Impact Of 21st Century Pedagogical Approaches on Students' Mental Health and Well-Being

The growing attention to students’ mental health has led to increased scrutiny of the influence of education on psychological well-being. In modern education, teaching methods, classroom atmosphere and teacher–student interaction is considered to be the primary factors that affect students’ emotional and mental states. The purpose of this research was to explore the influence of educational interventions on the mental health and well-being of higher education students. Descriptive correlational research methodology was employed. Using random sampling, the participants consisted of 200 postgraduate students of Burdwan University. Standardised tools were utilised to assess the 21st-century pedagogical approach and mental health and well-being. A descriptive, correlational analysis, regression and ANOVA were used for data analysis. From the results, it was found that the majority of the students had achieved a moderate level of 21st-century Pedagogical Approach and mental health. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.62, p < .01) was observed between the Pedagogical Approaches and mental health. Regression analysis revealed that educational practices were a significant predictor of mental health (β = 0.62, p < 0.01), accounting for 38% of the variance. Mental health varied significantly at different levels of educational practices according to ANOVA. The discussion emphasises that positive, student-focused Pedagogical Approaches promote students’ psychological well-being, both in line with Self-Determination Theory and Ecological Systems Theory. This study infers that enhancing Pedagogical Approaches may contribute significantly to the mental health and holistic development of students. The results have implications for educators and policymakers to support the development of more inclusive and mentally supportive educational environments.