Sharing Student Projects

This research explored the perspectives of six teachers working in Pupil Referral Units in England. The focus was to examine their view of the social, emotional and academic progress made by students whilst they were in alternative provision, and to explore if teachers felt that students who returned to mainstream school were ready for the reintegration process. What strategies and support did the teacher use with the student? Teachers mentioned that children being referred have increasingly complex mental health needs, therefore staff are having to prioritise strategies and support tailored to address the needs of students that may be experiencing significant, ongoing, trauma. They also provide support for families who may be experiencing hardship in the current financial climate. A key to supporting the development of students is taking a childcentred approach and establishing trusted teacher-student relationships. What educational, social, and emotional changes did the teacher observe in the student? Students’ prior educational experiences are likely to have alienated them from the education system, and teachers work to build students resilience and self-confidence. Teachers allow students to follow topics of interest, that may be in harmony with their career goals, helping students to establish a sense of ownership of their learning. Teachers will use their own judgement and evidence-based assessment tools to determine if the strategies are effective. Teacher’s report that the holistic child-centred approach helps students to make progress academically, their self-regulation and behaviour improves, they form trusted relationships with staff, they have increased selfesteem and resilience, and the attendance improves. What influence did reintegration planning and practices have on classroom teaching? Some teachers reported that their school had a clear evidence-based framework to determine if a student is ready to return to mainstream school. The students’ progress was monitored every half term, and this information was used to personalise targets and teaching strategies for the young person’s lessons. Other schools do not have an explicit framework that informs classroom teaching. However, the general classroom strategies can help the child to make progress to overcome barriers to reintegration. Once a child has been consulted on returning to mainstream school, staff support them with practical arrangements, such as finding out what the correct school uniform is. Teachers will also help support the pupil with the anxiety they will be feeling on returning to the mainstream environment. Teachers in alternative provision like to attend school with the student for a preliminary visit, and the classroom management practices, additional support needs and their academic level will be shared with the mainstream school. However, the willingness of mainstream schools to collaborate with alternative provision is variable.

The research has identified that there is a need for mainstream schools to collaborate more closely with alternative provisions. This may allow staff from alternative provision to provide trauma-informed support to the mainstream school, preventing exclusions. It is suggested that legislation may be the best approach to facilitating this process. The research showed the increasing prevalence of mental health problems is having an adverse effect on young people’s learning. Mainstream schools need to identify the root causes of behaviours and offer students appropriate support to deal with trauma they may be experiencing. When students do attend alternative provision, mainstream schools need to maintain the student-school relationship, whilst they are attending alternative provision. A member of staff from the mainstream school should attend review meetings at the alternative provision, to maintain open lines of communication between all the stakeholders. Alternative provisions provide a holistic approach, offering support to families as well as students. As many families are struggling with various adverse circumstances, alternative provisions require increasing resources, and support of external professionals, in order to help students to make progress. Greater sharing of best practice between alternative provisions nationally will help to offer all students the opportunity to make progress and reintegrate.

The process of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) integration in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms in secondary and high school in SoutheastAsia can be situated between the contexts of adolescent learners motivated by theirexperience of English mediated by communication technology, of teachers responding to the needs of their learners, and of education policy calling for increased integration of technology in education in order to achieve economic and social development goals. This research is a literature-based project which stems from my curiosity about the use of ICT in my professional role as an English language teacher, and which aims to provide understanding of the current situation of ICT integration from the perspective of EFL teachers. This study follows systematic literature review methods to identify relevant studies and synthesize findings. This dissertation suggests that while EFL teachers view ICT integration as beneficial for delivering instructional content and for helping teachers find resources and plan lessons, other benefits such as student centered learning and enhanced creativity are uncertain. This study finds that EFL teachers’ consider the main challenges to ICT integration as external in terms of a lack of resources, infrastructure, time and training, and internal in terms of a lack of confidence and pedagogical knowledge which results in attitudes antithetical to ICT use in classroom practice. This study considers that solutions to these challenges involve contributions from educational authorities, administrators and teachers to ease the lack of resources, position ICT in the curriculum to help teachers manage time, and support training to improve competence and change attitudes towards effective use of ICT in teaching.

