Educational Research and Classroom Strategies

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Australia explored how reading out loud to kids can be beneficial long-term. According to the findings, at-risk kids are more likely to become resilient, strengthen their deep connections, and have improved overall development when their parents read aloud to them at home. 

“Reading out loud can create many positive outcomes for children,” said researcher Leonie Segal. “As a shared experience between parent and child, it encourages connection, while also directly contributing to child development through exposure to words and stories. 

“Children in families that are struggling to create a nurturing environment will especially benefit from reading with a parent or carer, improving their resilience, and keeping them developmentally more on track, despite their adversity exposure.” 

Promoting better development and resilience in kids

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 65,000 kids who completed the Early Australian Development Census (EADC). The team focused on children between the ages of five and six.

The study clearly showed a link between reading out loud to children and improvements in resilience. Overall, more than 3,400 kids were being mistreated at home. Long-term, these circumstances can impact kids’ academic success; however, the researchers learned that when parents focused on reading to their kids at home, they were more likely to be more resilient and meet key developmental goals. 

“A good start to school is predictive of later outcomes, so it’s vital that we not only identify those at risk early on, but also find ways to support children’s emotional, social, and physical development, before they start school,” Segal said. 

Boys may struggle more than girls

The researchers also found that boys who were mistreated at home were more likely than girls to struggle academically. The team hopes these findings lead to changes in the education system that are geared toward supporting boys who may be having a hard time in school. 

“Our study found that boys had a much higher risk of being developmentally behind than girls, as did children living in remote or rural areas, and those with a physical, sensory, or learning disability,” Segal said. “All these groups need far greater supports. 

“Paying particular attention to boys, especially those who are victims of child maltreatment is critical. Encouraging parents to read to their boys while valuable, is not enough, the onus is on the education sector to identify other mechanisms to support boys.” 

While many high school students may be tempted to put off going to college right away, a new study conducted by researchers from Cornell University has found evidence that this may not be the best idea.

In analyzing two populations of high school students in Colombia, the team learned that taking time off after high school may prevent students from ever enrolling in college at all. 

“In Colombia, as in many countries, college dropout rates are really high,” said researcher Evan Riehl. “There is wide variation in the quality of colleges and the amount of resources that colleges have to help students graduate. So students must be academically prepared and motivated to earn a degree. 

“We find that individuals who were prepared to succeed in college would have had large returns to attending college, and in this sense they made a ‘mistake’ by not enrolling. Other students, however, may have dropped out of college anyway, and so forgoing college did not have a big impact on their careers.” 

Understanding college enrollment decisions 

For the study, the researchers analyzed college enrollment outcomes in a group of nearly 30,000 high school students in Colombia. In the two regions that the study was focused on, a policy had altered the students’ academic calendars that required them to start college a semester later than they normally would. 

While one semester may not seem like a lot of time, the researchers learned that it made a difference in terms of how many students chose not to return to school. Overall, nearly 10% of students never enrolled in college. 

The study showed that students from disadvantaged socioeconomic and academic backgrounds were the most affected by this policy change, and they were the least likely to go back to college. 

The researchers also learned that this gap in schooling impacted the earning potential of many higher-achieving students. By starting school later, they weren’t making as much money in the early parts of their careers as they could have if they started school on time. 

Moving forward, the researchers hope more efforts are implemented that help guide students through the end of their time in high school and either the beginning of college or their lives in the workforce. 

“In the U.S. and Colombia, students have more flexibility in choosing which colleges to apply to after high school,” the researchers wrote. “More flexible education systems can lead to indecision in the transition from high school to college, and thus create breaks in students’ academic careers… The returns to college may be low if students are less prepared or less motivated.” 

While many studies have looked at how consumers’ education can impact their health and longevity, a new study conducted by researchers from Indiana University explored how that extends to spouses. According to their findings, a spouse’s education may have positive implications for their partner’s health outcomes. 

“Our results show that who you’re married to, and how much education they have, matter for your health,” said researcher Andrew Halpern-Manners. “This provides further evidence that education, in addition to being valuable for individuals, is also a sharable resource.” 

The benefits of spouse’s education

The researchers analyzed data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, which included information on participants’ health and education, as well as their spouse’s and siblings’ health and education. The team was most interested in comparing the health self-reports of siblings whose spouses had different educational outcomes; they then interviewed the participants to see what role their partner’s education had on their perceived health and wellness. 

