Your kids’ NAPLAN results are linked to far more than their time spent on homework, new research from The Australian National University has found.
Before assigning that extra practice exam, working on your child’s well-being could have major benefits. The researchers found subjective well-being has a significant impact on academic performance.
By studying 3,400 students across Australia, the researchers found that self-reported levels of depression had a large, negative effect on their NAPLAN results months later.
“This research has a far more wide-reaching effect than just NAPLAN tests, it shapes the way education professionals should approach teaching as a whole,” study author Dr Diana Cardenas said.
“Our findings show that teaching for test scores isn’t enough. There is great benefit when schools care about the head and the heart of their students.”
“Subjective well-being – how a person perceives their emotions and experiences – is an under-explored area in education.”
According to the researchers, previous studies have focused on depression and anxiety from a medical viewpoint, excluding the experience of the vast majority of students who may experience low well-being, but lack a professional diagnosis.
“Quantifying these relationships taking many other factors into account has been a major challenge for researchers but now there is clear evidence,” study co-author Dr Kate Reynolds said.
The research found it is not only students with diagnosed depression that perform worse academically, but also those that perceive themselves as having a low sense of well-being.
Dr Cardenas and her team, which includes members of the Gradient Institute and a long-term ANU collaboration with the ACT Education Directorate, aim to use this research to shape the education system in Australia.
“Schools serve as a key institution for building positive futures and for liaison between families and community services, which can together address youth depression and well-being,” she said.
“Better understanding the relationship between well-being and performance will help inform new resources and innovation in the advancement of child and youth well-being.”
This study has been published in Scientific Reports.
