Educational practices that are conducive to mental health include teaching strategies, planning learning activities, classroom management, supervision, and educational relationships, learning assessment, accommodation management and educational activities with content that promotes mental health.
With these elements, teachers can play an important role in creating a learning context that minimizes stress factors and performance anxiety in students. However, this does not mean that teachers should avoid all stress in students. Stress is part of a normal course of study and can even contribute to the development of learning, promote concentration, and increase motivation to pursue the subject. It’s when stress intensifies to the point of generating anxiety, hindering self-fulfillment, or having a negative impact on self-esteem that it can become problematic.
To support mental health, inclusive educational practices are highly appropriate. They recognize the diversity and variability of needs and offer equal learning opportunities to all students, considering sociocultural characteristics.
What can be done to encourage teaching practices that promote student mental health?
- Diversify the types of assessment or provide students with the opportunity to choose between different assessment formats.
- Vary teaching strategies to maintain interest and motivation.
- Use digital tools that offer inclusive learning opportunities.
- Survey students on teaching strategies and learning activities that promote positive mental health.
- Ensure consistency between course content and plan.
Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur (2021) Plan d’action sur la santé mentale étudiante en enseignement supérieur 2021-2026
Legendre, R. (2005) Dictionnaire actuel de l’éducation (3e éd.)
Houssaye, J. (2000) Le triangle pédagogique (3e éd.)
Centre d’innovation en santé mentale sur les campus (2021). Comment aider les étudiants souffrant d’anxiété liée aux examens : Un guide pour le personnel enseignant
Baik, C. et al. (2019) How universities can enhance student mental wellbeing: The student perspective
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