Examining The Influence of Multiple Mental Health Trainings on the Andragogical Practices of Secondary English Language Arts Teachers: A Case Study

The increasing prevalence of adolescent mental health issues has underscored the importance of examining how mental health training programs for teachers are implemented. This multiple-case, embedded study explored the impact of mental health trainings under states’ laws and Project AWARE on secondary English language arts (ELA) teachers’ andragogical and hebegogical instructional practices. The research was guided by two key questions: (1) How are mental health trainings under Project AWARE and state laws implemented in two southeastern states? and (2) How do high school English language arts (ELA) teachers in two southeastern states incorporate mental health trainings within their andragogical practices and hebegogical instructional practices? This study applied the theoretical frameworks of andragogy, hebegogy, and social constructivism to analyze how mental health knowledge is socially constructed within school systems and how training influenced teachers’ understanding of adolescent mental health needs. Data were gathered from four 9th and 10th-grade ELA teachers in two southeastern states through publicly available documents, semi-structured interviews, and participant-provided materials. Qualitative analysis employed thematic analysis for interviews and Bowen’s (2009) document analysis for document data sets. Findings revealed that mental health trainings were implemented through shared (1) the goals, policies, guidelines, and resources provided under state laws, (2) in various online and in person formats, and (3) in teachers learning and skills to address students’ mental health situations and make connections between mental health topics and subject area content. Training increased teachers' awareness, understanding, and empathy toward students’ mental health needs, leading to more supportive instructional practices.