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March 2008 - Social and emotional wellbeing of students |
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Australian Scholarships Group, a not-for-profit friendly society, has funded a new report recording the emotional and social wellbeing of students from preschool to Year 12.
The Student Social and Emotional Health Report was co-authored by international researcher Professor Michael E Bernard, from the University of Melbourne's Faculty of Education, in conjunction with Andrew Stephanou and Daniel Urbach from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).
ASG's social and emotional report
Australian Scholarships Group's Student Social and Emotional Health Report explores what is going on in the lives and minds of children and students. The aim of the report is to assist parents, teachers and the community support them in coping with difficulties and fulfilling their educational potential.
The report studied more than 10,000 students from preschool to Year 12, looking at the perspectives of both the teachers and students.
Report findings
According to the ASG Student Social and Emotional Health Report, most students experience social and emotional difficulties. Some of the findings include:
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four in ten students worry too much
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three in ten students are very nervous/stressed
- two in ten students have felt very hopeless and depressed for a week and have stopped regular activities
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a third of students lose their temper a lot.
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two-thirds of students believe they are not doing as well in their schoolwork as they could
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four in ten students have difficulty calming down.
Other findings reflect the importance of teachers in children's development, the differences in wellbeing between boys and girls, and the positive effect of communication between parents and children.
Key recommendations
The ASG Student Social and Emotional Health Report provides nine key recommendations to help teachers and parents improve the overall mental and emotional health of children and students.
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Make social and emotional wellbeing as important to the mission of education as academic achievement.
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Introduce preventative social and emotional learning curricula at all levels of schooling for all students.
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Schools need support to develop the capacity to deliver social and emotional learning.
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Ongoing professional learning for teachers that support students with social and emotional wellbeing difficulties.
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Ongoing assessment of students' social and emotional learning and wellbeing.
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The staffing and design of student welfare services should cater for the level of student social and emotional wellbeing in the school.
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Parent education in children's social and emotional wellbeing.
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Focus on social and emotional learning for boys.
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School–community partnerships to support student social and emotional wellbeing.
Read the Australian Scholarships Group's Student Social and Emotional Health Report.
Further reading
View these related items on the Early Childhood Australia website:
Related resources on the Early Childhood Australia website:
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 20 March 2008 )
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