Ultimately, they learned that the participants were more likely to have more positive feelings about their health when their spouses had higher levels of education. While education has been found to be important for consumers’ own physical well-being, this study showed that a spouse’s education level is equally or more important to a person's health. 

The researchers learned that this association was stronger for women than men; women reported better health outcomes when their husbands had higher education levels. However, this also could be because the study's dataset began in the 1950s, a time when higher education and the workforce was much different than it is today. 

Regardless, the team hopes these findings illustrate the physical health benefits related to education. 

“The fact that we observe significant cross-over effects means that education has health-enhancing benefits for the individual, but it also has tangible benefits for those around them – especially intimate ties,” said Halpern-Manners. “This underscores the importance of education – as a public good worth investing in – and suggests that its overall public health impact may be larger than we typically imagine.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from Ohio State University found that children who struggle to pay attention in class may be more likely to cheat. The team explained that many of these students are undiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and with the proper resources and assistance, they can be successful academically. 

“Students diagnosed with ADHD get a lot of support and help in school, but many other kids with attention problems fall through the cracks,” said researcher Eric Anderman. “They don’t get the help they need that could help them do better in school and avoid cheating.” 

Hyperactivity may affect kids’ behavior in school

For the study, the researchers had 855 children from three Midwestern public schools answer questions about their ability to pay attention in school, the likelihood that they’d cheat, and their hyperactivity. They reported on how frequently they felt they had to get out of their chairs during class, their general forgetfulness, and if they’d ever cheated off of another student, among other similar questions. 

The researchers found that there were clear links between hyperactivity, inability to pay attention, and the likelihood that students end up cheating. However, while all three factors came into play, the researchers found that students who struggled to pay attention were the most likely to cheat. 

“Inattention is the driver here, the issue that leads to problems in the classroom,” said Anderman. “The student is not paying attention, so he gets out of his seat and goofs around, and when you put both together, that is a perfect setup for more cheating.”

The study showed that being disruptive wasn’t correlated with cheating. Rather, not being able to pay attention made it difficult for students to stay focused solely on their own work. 

The researchers explained that many of these students weren’t diagnosed with ADHD, and this may affect how likely they are to cheat. When students receive the proper resources, they’re better able to focus in school and they’re less likely to cheat. 

“There are so many evidence-based programs that can help these students who have problems with attention learn to self-regulate, to learn how to be a learner,” Anderman said. “If they had access to these programs, they could learn in class and they wouldn’t have to cheat. And these students are not learning partially because of attention issues they can’t help.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Cambridge explored different ways of engaging young kids to help them learn and develop. According to their findings, guided learning activities can be just as beneficial to kids’ growth and education as traditional classroom instruction. 

“It’s only recently that researchers have started to conceptualize learning through play as something that exists on a spectrum,” said researcher Dr. Elizabeth Byrne. “At one end you have free play, where children decide what to do with minimal adult involvement; at the other is traditional, direct instruction, where an adult tells a child what to do and controls the learning activity. 

“Guided play falls somewhere in between,” she said. “It describes playful activities which are scaffolded around a learning goal, but allow children to try things out for themselves. If children are given the freedom to explore, but with some gentle guidance, it can be very good for their education – perhaps in some cases better than direct instruction.” 

Guiding children can help them learn

The researchers analyzed nearly 40 studies conducted between 1977 and 2020 to understand how different teaching methods can impact children’s ability to learn. They calculated the positive and negative effects that guided play had versus direct instruction in several key areas: literacy, math, socioemotional skills, and executive functions. 

The researchers learned that guided play was an effective method for engaging children and helping them learn, though some areas showed greater improvements with this method than others. For example, the study showed that guided play helped children adopt the cognitive skills necessary to switch between tasks, while it also strengthened their ability to learn shapes and general math skills. 

“Children often struggle with mathematical concepts because they are abstract,” Dr. Byrne said. “They become easier to understand if you are actually using them in an imaginary game or playful context. One reason play matters may be because it supports mental visualization.” 

While guided play was particularly strong in some areas of learning, the researchers found that it wasn’t harmful to children’s learning in any of the other content areas. The team says this means guided play can be equally as effective as direct, face-to-face instruction.

