Beyond academics: Links from teaching practices in Swedish schools to students’ achievements and mental health complaints

Abstract

BackgroundDespite extensive research on the relationship between teaching practices and learning outcomes, limited attention has been given to their potential links with students’ mental health. AimsThis study investigates the relationships between three teaching practice types – teacher-centered, student-centered, and student-dominated – and both student mental health complaints and academic achievement. It furthers explores variations in these associations based on students’ socioeconomic status (SES). SampleThe analysis includes 4573 grade 9 students (aged 15–16 years) in the Swedish comprehensive school system. MethodsEmploying structural equation modelling techniques, we analyze a dataset comprising students’ cognitive test scores, their perceptions of classroom processes, self-reported mental health complaints, as well as register data on teacher-assigned grades and parental education. ResultsTeacher-centered practices are positively associated with academic achievements but lack robust links with mental health complaints. Conversely, student-centered practices are positively associated with academic achievements and correlate with lower mental health complaint frequencies. However, student-dominated practices demonstrate poor relationships with both mental health and academic achievements. Limited variations based on students’ social background reveal only two differing associations between low and high SES students: teacher-centered teaching shows stronger academic achievement associations for low SES students, while student-dominated teaching is more adversely linked to low SES students' mental health. ConclusionsThe results affirm the benefits of both teacher- and student-centered teaching practices for academic achievement while cautioning against excessive self-directed teaching. Importantly, the study highlights the role of instructional approaches in shaping not only academic outcomes but also students’ mental health.