Evaluation of a credit-bearing online administered happiness course on undergraduates’ mental

well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Psychoeducational courses focused on positive psychology interventions have been shown to benefit
student well-being. However, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying social
restrictions, many educators have had to deliver their courses online. Given that online teaching
presents a very different university experience for students, do psychoeducational courses provide
similar well-being benefits in an online format? In this pre-registered study (https://osf.io/3f89m), we
demonstrate that despite the challenges of remote learning, first year university students (N = 166)
taking an online “Science of Happiness” course during the first term experienced positive benefits to
mental well-being in comparison to a wait-list control group (N = 198) registered to take the course in
the second term. Specifically, university students currently taking the course maintained their mental
well-being over the semester relative to the wait-list control who showed a significant decline in well-
being and increase in anxiety during the same period. Our findings suggest that the online-
administered “Science of Happiness” course delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic was
associated with a protective effect on mental well-being. We also observed that engagement with the
course was high, though there was no evidence that this factor mediated the positive effects we
observed. However, we did find evidence that prior interest in increasing well-being influenced the
effects of the course; participants with lower well-being interest showed less of a benefit. Our results
suggest that online psychoeducational courses might provide a relatively cheap, flexible, and efficient
means of providing support as part of an integrated approach to student mental well-being. (Hobbs, et
al., 2022)

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0263514
 A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY: THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF TEEN MOTHERS
WHO GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND ATTENDED OR COMPLETED
COLLEGE

ABSTRACT

CHRISTINE MARIA STROBLE. A phenomenological study: The lived experience of teen mothers
who graduated from high school and attended or completed college. (Under the direction of DR.
GREG A. WIGGAN)

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to (1) explore the lived
experience of teen mothers who graduated from high school and attended or completed college and
(2) discover the school factors that contributed to their academic success. The goal was that in
discovering the “essence” of participants’ experience, findings might provide insight into how to
increase the graduation rate for teen mothers. The research question that guided this study was the
following: What is the lived experience of teen mothers who graduated from high school and attended
or completed college, and what are the school factors that contributed to their academic success? The
findings revealed that the participants experienced (1) a feeling of accomplishment, (2) a struggle
balancing school and work with being the best mother, (3) difficulty paying for daycare in college, (4)
a dilemma deciding whether to go to a local college or to go away, (5) feeling judged for being a teen
mother, (6) a lot of support, and (7) some non-support. The findings regarding the structure of the
participants’ experience or how they graduated from high school and attended or completed college
was (1) a supportive female family role model, (2) faith in God, (3) supportive school personnel
(teachers, principal, school nurse), (4) teen parenting programs/classes that provided daycare
assistance in high school and that extended through college, (5) their children (who motivated them),
and (6) self-determination and/or wanting to redeem themselves. Based on these findings, there are
implications for practice, research, and public policy. One recommendation is PREVIEW iv that
schools partner with community resources to offer parenting programs that help with daycare and that
extend through completion of college.

https://www.proquest.com/openview/24bd1dcb6bb8402c1e22cee173504956/1?pq-
origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750
 LEARNING IN ISOLATION: EXPLORING THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF

STUDENTS IN SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING IN ENGLISH

Abstract

The study described the lived experiences of senior high school (SHS) students on self-directed
learning in English (SDLE) in a public high school in General Santos City, Philippines. Descriptive
Phenomenology was employed. Ten key informants volunteered to share their knowledge, insights,
perceptions, and experiences on SDLE during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Thematic Analysis revealed
that the key informants’ experiences revolved around (a) holistic effects of SDLE, (b) inevitable
challenges in learning at home, and (c) perceived advantages of SDLE. The study recommends
investigating the roles of family members in the education of their students, the veracity of the
contents of the teacher-made modules and instructional materials, the experiences of students in other
subjects, and the role of language teachers in the new normal. Keywords: Lived Experiences, Self-
directed Learning, English, Students, COVID-19 Pandemic.

https://globusedujournal.in/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GE-121-JJ22-Stefi-Marie-S.-
Tacogue.pdf