Strategy to Support Adult Learners' Well-being in FE/HE Assignment Sample

Introduction: Addressing Stress in Adult Learners: Effective Strategies

Background of the project

This project is based on the strategy that is used to support adult learners who are suffering from stress while accomplishing FE/HE courses through the role of Well-being Support Workers or other sufficiently trained staff. Supporting adult learners who experience stress and strain during the completion of further education or higher educational courses is considered to be important to ensure the well-being and career success of the learners. Campbell et al. (2022) have mentioned that the pursuit of further education and higher education courses often coincides with significant stressors for adult learners, as they have to manage their family and personal responsibilities along with education, and life transitions (McFadden et al. 2021). This excessive stress sometimes becomes detrimental to academic performance, physical, and mental health, and well-being. Here comes the importance of adopting strategies and intervention plans by the institutions to recognize the challenges and mental health and wellness of the students.

According to the statistics, in 2022, 57% of adult learners mentioned that they are going through excessive mental stress or health issues due to excessive pressure of education and life transition, whereas 27% of the adult students in the UK have been diagnosed with mental health issues due to stress (Sparvell, 2021). In such a scenario, according to many researchers, the intervention for stress management and well-being support can increase the rate of success in academics, and can also increase the retention rate among adult learners. This intervention can include mindfulness training, counseling services, access to community resources, and psychoeducation. According to Szkody et al. (2021), by addressing the stress and promotion of well-being strategies and approaches, the institution can create a supportive learning environment for the students who are in higher education and further education and go through excessive stress. This project will therefore explore the effectiveness of specific interventions and optimal roles and training requirements for the well-being of Support Workers in this context.

The Report Structure

The structure of this report:

Figure: Structure of the Report

Aim and Objectives of the project

To explore the available options for adult learners at the age of 19 years and above who experience alleviated stress during HE/FE course study through utilizing Adult well-being workers or similar professionals. Therefore, the objectives of this report will be:

• To identify the stresses being experienced by adult learners while completing higher education and further educational courses
• To review what is working well in supporting adult learners with their mental health and stress issues experienced at the time of Higher Education and Further Education courses in the UK.
• To identify the best possible solution to frame the effective support strategies and tools to suppress the stress among adult learners and increase their academic performance
• To examine the approaches used by trained professionals to address stress alleviation among the learners

Research Question

Considering the objectives, the research questions will be as follows:

Can targeted support or strategies of Adult well-being workers and other trained staff in HE/HE institutions help adult learners reduce the stress in FE/HE courses and institutions?

Based on this research questions, the sub-questions will be:

• What are the specific stress and strain the adult learners used to experience while going through He/FE courses?
• To what extent the wellbeing support workers and other designated care workers can minimize the stress level being experienced by the adult learners during the HE/FE course?
• What are the strategies and intervention plans with which stress among adult learners can be minimized during HE/FE courses?
• What are the impact and effectiveness of support strategies to reduce stress levels and increase academic performance among adult learners in higher education and further education courses?

Literature Review

In the UK, it is commonly evident that people with the age of above 19 years have the tendency to return to educational fields like Higher Education or Further education courses to a considerable extent. despite the sudden outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic and its detrimental impact on mental health issues of learners and the educational field 2022/23 statistics show that, in the UK, the number of adults (19+) return to further education courses is 1,071,900 whereas the number of adults taking part in higher education courses in the country is 506,100 (Campbell et al. 2022). Despite this striking increase in the percentage of joining higher education and further education courses in the UK in FY of 2022/23 in reference to the prior year (5.3%, and 50% respectively), it is commonly seen that many adult learners undergo excessive stress and strain during the educational coursework. According to the survey, carried out by Prioritising wellbeing in higher education: strategies for improving students' mental health. (2022), in 2021/22, 71 percent of the adult student reported that they felt anxious about their classes, and coursework. Labrague, (2021) have mentioned that adult learners in higher education and further educational courses often face unique stress and challenges which in turn can impact their academic performance and overall well-being. Numerous studies identified that there are varied and numerous factors or stressors that contribute to the alleviation of strain among adult learners in FE/HE courses. Steiner & Woo, (2021) have mentioned that excessive pressure on academics, like deadlines for coursework, strict rules and policies of attending classes, academic performance, and expectations can be cited as stressors. additionally, adult learners, specifically those the age of 20 years and above used to juggle in multiple roles and responsibilities at home and in their professional livelihoods. These responsibilities include family obligations, work, and financial constraints, which can further alleviate the level of stress among these students. Dabrowski, (2020) have mentioned that, despite the professional and personal lives, there are feelings of isolation, several disabilities, imposter syndrome, and fear of failure that can exacerbate the amount of stress being experienced by adult learners during Higher Education and/or Further Education Course work.

