Teachers as role models for youth well-being
How modelling resilience, identity and interaction could enhance well-being amongst secondary school students
E.C. Eikelenboom (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
J.I.J.C. de Koning – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
R.A. Price – Mentor (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
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Abstract
Youth well-being is declining, driven by rising stress, pressure, expectations, and a lack of role models who demonstrate how to foster resilience (Dopmeijer et al., 2023; GGD GHOR Nederland et al., 2024). Well-being complaints seem to appear and intensify in secondary school (Borg et al., 2024). At puberty in particular, insecurities kick in, and youth seek a sense of identity, purpose, and meaning (Green et al., 2022; Strating et al., 2024). Youth can learn skills, norms, and identity from role models such as family, friends and teachers, fostering their well-being (Dopmeijer et al., 2023; Kearney et al., 2020). Role models could further enhance youth well-being by modelling behaviour and behavioural norms, and by representing what is possible or inspiring them to pursue certain goals (Morgenroth et al., 2015). Schools play a significant role in daily life and are well-positioned to support well-being from an early age, and teachers could be important role models for students (Dopmeijer et al., 2023; Kearney et al., 2020; Peeters et al., 2022). However, teachers often do not know exactly what role modelling means, and why it is beneficial; role modelling should therefore be made more explicit and intentional for them (Sanderse, 2012).
For a teacher to be a role model for well-being, three key components have been identified: resilience, identity, and interaction. Showing resilience could help students find ways to deal with stress and worry, be vulnerable, adopt a helpful mindset and shift norms. Showing identity could help students find purpose and meaning and build confidence. Showing interaction could set behavioural norms and foster connections. To intentionally showcase resilience, identity, or interactions, a teacher must first reflect on how they have personally experienced these themes in the past. Then, to make them explicit, the teacher could share them with their students. To assist the teacher in navigating this process in a structured, purposeful manner, the design goal was to create a tool that intentionally and explicitly showcases their unique resilience, identity, and/or interactions, so the teacher can serve as a behavioural model, represent the possible, or inspire their students.
Therefore, Ways to Well-Being has been developed. Ways to Well-Being guides teachers through the following steps:
Becoming aware of what role modelling is and can do.
Reflecting on their own ‘ways to well-being’ to make them more intentional and explicit.
Making these ‘ways’ visible to students, showing why the ‘ways’ matter, and opening up conversations.
Showing how students can copy these ‘ways’ to use for themselves.
The tool has been evaluated with over 30 teachers and 30 students, resulting in many insights. Students value seeing more of their teachers’ lives and personalities, and teachers like the ability to show their human side. Although vulnerability can become a barrier for some teachers, it also fosters empathy from students towards teachers, and can help students feel related to their teachers and less alone when they experience something similar. Overall, this points to great potential for a teacher to serve as a role model to support youth well-being through resilience, identity and interaction.