Mental Wellbeing

Education for Mental Health Toolkit - Prepare and support students in non-classroom learning spaces

An increasing number of university students are now required to engage in learning outside of virtual or in person classrooms, and this can occupy a significant proportion of their time (1).

Prepare and support students in non-classroom learning spaces

An increasing number of university students are now required to engage in learning outside of virtual or in person classrooms, and this can occupy a significant proportion of their time (1).  Placements and field trips provide students with a variety of opportunities for learning, growth, increased social connection and sense of identity but also raise considerable academic, practical, organisational and emotional demands. As a consequence, placement design, management, preparation or experience can impact on student mental health, with potential negative outcomes for wellbeing, learning and performance (2, 3). In this section we will explore the relationship between student wellbeing and non-classroom learning spaces, with a specific focus on the following:

Education for Mental Health

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Professional placements (Healthcare and Teaching Education)      

Students on professional courses, particularly in healthcare, can spend around 50% of their time on placement, making it a significant part of their learning experience (4). There can be large variations between types of placements, meaning students must re-orientate to a new workplace setting, culture and role with each move (5). A number of researchers have highlighted placement as a key factor in the concerning levels of student attrition from undergraduate healthcare courses (6-9). It has been suggested that placement can create a number of stressors that can negatively impact on wellbeing, including isolation from cohort, emotionally troubling workplace incidents, such as patient death and financial strain (10, 11). Similar challenges have also been found among students on teacher education programs (12). Addressing the challenge of placement can be additionally complicated for academic teams, as placement requirements and curriculum are often set externally by regulatory bodies.

Non-professional placements     

A drive to link university to the world of work has seen an increase in placements across Faculties and Colleges (13, 14) These placements have been noted by students as a significant stressor largely due to the heavy workload and emotional demands of working with people whose behaviour is challenging (14). Some research highlights students’ perceptions that they require more support when on placement in order to foster their wellbeing (15). This work calls for the incorporation of effective and appropriate strategies into pedagogical and institutional practice to support students and to positively contribute to their wellbeing during placement.

Field Trips     

Field trips are an important aspect of many university courses and are part of the identity, culture and history of some academic disciplines (1), particularly those who require engagement with field work, such as Geography. Geology, Archaeology and Environmental Science. Research has suggested that field trips enhance students’ understanding of the subject area and have a positive impact on the social interaction between the cohort (16). However, there is also evidence that field trips can be a ‘profoundly challenging ordeal’ and may not support positive student wellbeing (17). Research by Tucker and Horton (17) found that many participants reported that field trips had a negative impact on their wellbeing, particularly residential field trips. These reports recounted instances of students experiencing panic attacks, episodes of self-harm, suicidal ideation and overwhelming distress (17, 18). There are also inclusivity concerns in relations to field trips, specifically around cultural differences, menstruation, gender disparities, socioeconomic differences (i.e., not affording the right equipment), and students with physical disabilities (18-20).
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References
  1. Ryan G, Toohey S, Hughes C. The purpose, value and structure of the practicum in higher education: A literature review. Higher Education. 1996 Apr 1;31(3):355-77.
  2. Deasy C, Coughlan B, Pironom J, Jourdan D, Mannix-McNamara P. Psychological distress and coping amongst higher education students: A mixed method enquiry. Plos one. 2014 Dec 15;9(12):e115193.
  3. Grant-Smith D, Gillett-Swan J, Chapman R. WILWellbeing: Exploring the impacts of unpaid practicum on student wellbeing. Report submitted to the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE). Curtin University: Perth. 2017.
  4. Ali PA. Professional development and the role of mentorship. Nursing standard. 2008 Jun 25;22(42).
  5. Ford K, Courtney-Pratt H, Marlow A, Cooper J, Williams D, Mason R. Quality clinical placements: The perspectives of undergraduate nursing students and their supervising nurses. Nurse Education Today. 2016 Feb 1;37:97-102.
  6. Cameron J, Roxburgh M, Taylor J, Lauder W. Why students leave in the UK: an integrative review of the international research literature. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 2011 Apr;20(7‐8):1086-96.
  7. McKenna L, McCall L, Wray N. Clinical placements and nursing students' career planning: A qualitative exploration. International Journal of Nursing Practice. 2010 Apr;16(2):176-82.
  8. Pryjmachuk S, Easton K, Littlewood A. Nurse education: Factors associated with attrition. Journal of advanced nursing. 2009 Jan;65(1):149-60.
  9. Lang T. Crisis? What crisis? The normality of the current food crisis. Journal of Agrarian Change. 2010 Jan;10(1):87-97.
  10. Hughes GJ, Byrom NC. Managing student mental health: The challenges faced by academics on professional healthcare courses. Journal of advanced nursing. 2019 Jul;75(7):1539-48.
  11. Johnstone E, Brough M, Crane P, Marston G, Correa-Velez I. Field placement and the impact of financial stress on social work and human service students. Australian Social Work. 2016 Oct 1;69(4):481-94.
  12. Geng G, Midford R. Investigating first year education students' stress level. Australian Journal of Teacher Education (Online). 2015 Jan;40(6):1-2.
  13. Bennett R, Eagle L, Mousley W, Ali‐Choudhury R. Reassessing the value of work‐experience placements in the context of widening participation in higher education. Journal of Vocational Education and Training. 2008 Jun 1;60(2):105-22.
  14. Deasy C, Coughlan B, Pironom J, Jourdan D, Mannix-McNamara P. Psychological distress and coping amongst higher education students: A mixed method enquiry. Plos one. 2014 Dec 15;9(12):e115193.
  15. Taylor M, McLean L, Bryce CI, Abry T, Granger KL. The influence of multiple life stressors during Teacher Training on Burnout and Career Optimism in the first year of teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education. 2019 Nov 1;86:102910.
  16. Fuller IC. What is the value of fieldwork? Answers from New Zealand using two contrasting undergraduate physical geography field trips. New Zealand Geographer. 2006 Dec;62(3):215-20.
  17. Tucker F, Horton J. “The show must go on!” Fieldwork, mental health and wellbeing in Geography, Earth, and Environmental Sciences. Area. 2019 Mar;51(1):84-93.
  18. Dowey N, Barclay J, Fernando B, Giles S, Houghton J, Jackson C, Khatwa A, Lawrence A, Mills K, Newton A, Rogers S. A UK perspective on tackling the geoscience racial diversity crisis in the Global North. Nature Geoscience. 2021 May;14(5):256-9.
  19. Greene S, Ashley K, Dunne E, Edgar K, Giles S, Hanson E. Toilet stops in the field: An educational primer and recommended best practices for field-based teaching. 2020.
  20. Lavie Alon N, Tal T. Student self-reported learning outcomes of field trips: The pedagogical impact. International Journal of Science Education. 2015 May 24;37(8):1279-98.