Happier kids get better test results

Photo: Unsplash - Students' NAPLAN results are linked to far more than their time spent on homework, new research from The Australian National University (ANU) and Gradient Institute has found. The researchers found subjective well-being has a significant impact on academic performance. In a study of 3,400 students, the researchers found that self-reported levels of depression had a large, negative effect on their NAPLAN results months later.   "This research has a far more wide-reaching effect than just NAPLAN tests, it shapes the way education professionals should approach teaching as a whole," study author Dr Diana Cardenas said.  "Our findings show that teaching for test scores isn't enough. There is great benefit when schools care about the head and the heart of their students.  "Subjective well-being - how a person perceives their emotions and experiences - is an under-explored area in education."   -   - According to the researchers, previous studies have focused on depression and anxiety from a medical viewpoint, excluding the experience of the vast majority of students who may experience low well-being, but lack a professional diagnosis.   "Quantifying these relationships taking many other factors into account has been a major challenge for researchers but now there is clear evidence," study co-author Professor Kate Reynolds said. The research found that students who self-report lower well-being perform worse academically.