Considering the stress factors for adult learners in higher education and further education courses, Campbell et al. (2022) has mentioned that recognizing and addressing this stress is important to offer effective support to them and help them to improve in academic performance. There are several researches that proposed various intervention strategies to support adult learners and facilitate their mental health and well-being in higher education and further education setup. According to the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping strategy, stress used to arise from the transactional relationship of individuals with their surroundings, where the possible threats and challenges exceed the coping resources (Gillard et al. 2022). This theory was first proposed by Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman, where they prioritized on intricate dynamics of stress and how an individual will interact with his surroundings to deal with the stress experiences. Therefore, according to Hou et al. (2020), the transactional model of stress and coping strategy can support adult learners with mental stress in Higher Education and Further Education to identify the stressors related to their educational environments, such as academic pressure, financial constraints, and work-life balance. By understanding the transactional nature of the stress factors, the educators the Support workers, and specialized trained staff can implement coping strategies and intervention plans to help the adult learners by reducing the impact of stress (Litam & Balkin, 2021).

Figure: Transactional Model of Stress and Coping

Considering the stress factors for adult learners in higher education and further educational coursework, various intervention strategies have been proposed by researchers to support adult learners and promote mental health and well-being. According to Gillard et al. (2022), psychoeducational programs, like mindfulness training, and relaxation techniques can offer promising outcomes to reduce stress levels among learners and enhance their coping abilities. Hunter, (2021) have mentioned that sometimes, peer support and mentorship programs play important roles in reducing stress levels among learners by providing opportunities for social interaction, and emotional support, which in turn can mitigate the sense of isolation, and feelings of failure. Therefore, the implementation of a multifaceted approach that addresses the diversified needs of adult learners is considered to be essential to promoting well-being and enhancement of academic performance. Robertson, Mulcahy & Baars, (2022) have mentioned that when it comes to implementing interventions or strategies to reduce stress among adult learners, the roles of well-being support workers can never be overlooked. Musikanski et al. (2021) have mentioned that these professionals are being trained to assess the specific needs of adult learners, and provide them with individualized support and resources. The responsibilities of a Wellbeing Support Worker in any institution include the conduct of need assessment offering psychoeducation sessions and offering one-to-one counseling sessions, where the learners can share their experiences and find out the best-fit coping strategies to overcome the stress related to higher education and further education courses.

Methodology

This report aims to explore the available and the best possible options for adult learners aged 19 years and above with which they can manage the stress, they have experienced in higher education/ further education study. Another important purpose of this report is to identify and analyse the role of Adult Wellbeing Workers and Similar other trained professionals in implementing coping strategies with which the adult learners can deal with the alleviate level of stress during the course. Therefore, to meet these aims and pre-defined objectives of the report, the secondary qualitative research method will be the best fit methodological strategy. As per the research onion, an inductive research approach has been selected for this proposed work. The justification for using the inductive research approach lies in the scenario, that this approach can allow us to explore and identify the available options to manage the stress for adult learners in higher or further educational contexts (Newman & Gough, 2020). According to Pandey & Pandey, (2021), by starting with specific observations, and analysis of coping strategies used by the adult learners researchers can generalize their findings and develop a wider perception and recommendation in line with the research question. Additionally, considering the research purpose, the inductive research approach would be best fit to identify and analyse the role of Adult Well-being Support Workers in terms of implementing coping strategies. Moreover, by using the inductive approach, the researcher can get the scope to analyse the real-world experiences and practices of professionalism which in turn can allow a deeper understanding of the role of well-being support workers and other trained professionals in managing mental stress and well-being of adult learners.