“The argument is sometimes made that play, while beneficial, adds little to children’s education,” said researcher Paul Ramchandani. “In fact, although there are still some big questions about how we should use guided play in classrooms, there is promising evidence that it actively enhances learning and development.” 

The researchers hope more work is done in this area to better understand the cognitive and academic benefits associated with guided play and the ways that it can enrich children’s education. 

“It’s likely that playful activities have the sort of positive impact we saw in our analysis partly because they are acting on other skills and processes which underpin learning,” said researcher Dr. Christine O’Farrelly. “If we can understand more about how guided play shapes learning in this way, we will be able to identify more precisely how it could be used to make a really meaningful difference in schools.” 

While a great deal of research focuses on the benefits associated with finishing college and entering the workforce, a new study conducted by researchers from Kansas State University explored the financial benefits linked with going back to school for a bachelor’s degree. 

The study showed that consumers who return to college and get their bachelor’s degrees are likely to make more money immediately after they graduate and in the years that follow. 

“No matter how I looked at the data, those who returned and finished a bachelor’s degree see an economically meaningful increase in income after degree completion,” said researcher Amanda Gaulke. “The average age at graduation for this sample is 27, so they certainly have a lot of working years left to experience improved labor market outcomes.” 

Going back to school is financially beneficial

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth. They were most interested in comparing the financial outcomes of three college scenarios: students who dropped out and never returned to school, students who returned to college but didn’t finish their studies, and students who returned to college and earned their bachelor’s degrees. 

It was clear to the team that the third group reaped the most financial benefits. The study showed that consumers who return to school and earn degrees are likely to see more income immediately upon graduating, as well as on a yearly basis. Following graduation, recent college graduates can expect to earn an average of nearly $4,300 more. They also increased their yearly wage growth by another $1,121. 

“This information is important for people who are wondering if they should return to school,” said Gaulke. “When thinking in terms of weighing costs and benefits, it is important for those people to know that there are real economic benefits of going back and completing a bachelor’s degree.” 

The study also found that returning to college for a bachelor’s degree was also beneficial from an employment perspective. Consumers were more likely to have consistent employment opportunities and work more full-time jobs than those who hadn’t completed their degrees. 

The researchers explained that many institutions are now working with private companies to help create opportunities for consumers to return to – and finish – school. This can help universities and colleges boost their enrollment numbers while helping students make more money down the road.

A new study conducted by researchers from Ohio State University explored the impact that school uniforms have on kids’ behavior in school. 

Though many schools think uniforms will help students maintain good behavior and create a sense of community, their findings suggest that this isn’t actually the case. In fact, the researchers learned that uniforms had no impact on kids’ behavior and made them feel more isolated at school.

“A lot of the core arguments about why school uniforms are good for student behavior don’t hold up in our sample,” said researcher Arya Ansari. “We didn’t see much difference in our behavior measures, regardless of whether the schools had a uniform policy or not.” 

Uniforms aren’t affecting kids’ behavior

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 6,300 children enrolled in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study. Their work followed the kids from kindergarten through fifth grade. Each year, teachers reported on the kids’ internal and external behavior problems, their social skills, and their attendance. When the students reached fifth grade, they reported on their experiences with bullying and their sense of community and belonging in school. 

Ultimately, the researchers learned that school uniforms weren’t associated with any changes in the students’ behavior. Wearing a uniform wasn’t linked with any major differences when it came to outcomes like aggression, anxiety, or general social well-being. 

However, the study also showed that wearing uniforms didn’t contribute to the students’ sense of belonging at school. The researchers explained that the reasoning behind requiring uniforms is that they’re believed to help build a school community. However, this wasn’t the case among the students surveyed in this study. 

“Fashion is one way that students express themselves, and that may be an important part of the school experience,” Ansari said. “When students can’t show their individuality, they may not feel like they belong as much.” 

With uniforms becoming more popular at public and private schools in recent years, the researchers hope these findings provide some insight for school officials.

“There hasn’t been much research done on the value of school uniforms in the past 20 years or so, especially given how much their use has increased,” Ansari said. “School uniforms may not be the most effective way to improve student behavior and engagement.” 

A new global study explored how repeating a grade may affect kids from a social perspective. According to researchers, having this experience may make kids more susceptible to bullying by their peers who were promoted. 