This review will enable teachers and educational leaders in the geographic and educational setting to understand the phenomenon of ICT integration better to inform and advance the conditions of EFL classroom teaching practice.

This project aimed to explore how teacher self-efficacy (TSE) was impacted by teaching children from a low SES. Teachers’ beliefs about the reasons behind children’s academic successes and failures, and the potential influence of stereotypes were also considered as an additional influence on TSE. Semistructured interviews were used to explore TSE, from reflecting on their lived experiences. After obtaining ethical approval, six participants were recruited. These were primary school teachers with over three years of teaching experience, who worked in schools where there were a high proportion of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The findings revealed pupils’ success to positively impact on TSE. Participants expressed multiple factors contributing to teachers’ ability to raise student outcomes and confidence in their teaching; pedagogical flexibility, school culture, educational constraints and job satisfaction were prominent ideas communicated by teachers. Teachers who associated predominantly positive sentiments in relation to these factors demonstrated robust TSE, whereas for those who communicated negative experiences, their TSE appeared to be compromised. For teachers educating children form a low socioeconomic status (SES), the term ‘success’, did not necessarily equate to achieving national age-related expected targets, but instead, meant enabling pupils’ progress which realised greater job satisfaction. The teachers interviewed shared the belief that every child can achieve, and for most, these positive attitudes were present within their school settings. Teachers appeared to be unaffected by the influences of stereotypes, which often discount or belittle those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Instead, teachers regarded the outcomes of children from a low SES to largely be within their control; their ability to make a difference to children’s lives provided motivation and resilience, raising their TSE. Assuming control over outcomes incentivised teachers to find resourceful ways of engaging children and providing them with experiences beyond the classroom to help their overall development. The study identified the challenges of the education system to be a significant factor impacting upon TSE, whereby teachers felt the curriculum to hold little relevance for their pupils. This appeared to have greater influence on teachers’perceptions of their TSE than the difficulties brought about by children’s low SES. Obtaining the views of multiple stakeholders invested in children’s outcomes was suggested as a future avenue for understanding the expectations placed on teachers which impact their TSE. Further recommendations include using diverse methods to obtain data, such as lesson observations in conjunction with interviews; combining interviews with survey data to reinforce findings; and considering the impact of gender on TSE, which was unaccounted for in this research, yet has been shown to be influential.

The findings generated themes (pedagogical flexibility, school culture, educational constraints and job satisfaction) many of which present aspects of teaching that can be amended and improved upon in order to raise TSE. Whilst these findings were obtained from a small number of participants (n = 6), individuals shared similar accounts which may also resonate with other teachers working within deprived areas. The findings hold relevance most notably for senior leadership teams who have the capacity to alter the practice and culture present within their schools. Teachers felt that having the support of their colleagues and a positive educational climate in which to work, was essential to children’s success and consequently boosted their own TSE. This information could be used to encourage collaboration between teachers and to create more opportunities for them to express concerns and difficulties. Such improvements would not only benefit teachers, but also the children they teach; raised TSE would have a positive impact on teaching practices, which could elevate student outcomes. The research also holds importance for educational policymakers. With participants expressing discontent with the current educational system, revision of the curriculum content could help teachers to feel more empowered by what they can accomplish within school. This in turn would be beneficial for the school climate, and take a step towards transforming wider societal beliefs about the potential of children from disadvantaged backgrounds

This study was initiated with the primary objective of addressing the pivotal question: What goals should education target for the forthcoming era? Recognising the significance of having a clear educational direction, this research operates under the premise that emerging digital technologies, notably Artificial Intelligence (AI), will become ubiquitous in our society. Consequently, it delves into the essential human qualities and values that will be paramount in this imminent AI-integrated future. The rationale is that the values deemed crucial for the future should guide the skills and competencies we instill in learners today. From this perspective, the capacity to envisage a future is a vital skill in this AI-symbioTc society, and this competence can also clarify what education is looking for in technologies such as AI. The discourse then pivots to methodologies that can nurture this capacity. Operating on the hypothesis that perceptual depth, which is shaped through intellectual, human, and contemplative experiences, can refine this ability, this research designed an art-based experienTal session. Participants were engaged in this session, and its impact was subsequently assessed using questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions. The findings indicate that the curated sessions consTtuted those three experiences, enriched participants' perceptual depth, and influenced their ability to conceptualise the future. These changes were evident from the data gathered and the narratives from the questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups.