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To carry out the secondary qualitative research approach, a systematic review of literature has been used to collect qualitative information regarding the stressors related to the higher education/ further education course of adult learners. Terrell, (2022) has mentioned that the systematic review of the literature can provide scope for the researcher to access the existing journals and develop insight into the best-fit coping strategies for adult learners in higher or further education. By synthesizing the existing evidence, it can be easy to develop a robust foundation of effective interventions and strategic approaches for stress reduction and identifying the role of Adult Wellbeing Workers (Pandey & Pandey, 2021). To carry out the systematic review, database search, and inclusion-exclusion criteria have been used as the method of identifying the relevant sources from the online platform. The database which has been used to identify the relevant literature reviews are LTU Library, PubMed, and MEDLINE.

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria:

For this proposed research, the inclusion criteria for the selection of the research articles from the database will be:

• The articles, and journals that include information about the stressors faced by the adult learners
• The articles and journals that include some intervention or strategies to reduce the stress being faced by adult learners in an educational context
• The articles and journals that include information about the roles of Adult well-being supporters and similar-trained professionals towards stress management and reduction for adult learners.

The exclusion criteria will be:

• The articles and journals that do not include information about stress management strategies for adult learners.
• The articles which are published before 2010.

Result and Discussion

According to the research article Lebor, (2022), in the UK, from 2010 to 2020, the mental health issues among HE students increased by sixfold. In this article, a survey carried out in 2018 suggested that one-fifth of the adult learners who are undergraduates in the UK were being diagnosed with serious mental health issues, whereas one-third of the students used to experience psychological issues that needed professional help, and nine out of ten students in HE course used to struggle with the feeling of isolation and anxiety due to poor academic performance and sense of failure. This article is based on the secondary analysis of journals, and governmental reports along with the pilot survey, which stated that in the UK, female students the age of 19 years and above are twice as vulnerable to mental stress and anxiety in Higher education coursework in contrast to the male students (Sparvell, 2021). This article highlights on age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender perception, and social status as the major factors in the onset of mental stress and anxiety among students in higher education or further education courses. According to the article (Prioritising wellbeing in higher education: strategies for improving students' mental health. (2022), work-life balance has been identified as another source of stress among adult learners in higher education, which includes financial status, academic workload, and isolation or loneliness in higher education courses can have a negative impact on mental health and well-being, whereas good relation with the peers, faculty members, and advisers with the positive educational environment can put a positive impact on quality f life of the adult students. This article also suggests that the implementation of pre-departure strategies before attending HE or FE can provide a supportive network for adult learners. In the articles Robertson, Mulcahy & Baars, (2022), several intervention strategies have been identified to support the mental health and well-being of adult learners in higher education or further education courses. As per the article (FE Colleges in a New Culture of Adult and Lifelong Learning IFLL Sector Paper 7. 2021), the psychological intervention includes the cognitive-behavioral intervention and strategies like cognitive behavioral therapy which the adult learners can undergo through changes in thoughts and behavior, addressing the relationship between cognition, feelings, and behaviors (Lebor, 2022). Many meta-analyses carried out in research highlight the evidence of the positive impact of psychological intervention on generalised anxiety, and depression-related disorders, emotional skills, self-perception, and emotional distress. Many empirical studies state that cognitive behavioral therapy and psychological intervention can provide support to HE students, specifically those who are suffering from anxiety disorders due to financial, and socioeconomic crises. According to the article Robertson, Mulcahy & Baars, (2022), the four categories of coping strategies, which include problem-focused, emotion-focused, social-support, and avoidance can proactively impact on the well-being of the student in Higher education courses. Sparvell, (2021) has mentioned about the role and significance of mindfulness and self-efficacy as coping strategies of stress which have a positive impact on the mental health and wellness of adult learners in higher education courses.

According to Gillard et al (2022), to reduce stress among adult learners, the role of well-being support workers and similar other professionals is never to be overlooked. As per this article, Wellbeing support workers are used to provide support, hope, peer support, and empathy to ensure the recovery and well-being of adult learners. According to Neufeld & Malin, (2021), the importance of integrating the Wellbeing Support Workers at educational institutions is, they are responsible, skilled, and committed enough to ensure the mental health and well-being of adult learners in HE/FE courses by providing mindfulness training, peer support, counseling, and online platforms to improve academic performance.

