Our research found a new reason to keep teachers happy – it’s linked to how well students do
New research has linked teachers’ wellbeing to students’ motivation and academic performance.
A new study, published in Educational Psychology Review, reveals that teacher wellbeing is not only important for the well-being of teachers themselves but also has a significant impact on student learning and motivation. The research, which analyzed 186 studies and data from over 350,000 teachers across 33 countries, found that higher teacher wellbeing is reliably linked to better student motivation and academic achievement.
Teacher "illbeing," characterized by burnout, stress and other psychological strain, showed a slightly weaker association with student outcomes, indicating that when teacher wellbeing is high, student outcomes are also positive, while high teacher illbeing leads to poor student outcomes.
The researchers found that the link between teacher wellbeing and student outcomes was stronger in high schools than in primary schools, potentially due to the increased independence and reliance on teachers for academic guidance in older students. High teacher job satisfaction, work motivation and general psychological functioning were all found to have similar positive effects on student outcomes.
The study suggests that supporting teachers' wellbeing through measures such as manageable workloads, supportive school leadership and strong collegial relationships could lead to improved student motivation and academic performance. However, the researchers acknowledge that while the associations found were small to moderate in size, they are consistent enough to be taken seriously.
The findings also highlight the need for further research to explore the potential causal relationships between teacher wellbeing and student outcomes.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