This study underscores the importance of fostering a forward looking perspective in education, especially when integrating innovative technologies. It also offers insights into cultivating this vision and stimulates discourse on interpreting and assessing the envisioned futures.

This project aims to improve understanding as to why experienced primary teachers leave the profession. Four teachers, who had all left teaching within the past 12 months and had at least eight years’ experience of working in an English state school, were interviewed. It was theorised that if the teachers felt that they were not able to have some ownership over their teaching, or did not feel like they could be successful in their school, or did not have supportive relationships with the school community (or experienced a combination of the three unmet needs), that they would experience ‘burnout’ and leave the profession. Interviews were carried out via Zoom and the researcher wrote transcripts for all of the teachers before interpreting their words and constructing themes. The findings were that experienced teachers valued the chance to self-govern, desired challenges to develop professionally and thought school-based relationships were important. They felt that if their needs were unmet it would negatively affect their wellbeing and motivate them to leave but that this could be a gradual decline over a number of years. It was found that if experienced teachers do not enter leadership roles they may find opportunities for professional progression limited. Recommendations included: allowing teachers more choice, developing different avenues for them to progress in their careers and increasing chances for them to share their opinions and collaborate with leaders.

Teachers may benefit from increased job satisfaction and wellbeing. Pupils will benefit from the reduction in disruption that occurs when a teacher leaves. Schools benefit from staff staying and developing closer bonds. Better financial return from public investment if teachers remain in post.

Since the COVID-19 epidemic, m-learning has gained a significant degree of development in mainland China. The great potential of m-learning in enabling learners to learn anytime and anywhere, has attracted the attention of academics and governments. University students use mobile devices for mobile learning almost every day, and m-learning has gradually become an important way for students to expand their knowledge. Students have strong autonomy when they are engaged in m-learning, so their acceptance of m-learning will have an important impact on the effectiveness of m-learning. Taking this as a starting point, this study constructed a model containing five variables using the UTAUT model and conducted an empirical test to determine the factors affecting the acceptance of m-learning among postgraduate students from mainland China who study education-related majors in the United Kingdom. This study also examined the mediated effect of perceived satisfaction. Data was collected from 120 students enrolled in the institution of Education at the University of Manchester. The data was analyzed by SPSS 27 and AMOS 26. The result shown that perceived playfulness (β=0.442) and performance expectancy (β=0.353) had a significant positive influence on the acceptance of m-learning, while social influence and facilitating condition did not impact behavioral intention. This paper innovatively introduced perceived satisfaction as a mediating variable into the UTAUT model, and after data analysis, it was found that perceived satisfaction had a mediated effect on the influence of perceived playfulness and performance expectancy on behavioral intention.

This study validates and extends the UTAUT model on the basis of the previous studies and tests the applicability of the model for research in East Asia. The researcher also incorporates the problems that emerged during this study to provide suggestions for subsequent researchers.

