College Students’ Perspectives on Teaching Practices to Impact Well-Being

Mental health challenges are increasingly impacting young adults’ academic lives, leading instructors to consider adjusting teaching practices. Research points to the advantages of employing a compassionate education framework as a systematic approach to navigating poor mental health, but the perspective of young adult college students has yet to be incorporated (Andrew et al. Citation2023). This mixed-methods study aimed to first examine the impact of mental health on academic life generally and across specific academic tasks and assessments. Second, we sought student feedback on possible compassionate teaching practices, from quantitative and qualitative lenses. Results from an undergraduate sample (N = 284) revealed impacts of mental health and sleep on students’ academic lives while communication challenges and inflexibility were consistently detrimental as well. Students reported the following practices as most impactful to their well-being (% strongly agree): providing clear expectations for coursework (77%), reminding the class about deadlines (74%), spacing out assignments (74%), giving helpful feedback on assignments (73%), providing opportunities for practice or review (72%), and providing clear deadlines (68%). Overall, student feedback coalesced around highly feasible ways to promote well-being in the classroom. Thematic analyses revealed an emphasis on classroom culture, while quantitative findings offered specific practices for cultivating this.