Considering the findings, it can be underscored that there are multifaceted factors related to the onset of stress and strain among adult learners in HE/FE courses. Age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, family background, responsibilities, poor work-life balance, and gender can put the students in anxiety, and depression and facilitate the development of a sense of isolation, and a sense of failure due to poor academic performance (Neufeld & Malin, 2021). However, there are several strategies or interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, self-efficacy techniques, coping strategies, and mechanisms at educational institutions that can create a supportive environment which in turn can enhance the overall mental health and quality of life of adult learners in HE and FE courses (hunter, 2021). In this strategic intervention, the role of Wellbeing Support Workers, and similar other skilled professionals are widespread. Their role includes the provision of emotional and practical support, and facilitating access to various resources and services through which the adult students in HE or FE courses can overcome mental stress and strain due to personal and educational pressures.

Reflection

What?

My project was based on 60 hours placement program for the organization, Kladec Ltd. The training provider of this project was Klara Brittes da Silva for adult learners. During my 60-hour placement training project at Kladec Ltd, an institution for adult learners, I gained enough opportunities to gather valuable insights related to adult education and training. My experience involves assisting Klara Brittes Da Silva the training provider, from which I gained an understanding of different strategies by which the mental stress among the adult learners at the HE course can be mitigated and help them to excel in educational performance and career improvement.

So What?

One of the main challenges that I encountered during my placement program was related to the diverse learning needs of adult learners, and identifying the multifaceted factors related to stress and strain among adult learners when they proceed with higher education or further education courses (Mofatteh, 2021). I had no idea about the impact of responsibilities at the households, and work-life balance on the stress of the learners, therefore, I was also in dilemma and anxiety due to whether I could complete the project and training program properly or not. Another challenge that I faced during this training program was to ensure that all the learners received proper attention and support as per their needs.

To overcome these challenges, I preferred to work closely with Klara to develop personalized learning plans and strategies for each student, incorporating the teaching methods, resources, and intervention plan to reduce the stress for academic performance among adult learners (Neufeld & Malin, G. (2021). During the project work, I faced another challenge regarding ti identifying the specific stressors faced by the adult learners in the FE/HE course and developing strategies to address them.

Now What?

My experience working at Kladec Ltd has provided me with valuable insights into the stress that adult learners face in HE/FE courses. The project has also provided a valuable idea about the importance of implementing effective strategies to address the needs of adult learners who are going through stress in HE courses (Robertson, Mulcahy & Baars, 2022). Working with Klara and the team gave me the opportunity to see many viewpoints and methods of student assistance, which deepened my understanding of successful tactics for fostering well-being in learning environments. Through my placement at Kladec Ltd, I have developed a range of skills relevant to support adult learners in FE/HE courses in terms of helping them to excel in academic performance and reduce stress.

During this project work, I have developed strong verbal communication, along with empathy, and problem-solving skills (Robertson et al. 2022). Furthermore, working at Kladec Ltd. improved my understanding of academic ideas about helping adult learners in learning environments, especially when it came to my study topic of stress-reduction techniques for learners. I was able to use the theories and concepts, I had learned from my research to help the tuition center develop and implement assistance initiatives.

As a whole, it can be stated that my placement at Kladec Ltd., has provided me with an opportunity to apply diverse academic concepts to support adult learners who are suffering from stress in practical scenarios. By integrating theoretical knowledge and evidence-based practices into the support strategies, I can be able to tailor intervention strategies to meet the needs of learners effectively.

Conclusion

To conclude this report, it can be stated that adult learners in Higher Education and Further Educational courses face excessive stress and mental health issues, the key findings of this report underscore that there is a significant impact of stressors like academic pressure, work-life balance, personal responsibilities on overall health and well-being and overall academic performance of the learners. The role of Well-being Support Workers and other trained professionals emerged as important in providing effective support mechanisms like coping strategies, mindfulness training, cognitive therapy, and counseling, peer support to minimise the stress among adult learners. In this report, a systematic review of literature has been carried out as a preferable research method, from which it can be concluded that psychological intervention has had a positive impact on the stress reduction that the adult learners used to face in the HE course.

Reflecting on my project experiences, it can be stated that working at Kladec Ltd, was an opportunity for me to develop insights into complexities to support adult learners and how to overcome those obstacles. For future projects, I will try to focus on the survey, or pilot study to directly speak with the adult learners who faced stress in HE/FE courses in real practice so that quantitative data can put more insight into the multifaceted factors related to the stress and provide insight about the strategies to support the learner to mitigate those stress and excel in HE/FE coursework.

References

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