Another challenge: The role of teachers in supporting pupil emotional health and well-being

In an era of competing agendas, when schools are asked to address all sorts of issues from raising attainment to social inclusion, how well prepared do you feel to provide emotional support to your pupils, to identify those in need of specific help and to contribute to their emotional and mental development? How do you balance these expectations with those of raising attainment and of delivering the new approaches of Curriculum for Excellence?

Over the last decade there have been several initiatives seeking to enhance the role of schools in promoting good mental health among young people, ranging from curricular initiatives as part of health promotion programmes to concepts like 'emotional intelligence' and to a view of schools as early intervention agencies, identifying young people in need of support and providing such support. The researchers, from the University of Bristol, argue that there is a lack of clarity about what policy initiatives expect of schools as they vary in their use of terminology and as there is potential tension between this agenda and that which emphasises the prime target for schools as being enhanced attainment.

The researchers interviewed a small sample of fourteen people from eight secondary schools in different regions of England, some of whom were teachers, some teaching assistants and some with other emotional health and well-being (EHWB) responsibilities. From these interviews they identified three major themes:

  • Teaching and EHWB are inseparable - it is intrinsic in teacher-pupil interaction as the pupil's (and the teacher's) emotional state will influence their relationships and, in the pupil's case, affect the ability to learn.
  • Many teachers are reluctant to engage in EHWB work - some feel that they are unable to focus successfully both on this aspect of pupil needs and on learning and teaching. In addition, many teachers are uncomfortable about their own capacity to deliver this kind of support, feeling that they lack the expertise and skills required to address these issues.
  • Teachers' own emotional health needs are being neglected - teaching has always been acknowledged to be a profession which can be emotionally draining, especially as other pressures such as bureaucracy, forward planning, assessment and constant expectations of progress in examination attainment compete with those of surviving challenging behaviour in the classroom. This can result in more difficult relationships with pupils, as the teacher-pupil relationship can be a source of emotional support or a cause of emotional distress to both parties. However, there are no support systems to help teachers to cope with such distress.

The researchers identify two implications for the EHWB agenda as it affects schools. First, they conclude that whole school approaches, including the development of relationship policies, are important. These policies should be designed to improve both teacher-pupil relationships and those between teachers and managers, thus contributing to reducing teacher workload stress as well as to a better emotional atmosphere in the school.

Second, they maintain that for teachers to be effective promoters of EHWB there must be greater clarity about what EHWB interventions seek to achieve. Only then will it be possible to prepare teachers adequately to undertake their role(s) with confidence. This process should include demonstrating the links between this aspect of school work and the other purposes of the school, showing how successful promotion of EHWB can carry benefits for learning and teaching.

Details: J. Kidger, D. Gunnell, L. Biddle, R. Campbell and J. Donovan, Part and parcel of teaching? Secondary school staff's views on supporting student emotional health and well-being, British Educational Research Journal, vol. 36, no.6, December 2010, pp. 919-935.

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