How Wellbeing Shapes Academic Success

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by ScienceDaily.

In a world first study of more than 215,000 students, University of South Australia researchers found that while standardized tests measure academic skills, different dimensions of wellbeing — emotional wellbeing, engagement, and learning readiness — can play a crucial role in performance.

Specifically, the study found that learning readiness – which includes foundational skills such as perseverance, confidence, and engagement — was not just a desirable outcome, but a catalyst for academic success.

UniSA researcher Dr Rebecca Marrone says there is an intricate relationship between student wellbeing and academic achievement.

“Wellbeing is increasingly recognised as a crucial factor that can shape students’ academic success and overall development. Yet, it is often overlooked because education systems tend to focus on standardized academic achievement,” Dr Marrone says.

This study draws on data from the South Australian Wellbeing and Engagement Collection (WEC) to assess the impact of student wellbeing and engagement of students in Years 4-10, and their academic achievement in NAPLAN and PAT tests between 2016-2019.

UniSA’s Benjamin Lam says the results show that schools need to shift towards a model that values both student wellbeing and academic achievement as integral components of a holistic education.

Source: ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250311154056.htm