Grant Recipients
Megan McCarthy, Psychology, Faculty of Arts
Stacy Denton, English Language and Literature, Faculty of Arts
Rebecca MacAlpine, Centre for Teaching Excellence
Leah Foster, Health Promotion, Campus Wellness
Melissa Potwarka, Health Promotion, Campus Wellness
(Project timeline: September 2025 - April 2027)
Description
Research has established key teaching practices that enhance student well-being. However, less research has explored how these teaching practices affect the well-being of instructors. Some pedagogical approaches may be more taxing for instructors, which may, in turn, affect teaching effectiveness and the broader learning environment. Therefore, this project places a spotlight on exploring the teaching practices that impact the well-being of both students and instructors in the classroom environment with an emphasis on determining if there’s alignment between these practices.
As a collaboration between the Co-directors of the Art’s First program, Campus Wellness, and the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) we will recruit participants from a pool of approximately 1,300 first year Arts First students and 25 instructors and will administer surveys to those who consent to participate during the Fall 2025 Winter 2026 academic terms.
Results of the survey data will inform the integration of pedagogical well-being practices throughout all Arts First courses. In addition, we aim to translate our findings to the broader first-year context, specifically, through the Undergraduate Communication Requirement (UCR) courses offered in each Faculty. These courses share similar stressors and experiences associated with the transition to university.
Research Questions
- What specific teaching practices are associated with self-reported well-being for students in Arts 160?
- What specific teaching practices are associated with self-reported well-being for instructors in Arts 160?
- Where are there similarities and differences between the teaching practices that promote student and instructor well-being?
- Which teaching practices do students and instructors believe are most important for their well-being?