“Grade repetition is practiced worldwide and varies considerably across the globe,” the researchers wrote. “Although a large body of research has documented grade repetition’s academic and nonacademic effects, the limited evidence on associations between grade repetition and school bullying is inconsistent and ambiguous. This study aimed to investigate the global association of grade repetition with bully victimization in a large-scale school-based cross-sectional study.” 

Kids can get bullied when they’re held back

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from over 465,000 students from 74 countries enrolled in the Program for International Student Assessment (PIA). Students answered questions about their experience repeating a grade, including any instances of bullying over the previous 12 months. 

The researchers learned that students who repeated a grade were more likely than their classmates who were promoted to experience bullying. Overall, more than 12% of participants were held back a grade, and more than 30% of those students were bullied by their classmates who moved on to the next grade. Bullying included being made fun of, being threatened, having possessions taken away, being physically abused, and being the subject of rumors. 

The study showed that this trend was more prevalent among female students who repeated a grade than male students. The researchers hope these findings highlight the ways that repeating a grade can impact kids on a social level. 

“These results are of great concern for parents, teachers, principals, and policymakers at different levels, especially in countries where grade repetition is particularly prevalent,” the researchers wrote. “Grade repetition is associated with bullying victimization in both boys and girls.” 

A new study from the University of Cambridge explored how students’ relationship to different languages may impact their performance in school. According to the team’s findings, those who identify as being multilingual are more likely to receive better scores on exams.

“Too often we think about other languages as something that we don’t need to know, or as difficult to learn,” said researcher Dr. Linda Fisher. “These findings suggest that if pupils were encouraged to see themselves as active and capable language learners, it could have a really positive impact on the wider progress at school.” 

Being multilingual helped improve exam scores

For the study, the researchers asked over 800 eleventh graders in England to report on their language identity. The team had the students determine between 0 and 100 where they fell on the spectrum of monolingual to multilingual, with 0 representing speaking one language and 100 representing speaking multiple languages. 

The team then analyzed the participants’ grades from nine subjects on nationwide exams and collected information on whether or not the students were registered as English as a Second Language (EAL) learners. 

The findings showed that there were discrepancies among students who were registered as EAL at their schools and those who viewed themselves as multilingual; students who spoke multiple languages at home didn’t always identify themselves as being multilingual. 

“The fact that these terms didn’t correlate more closely is surprising considering that they are all supposedly meaning the same thing,” said researcher Dr. Dee Rutgers. “Just having experience of other languages clearly doesn’t necessarily translate into a multilingual identity because the experience may not be valued by the student.” 

When students viewed themselves as knowing more than one language, they performed better on the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams and in school overall. GCSE exams are qualification tests given to students in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland in specific subject areas. 

Each additional point the students ranked themselves on the multilingual scale was linked with an increase in scores on exams. However, there was no effect on test scores for students who were registered as EAL at school. 

“The evidence suggests that the more multilingual you consider yourself to be, the higher your GCSE scores,” Dr. Rutgers said. “While we need to understand more about why this relationship exists, it may be that children who see themselves as multilingual have a sort of ‘growth mindset’ which impacts on wider attainment.” 

Adding range through language

The researchers believe that fostering a stronger understanding of languages may help students latch onto them more, which could impact how they view themselves and improve their school performance. 

“There could be a strong case for helping children who think that they can’t ‘do’ languages to recognize that we all use a range of communication tools, and that learning a language is simply adding to that range,” said Dr. Fisher. “This may influence attitude and self-belief, which is directly relevant to learning at school. In other words, what you think you are may be more important than what others say you are.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the Taylor & Francis Group explored how students’ mental health may be affected by their sleeping patterns. According to their findings, sleep deprivation could be linked to mental health struggles for college students.

“Sleep disorders are especially harmful for college students because they’re associated with several negative effects on academic life. These include failures in attention and perception, high absenteeism rate, and sometimes dropping out of the course,” said researcher Dr. Paulo Rodrigues.

“The university environment offers greater exposure to factors that may compromise sleep habits such as academic stress and social life. It’s crucial to evaluate and monitor sleep habits, mental health, and the quality of life of students to reduce the risk of developing other chronic diseases.” 

How does sleep impact mental health?

For the study, the researchers surveyed over 1,100 students between the ages of 16 and 25 from the Federal University of Mato Grosso in Brazil. The group reported on everything from their socioeconomic status and body mass indices to their sleeping habits and excessive daytime sleepiness. 

