About this Research Topic
In a continuously changing world, people need to permanently develop their knowledge, skills, and attitudes to deal with personal and social challenges. All of these ongoing changes also influence the educational environment. Consequently, teaching and learning processes need to adapt. It is well known that a teachers’ qualifications and their academic abilities are strongly related to the achievements of their students. Also, if they experience job satisfaction, which is considered an important variable of effective teachers and teaching, the quality of their teaching is higher, the learning support is more efficient, and students’ academic performance is better.
In this context, whether we are talking about teachers or students, the repertoire of the personal (e.g., personality, self-efficacy, feelings of control, coping strategies, psychological capital, etc.), and social resources (e.g., social relationships and support, professional learning communities, etc.) becomes essential in dealing with challenges, achieving goals, and maintaining psychological well-being.
Resources are considered those internal and external strengths that people can use to cope and adapt to changing situations. Some studies have shown that both personal and social resources are important, but others have found that when there is greater availability of personal resources, fewer social resources are required. Given that educational activities (e.g., teaching, learning, assessment) are largely based on interpersonal relationships between teachers-students and students-students, cooperation and support of others/peers, it becomes important to understand how these relationships work in an educational environment. Are personal or social resources more significant for the effectiveness of teaching and learning, or does their impact depend on the context? How can we develop these resources? How do each of these resources shape academic performance, job satisfaction, and, finally, the well-being of teachers and students?
This project explores how personal and social resources can impact teaching and learning and how teachers and students value them in dealing with different challenging tasks in the educational environment. Theoretical and practical studies are needed to understand the complexity of the phenomena. Moreover, emphasizing the practical implications of the results can be useful for those involved in the educational process. Thus, topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. How personal and social resources can help teachers to deal with the challenges of the teaching and learning processes; how these resources can help them to be efficient in the teaching process and experience job satisfaction;
2. How personal and social resources can help students to self-regulate learning process, achieve their academic goals, and experience well-being in the educational environment;
Empirical studies (qualitative and/or quantitative) and systematic reviews will be considered. Studies that underline best practices and their results are welcome.
In this context, whether we are talking about teachers or students, the repertoire of the personal (e.g., personality, self-efficacy, feelings of control, coping strategies, psychological capital, etc.), and social resources (e.g., social relationships and support, professional learning communities, etc.) becomes essential in dealing with challenges, achieving goals, and maintaining psychological well-being.
Resources are considered those internal and external strengths that people can use to cope and adapt to changing situations. Some studies have shown that both personal and social resources are important, but others have found that when there is greater availability of personal resources, fewer social resources are required. Given that educational activities (e.g., teaching, learning, assessment) are largely based on interpersonal relationships between teachers-students and students-students, cooperation and support of others/peers, it becomes important to understand how these relationships work in an educational environment. Are personal or social resources more significant for the effectiveness of teaching and learning, or does their impact depend on the context? How can we develop these resources? How do each of these resources shape academic performance, job satisfaction, and, finally, the well-being of teachers and students?
This project explores how personal and social resources can impact teaching and learning and how teachers and students value them in dealing with different challenging tasks in the educational environment. Theoretical and practical studies are needed to understand the complexity of the phenomena. Moreover, emphasizing the practical implications of the results can be useful for those involved in the educational process. Thus, topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. How personal and social resources can help teachers to deal with the challenges of the teaching and learning processes; how these resources can help them to be efficient in the teaching process and experience job satisfaction;
2. How personal and social resources can help students to self-regulate learning process, achieve their academic goals, and experience well-being in the educational environment;
Empirical studies (qualitative and/or quantitative) and systematic reviews will be considered. Studies that underline best practices and their results are welcome.
Keywords: learning, secondary and higher education, academic performance, teaching, Social and personal resources
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
