Fostering Student Well-being in Higher Education: Exploring individual and contextual factors through positive psychology and systemic lenses

In recent decades, university students have consistently reported higher levels of anxiety, depression, and distress than non-studying young adults. Faced with various challenges, students appear particularly vulnerable during their formative years at university – which has become even more pronounced in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, universities are increasingly investing in student well-being, recognising that students perform better when they feel well. Ultimately, students can contribute to society as healthier citizens.
This dissertation follows this line of educational psychological research, aiming to promote a more positive view on student well-being focusing on increasing positive emotions and happiness rather than solely decreasing feelings of depression or anxiety. Additionally, we investigated individual and contextual factors influencing student well-being. Regarding the latter, the Self-Determination Theory guided this dissertation, emphasising the importance of fulfilling students’ basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. We propose that learning environments can satisfy these needs and, in doing so, promote student well-being.
We addressed three overarching research areas in this dissertation. First, we investigated the conceptualisation of well-being at university and the relationship between student and teacher well-being. Second, we examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected students, specifically focusing on individual and contextual factors. Lastly, we created and evaluated an intervention, in which students and teachers adjust the course to promote students’ well-being by satisfying their basic psychological needs. Overall, this dissertation offers new perspectives on how to foster student well-being and highlights the role of the university in this pursuit.