Understanding Academic Educators' Work in Supporting Student Wellbeing

Abstract

Universities are increasingly concerned with student mental health, as empirical studies indicate a high prevalence and severity of psychological distress among student populations (Larcombe et al., 2016; Bore et al., 2016). From a developmental systems perspective, discussions about student wellbeing must include the perspectives and needs of academic educators. Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000) offers several suggestions for how academic educators can facilitate wellbeing through their teaching, but there is still little evidence of the work that educators do to promote student wellbeing as part of their everyday practice. Using an online su..