The current study investigated the influence of the duration of the Education, Health, Care plan (EHCP) process and the role of level of professional support on the emotional well-being of 103 parents who had completed the EHCP process within the last year. Parents were asked to a complete an online questionnaire that asked for demographic information (age, gender, education level, social class), duration of the EHCP process (in weeks), level of professional support received, and the positive and negative emotions experienced in relation to the last year. The questionnaire was advertised on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter and social forums for parents such as ‘’Scope Community”, which included a summary of the study and a link to the questionnaire. The questionnaire was split into six short pages beginning with a participation information sheet that detailed information about the purpose of the study and what is involved, followed by a consent form. This was then followed by asking participants for their demographic information and by the measures. The questionnaire then finished with a debrief sheet that provided information on organisations for additional support if needed. Findings revealed that a longer EHCP process was related to more negative emotions experienced, more professional support received was related with more positive emotions and less negative emotions experienced and older age individuals reported lower positive emotions. These findings lend support to existing evidence and literature for various reasons. First, delays in the EHCP process can result in more negative emotions experienced by parents, therefore further emphasises the importance of the EHCP process being completed within the legal 20-week time frame. Second, although the level of professional support received by the parent may not reduce the impact of delays in the EHCP process, the amount of professional support received is important for parents’ emotional well-being. Third, investigating the impact of age on emotional well-being may not be as simple as it seems because parents may have different emotional experiences of the EHCP process regardless of their age. Therefore, both the duration of the EHCP process and level of professional support have independent influences that could be important for parents’ emotional well-being. With this study being one of the first in investigating the impact of delays in the EHCP process on parents’ emotional well-being, further research is advantageous. Investigating factors such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the stressors parents on the EHCP process face could improve this study by adding to the findings and existing knowledge. With delays in the EHCP process rising and concerns of professional support not being provided (Richardson, 2019), effective interventions in addressing delays and ensuring parents are receiving the support during the process is beneficial.

As the current study relates to the EHCP process, the research might benefit all experts involved in the process. In the initial request for an EHCP, evidence is gathered from all experts involved in supporting the child to support the request (e.g. occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, clinical psychologists, paediatricians). The amount of evidence gathered determines whether or not the child is accepted for an EHCP. Although, gathering more evidence could mean waiting on several experts which may delay putting in an initial request. An initial request is then sent to the local authority, which has a six-week time frame in deciding whether to accept the request. However, parents are often waiting longer than the six-week time frame for confirmation. As more EHCP’s are being issued, more parents are likely to face delays in their EHCP process. With knowledge on this research, experts and local authorities involved in issuing an EHCP would be aware of the emotional impact delays may have on parents and could determine why delays are occurring in the EHCP process so measures can be put in place to ensure that deadlines are met. This research also further emphasises the importance of professionals providing support to parents, outlined in the Children and Families Act (2014) service standards associated with EHCPs for local authorities. The Special education needs and disability accountability framework also provides structure for improving outcomes and experiences of children, young people and their families and is applied at local and national levels. Local authorities may further benefit from this research by creating more frameworks in ensuring policies are being followed and that parents are provided with professional support and access to relevant resources and services during the entire process towards completion of an EHCP. In certain circumstances, delays are likely to happen. Although, this research could help parents be prepared for an emotional experience by looking for ways to prevent their emotional well-being from being affected.