The researchers found a connection between students who had poor sleeping habits and those who struggled with depression-related symptoms and higher stress levels. It was unclear if sleep impacted mental health or vice versa, but the relationship between the two was strong. 

The team also found that what the students were studying and their gender could have a greater impact on their sleep and mental health. Students in health or science fields and female students were more likely to struggle with mental health and sleep. 

The researchers explained that there could be several factors that prevent college students from getting quality sleep on a consistent basis. They noted that college students are typically on a very inconsistent schedule that often keeps them awake into the night. They also tend to consume caffeine and use other stimulants, which can have an impact on healthy sleeping patterns.

Moving forward, the researchers are calling on universities to step in and do their part to help prioritize the importance of healthy sleeping habits among college students. 

“University managers should plan the implementation of institutional actions and policies,” Rodrigues said. “This is to stimulate the development of activities that promote good sleep habits and benefit students’ mental health.”

A new study conducted by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University explored which teaching styles are the most effective in the classroom. 

According to the researchers, teachers who adopt an active learning approach by incorporating the latest technology, group discussions, and interactive activities are likely to get the most out of their students. Conversely, lecturing was found to be less effective when it came to students’ academic performance.

“We wanted to see what we learned from teaching and learning during COVID and what could be brought back into the classroom,” said researcher Nesra Yannier. “COVID forced educators to engage students in novel ways, and teachers were experimenting with new technology.” 

Keeping students engaged

The researchers analyzed data from previous studies that collected information on learning styles across all age groups -- from elementary-aged students to college students. They looked at different ways teachers can deliver lessons and which methods were the most effective at keeping kids engaged and involved in the subject matter. The team also examined how artificial intelligence (AI) plays a role in students’ learning outcomes. 

The researchers learned that keeping students involved and active during class is the best way to keep them engaged and produce the greatest academic achievement. One study found that when students are physically active during a lesson, they’re more likely to retain the information down the road. 

Aside from grades, active learning was associated with a better understanding of the material. The study showed that when students are actively engaged, they’re better able to discuss the topic with others, which shows a deeper comprehension. 

In their trial with AI, the researchers learned that virtual helpers are beneficial to both students and teachers. They’re able to answer students’ questions during lessons, which can help teachers with the flow of their plans. From a student standpoint, AI was used to conduct various hands-on experiments in the classroom, prompting the students to talk with each other more, stay invested in the lesson, and ask more questions. 

The researchers hope these findings highlight the benefits associated with active learning in the classroom. It ultimately helps to keep students participating and involved in the lesson -- even if that means getting them physically moving. 

“It’s quite clear in this collection that even among like-minded folks there are seven or more applications of active learning that work and sometimes they work in contradictory ways,” said researcher Ken Koedinger. “There is so much richness in this field that we can continually make improvements to make it more effective and enjoyable for a long, long time.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from Johns Hopkins University suggests that practicing handwriting is an important skill that helps kids learn how to read. 

Although writing on paper may seem unnecessary now that computers and other devices have become so much more mainstream, researchers say practicing handwriting leads to better reading development than either watching videos or reading typed words.

“The question out there for parents and educators is why should our kids spend any time doing handwriting,” said researcher Brenda Rapp. “Obviously, you’re going to be a better hand-writer if you practice it. But since people are handwriting less then maybe who cares? The real question is: Are there other benefits to handwriting that have to do with reading and spelling and understanding? We find there most definitely are.” 

The benefits of writing by hand

For the study, the researchers divided over 40 participants into three groups to learn the Arabic alphabet. Participants either watched videos, typed the letters, or wrote them out by hand, and the researchers determined how well each group retained the information they were taught. 

In assessing various skills, the team learned that the participants that were writing by hand were the most proficient in the Arabic alphabet, and they became proficient much faster than participants in any of the other two groups. The handwriting group excelled in writing new words, recognizing letters, and decoding the most difficult words. 

“The main lesson is that even though they were all good at recognizing letters, the writing training was the best at every other measure,” said researcher Robert Wiley. “And they required less time to get there. With writing, you’re getting a stronger representation in your mind that lets you scaffold toward these other types of tasks that don’t in any way involve handwriting.” 

