Tricia van Rhijn

The influence of self-efficacy beliefs for student parents attending university

Student parents (i.e. students who have their own dependent children) are a specific subpopulation of adult learners. This study investigated the impact of self-efficacy beliefs on student parents’ perceived capacity to manage multiple roles and their satisfaction with family, school and life. Survey data collected from 398 student parents enroled at four Canadian universities were analysed. Latent variable analysis was conducted using maximum likelihood estimation with robust standard errors using Mplus. Self-efficacy beliefs were found to influence student parents’ perceptions of satisfaction at school, in the family and with life in general. Perceptions of one’s capacity to manage multiple roles (i.e. school–family balance) were found to mediate the relationship between academic self-efficacy and school satisfaction as well as parental self-efficacy and family satisfaction. Furthermore, preliminary evidence is provided of unique subgroups within the student parent population based on children’s ages, partner status and enrolment status (i.e. full/part-time studies).

School-to-family and family-to-school enrichment in women pursuing post-secondary education

Um numero crescente de maes tem vindo a enveredar por uma formacao ao nivel do ensino superior, distinguindo-se da populacao que mais comummente frequenta estes niveis de ensino, dada a necessidade de combinar os estudos com outros papeis sociais. O desempenho de multiplos papeis tem sido debatido como essencialmente conflituoso, contudo, ha evidencias que o desempenho concomitante de papeis pode ser enriquecedor e que estas estudantes nao-tradicionais poderao estar particularmente sensiveis a estes beneficios. Neste estudo testamos um modelo de enriquecimento na direcao escola-familia e na direcao familia-escola, em que as dimensoes associadas a escola (experiencias de mestria, baixa exclusao da vida escolar, satisfacao com os estudos e equilibrio na relacao escola-familia) foram vistas como antecedentes do enriquecimento escola-familia e em que dimensoes familiares (satisfacao familiar e equilibrio na relacao familia-escola) foram vistas como antecedentes do enriquecimento na direcao familia-escola. O modelo de pistas foi testado junto de 88 estudantes maes inscritas num programa de formacao pos-laboral na universidade. O modelo demonstrou um bom ajustamento aos dados tendo-se verificado que as duas direcoes de enriquecimento coexistem. As experiencias de mestria e baixos niveis de exclusao da vida escolar associaram-se ao enriquecimento na direcao escola-familia, enquanto percecoes de equilibrio na relacao entre a familia e a escola se associaram ao enriquecimento na direcao oposta (familia-escola). Estes resultados permitem melhor compreender o modo como estas estudantes do ensino superior vivenciam a articulacao entre os seus diferentes papeis, salientando-se os aspetos positivos desta interface entre papeis familiares e academicos.

Gender, polychronicity, and the work–family interface: is a preference for multitasking beneficial?

ABSTRACT This study examined how polychronicity, or the preference to do several things concurrently, was related to work and family overload, work–family conflict, and outcomes in the work, family, and life domains (i.e. turnover intent, family, and life satisfaction). Using conservation of resources theory as a framework, polychronicity was conceptualized as a resource that could be used to reduce work and family overload. The participants were 553 employed parents from Canada and the US. Results indicated that polychronicity was related to lower work overload. Lower work overload was related to lower work interference with family conflict, lower turnover intent, and higher family and life satisfaction. We also examined gender differences and found that, although women scored significantly higher than men on family overload and family satisfaction, and significantly lower than men on life satisfaction, there was no mean gender difference on polychronicity. In addition, the path coefficients in the model were not significantly different for men and women.

A Relaxation Station in Every Location

Inclusive classrooms with complex, diverse students have many challenges, including that of effective physical design. One included element that should be considered is a relaxation station, designed to teach and promote everyday self-regulation skills within a calmer and more private space. A relaxation station is an essential component in every classroom to support sensory needs, self-regulation, and so on, in an everyday and easily accessible manner appropriate for students with disabilities and their typical peers. This article presents a rationale as well as practical guidelines on how to develop such a space effectively, including recommendations for its design (e.g., boundaries), procedures (e.g., entry/exit), and elements (e.g., items, tools, and visuals).

Gender differences in school-family conflict and school-family enrichment in nontraditional Portuguese students

Abstract In recent years, higher education institutions have made efforts to attract people who are either in the labor market or unemployed to the educational system. Accordingly, the participation of nontraditional students in postsecondary education has been increasing over the years in Portugal, including working students and working student parents. This growing phenomenon has received relatively little empirical attention since few country-level studies have been conducted targeting the combination of school with other life roles with a nontraditional student population enrolled in postsecondary education. The current study investigates the combination of school with other life roles for nontraditional Portuguese students enrolled in postsecondary education. Participants were 73 working student parents (enrolled in full‐time undergraduate programs). Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was used to test the model. The coexistence of school-family conflict and school-family enrichment was found. Gender differences on the antecedent variables of school-family conflict and enrichment were also found, emphasizing the advantage in examining conflict and enrichment experiences simultaneously and by gender when investigating school and family relations. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Teaching for well-being? Introducing mindfulness in an undergraduate course

Abstract Student mental health and well-being are increasing concerns in higher education. This exploratory study examined students’ learning in a mindfulness programme incorporated into an undergraduate class. Six brief mindfulness-based practices were introduced: mindfulness meditation, walking meditation, body scan, mindful eating, loving-kindness and Tonglen meditation. Fourteen students were interviewed after completion of the course to explore their conceptions and use of mindfulness and other self-care practices. Results of thematic analyses suggest that there were variations in students’ adoption of mindfulness-based practices and students’ preferred mindfulness techniques. Most participants reported that mindfulness instruction and practice were beneficial but this was not universal; some students reported that mindfulness was ‘not for them’. Findings suggest that mindfulness fostered self-reflection, self-awareness and relaxation for many students and incorporating mindfulness at the beginning of class improved the overall quality of discussion and facilitated students’ learning. Findings further suggest that students incorporated mindfulness into existing self-care practices that included a variety of other preferred techniques to enhance self-reflection, self-awareness and relaxation. Overall, our findings suggest that students should be helped, through explicit instruction, to develop a ‘toolbox’ of self-care approaches that may include, but are not necessarily limited to, mindfulness techniques.