Characterizing Students’ Negative Academic Experiences in Higher Education (Poster 26)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Saturday 3:20 p.m.
  In Poster Session: Navigating Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging: Student Perspectives on Equity, Policy, and Intercultural Experiences in Higher Education

Abstract

Despite the growing mental health crisis among university students, there is a lack of research that investigates the negative academic experiences that impact student mental health. Utilizing the Critical Campus Ecology Model (Noble 2023), we take a student-centered, qualitative approach to conceptualize the nature of these negative academic experiences and the specific stressor(s) that cause them. Using theoretical thematic analysis, we discovered nine themes. The most common themes that contribute to negative academic experiences were difficulty managing coursework, inadequate professors, and personal affairs. Further, our findings show that multiple stressors tended to co-contribute to a negative academic experience which suggests the need for increased coordination between different student support units within institutions of higher learning.

Authors

• Danae Gaytan Sanelias, Washington University in St. Louis

• Rachel S. Martin, OneGoal

• Margot Kades, Washington University in St. Louis

• Andrew C. Butler, Washington University in St. Louis