Why rethinking wellness could help students and teachers thrive

(Press-News.org) Teachers supervising students in school-sponsored work sites tend to prioritize emotional and social well-being in the workplace, according to research from Rutgers Health.

 

The study, published in Occupational Health, examined how educators approach student wellness and the factors they prioritize when preparing students to enter the workforce.

 

Led by Maryanne Campbell, assistant director of the New Jersey Safe Schools Program at the Rutgers School of Public Health, researchers evaluated a pilot activity based on the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Eight Dimensions of Wellness model. The activity was offered as an optional module during the required New Jersey Safe Schools Program training for secondary school work-based learning supervision.

 

“The results of this ‘Eight Dimensions of Young Worker Wellness’ activity revealed both overlaps among the wellness dimensions and how teachers could distinguish the environment’s social and physical aspects from its biological and chemical aspects through their qualitative responses,” Campbell said. “This supports the idea that wellness is multifaceted and interconnected.”

 

Between February and November 2024, 67 teachers participated in virtual training sessions and completed the optional activity, reflecting on student worker scenarios and identifying how each of the eight wellness dimensions – emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual – applied.

 

Analysis of open-ended responses found that educators most frequently prioritized emotional and social dimensions when identifying key factors that contribute to young workers’ overall well-being.

 

According to Rutgers Health researchers, the study addresses a gap in occupational health research by exploring how teachers conceptualize and apply wellness principles for themselves and their students in real-world work settings.

 

Findings from the study also suggest the activity can serve as a professional development tool designed to enhance educator wellness while strengthening protective factors for students.

 

“Given the roles and responsibilities teachers have with school-aged students, it is important for schools to prioritize the wellness of teachers and educational support professionals,” Campbell said. “The goal is to create school environments where teachers can teach and thrive professionally in nurturing and stable settings.”

 

In the study, the framework encouraged teachers to consider how emotional, social and environmental factors shape workplace experiences for young workers, offering insights to schools and districts seeking to strengthen their support systems.

 

The Eight Dimensions of Wellness model broadens the conversation around health by emphasizing that well-being extends beyond physical and mental health alone, the researchers said.

 

"This new training intervention with evaluation research is another example of the interdisciplinary strength of our School of Public Health and when we collaborate with other schools and institutes within Rutgers Health and the broader Rutgers University,” said Derek Shendell, a professor at the School of Public Health, director of the New Jersey Safe Schools Program and senior author of the study.

 

Shendell said several of his grant-funded initiatives led to working with Margaret Swarbrick, a research professor in the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology and co-director of ScarletWell.

 

“This project, our adaptation of her original model for use with secondary schools, has broad potential,” Shendell added.

 

The researchers recommended that future studies expand data collection to include participant demographics, pre- and post-assessments of knowledge and attitudes and longitudinal tracking of student outcomes.

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