is possible that personal acquaintance helped both sides to be more open in the interview situation. The sample size of n = 30 might appear small, but is average for qualitative research among university students [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Due to the qualitative approach, our results are not generalizable in a statistical way, but they deliver valuable subjective insight from different perspectives.…”

Kiltz et al. (under review) Caught Between Relief and Unease: How University Students’ Well-Being Relates to Their Learning Environment During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Netherlands

“…With the substantial effect of societal restrictions on people's life, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected overall well-being, including social, emotional, physical, and psychological facets (e.g. González-Sanguino et al, 2020; for a thorough definition of student well-being, see Kiltz et al, 2020;World Health Organization, 2020). Taylor (2019) identifies various pandemic-related stressors associated with well-being, including uncertainty, disruption of routines, separation from family, social isolation, financial insecurity, and closure of educational institutions.…”

“…Competence relates to giving constructive feedback, and relatedness stems from investing in a respectful, appreciative relationship (Kiltz et al, 2020;Niemiec & Ryan, 2009). Moreover, student involvement and teacher support enhance the positive LE perception, resulting in higher life satisfaction (Zandvliet et al, 2019).…”