Though the study included adults learning a new language, the researchers believe that the findings would translate to children learning to read. The team hopes these findings can inform educators so that language education through handwriting can continue.

A new study conducted by researchers from the National Institutes of Health explored the best way for consumers to go about learning a new skill. 

According to their findings, stepping away from practice for a little while might be the answer. They explained that taking short breaks from a lesson or practice session can be an effective way to perform better later on. 

“Our results support the idea that wakeful rest plays just as important a role as practice in learning a new skill,” said researcher Dr. Leonardo G. Cohen. “It appears to be the period when our brains compress and consolidate memories of what we just practiced. Understanding this role of neural replay may not only shape how we learn new skills, but also how we help patients recover skills after neurological injury like stroke.” 

Sharpening our skills

For the study, the researchers had 33 right-handed participants complete an experiment. The group was given a five-digit code, and their goal was to type the code into a computer with their left hand as many times as they could for 10 seconds. They conducted 35 trials, alternating between 10 seconds of the test and 10 seconds of rest. During these trials, the researchers monitored the participants’ brain waves and used a comprehensive computer program to translate their brain activity. 

“We wanted to explore the mechanisms behind memory strengthening seen during wakeful rest,” said researcher Ethan R. Buch, Ph.D. “Several forms of memory appear to rely on the replaying of neural activity, so we decided to test this idea out for procedural skill learning.” 

The researchers learned that during the designated rest periods, the participants’ brains replayed the five-digit code at a rapid pace. Then, when they went to go back in for the experiment, they were often faster and more accurate at punching in the code with their left hands. The team explained that the more times the brain replayed the code during the rest periods, the better the participants performed during the trial. 

“During the early part of the learning curve, we saw that wakeful rest replay was compressed in time, frequent, and a good predictor of variability in learning a new skill across individuals,” said Dr. Buch. “This suggests that during wakeful rest, the brain binds together the memories required to learn a new skill.” 

“Overall, our results support the idea that manipulating replay activity during waking rest may be a powerful tool that researchers can use to help individuals learn new skills faster and possibly facilitate rehabilitation from stroke,” added Cohen. 

Many students stress about getting good grades, but findings from a new study suggest that there are other important aspects when it comes to being a good student. 

According to a new report from the Taylor & Francis Group, faculty and students in higher education believe the ideal student excels in more than just academics. The researchers explained that factors like punctuality, organization, and mindset are just as important.

“Marketisation has directed higher education institutions and policies to focus on student support and provisions that promote better experience and value,” the researchers wrote. “By contrast, expectations of university students are under-researched and understated, with less attention placed on what and how students should perform in higher education. 

“This paper further develops the contrast of the ideal student at university, which aims to promote transparency and explicitness about what is expected of students, and potentially alleviate inequalities driven by implicit and unspoken rules of higher education.” 

What is an ideal student?

The researchers conducted surveys and let focus groups that included data on over 1,100 students and faculty members across British schools. Participants wrote down their most and least important qualities associated with the ideal student, and then they voted on the ones that they considered most important.

Ultimately, the researchers narrowed down the list to the top eight most important qualities of an ideal student. They include:

• Diligence and engagement 

• Organization and discipline

• Reflection and innovation

• Positive and confident outlook 

• Support of others

• Academic skills

• Employability skills

• Intelligence

“Being intelligent and strategic do not appear to be important for staff and only moderately more importantly for students,” said researcher Dr. Billy Wong. “This is surprising, given the extent to which graduates are often judged on their degree results. Universities are also increasingly measured, advertised, and ranked by the employment statistics of their graduates, so it is interesting to see that employment skills feature towards the bottom of the ideal list of attributes.”  

Not all about grades

These findings are important because they show that academic performance isn’t the number one quality that university students or faculty members consider to be important when thinking of what makes an ideal student. However, the team learned that students and staff members had differing opinions about what the most important qualities were. 

Overall, having a positive mindset and better general mental health were more important qualities to students. On the other hand, staff members viewed employability as a more prominent skill. The researchers hope that these findings highlight the role that mental health plays in college students’ success. By knowing how highly college students rank mindset, universities have a chance to do their part to ensure that students feel encouraged and supported in and out of the classroom. 

“The importance of student happiness and confidence is crucial in efforts to promote better student mental health and well-being, especially as demands for university mental health services and counseling have reportedly increased in recent years,” Dr. Wong said.