Throughout the last decade, social media has become an everyday accessible platform, especially for higher education students. Popular platforms, such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook are frequently accessed for both social interaction, information source and entertainment, but their impact on academic outcomes remains a debated subject. Whilst some evidence suggests that social media can provide fast-paced valuable learning and collaboration opportunities, critics argue that excessive or passive social media use can undermine academic focus by encouraging distraction or avoidance behaviours. This dissertation set out to explore the relationship between social media use and academic motivation in university students, with a particular focus on how different personality traits may moderate these effects. Specifically, the traits of conscientiousness and neuroticism, taken from the Five-Factor Model of personality, were examined due to their strong associations with self-regulation, stress reactivity and goal-directed behaviour. The target population and participant group for this study consisted of undergraduate or postgraduate students aged 18-24 at the University of Manchester. A total of Ninety-Four people completed the online survey, however, after data cleaning and removal of incomplete studies, a final dataset was compromised of Fifty-four students. A cross sectional, quantitative design was used, with participants completing an online questionnaire hosted on Qualtrics, an online survey host. The measures included the Big Five Inventory–2 Short Form (conscientiousness and neuroticism subscales), an adapted version of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale and the Academic Motivation Scale. Ethical approval was obtained prior to research being undertaken, in line with the British Psychological Society’s Code of Human Research Ethics and participants provided implied consent by voluntarily submitting the survey, no reward was given for survey completion. Following this, data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statics, Descriptive statistics were first calculated, followed by Pearson’s correlations to examine associations between the main variables. Multiple regression and moderation analyses (through Hayes’ PROCESS macro) were then conducted to test predictive relationships and explore wether personality traits moderated the effect of social media use on academic motivation. The findings offered partial support for the hypotheses proposed at the beginning of the study. Opposing expectations, social media use itself was not found to be a significant predictor of academic motivation. However, personality traits displayed as strong decisive factors. Conscientiousness was positively associated with academic motivation, indicating that higher organised and disciplined individuals tend to sustain higher levels of motivation, regardless of their social media use. Contrasting this, neuroticism was negatively associated with academic motivation, reflecting the tendency for emotionally unstable individuals to experience greater stress and distraction in academic contexts. Importantly, neuroticism was found to influence the relationship between social media use and academic motivation. Students high in neuroticism who also reported higher social media use showed the lowest levels of academic motivation, highlighting the combined vulnerability posed by these factors. In contrast, conscientiousness did not significantly moderate the relationship, suggesting while students high in these traits may remain more motivated in general, this trait did not buffer against the influence of social media. Overall, the study highlights that personality differences, particularly neuroticism, play a more substantial role in shaping students’ academic motivation than the frequency of social media use alone. This suggests that interventions focusing solely on reducing screen time may overlook the psychological factors that drive academic engagement. Instead, a more nuanced understanding of individual dispositions is needed. The findings contribute to the growing body of literature on digital behaviour and student motivation, providing new insights into how social media interacts with personality traits to shape academic outcomes in higher education.

The findings of this study carry useful implications for students, educators and higher education institutions. Since social media use itself did not emerge as a direct predictor of academic motivation, blanket strategies aimed at limiting online activity may not be sufficient to enhance students’ academic drive. Instead, the results emphasise the decisive role of personality differences, particularly conscientiousness and neuroticism, in shaping how students engage with social media and sustain motivation. For students, the study highlights the importance of self-awareness in recognising how personal traits influence digital behaviours. Those high in neuroticism may be particularly vulnerable to maladaptive online engagement, such as passive scrolling or avoidance during times of stress, which in turn undermines their academic motivation. Alternatively, students high in conscientiousness may sustain motivation regardless of their online engagement. Awareness of these differences could empower students to adopt healthier coping strategies, such as mindfulness, stress management, or organised study practices, rather than relying on social media as an avoidance mechanism. For educators and universities, the findings point towards the value of tailoring student support services to account for personality-based vulnerabilities. Interventions designed to strengthen emotional regulation and resilience may be particularly beneficial for neurotic students, who face greater risks of academic disengagement in digital environments. Likewise, embedding study skills programmes that foster self-regulation and persistence may enhance motivation across the broader student population. Universities could also incorporate digital literacy training, enabling students to distinguish between active, purposeful online engagement and passive, potentially harmful behaviours. At a broader level, the results contribute to ongoing discussions about digital wellbeing in higher education. Policymakers and institutional leaders must recognise that personality interacts with technology in complex ways, meaning that ‘one-size-fits-all’ approaches are unlikely to be effective. Instead, interventions that acknowledge individual differences are more likely to foster equitable support for diverse student populations. In summary, this research underscores the need for individuals to move beyond simplistic narratives of social media as either ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for students. By recognising the role of personality traits such as neuroticism and conscientiousness, institutions can design more effective interventions that support motivation, resilience and digital wellbeing in higher education.

Higher education students are required to apply themselves to their academic studies, towards an end goal of passing exams and assignments and gaining credits to ultimately graduate. This can induce significant levels of stress in students (Reddy et al., 2018), which has negative implications for both wellbeing and academic outcomes (Khan et al., 2013; Ruzhenkova et al., 2018). Executive Function (EF) is high order cognitive function that is essential for learning processes. EF has been linked to a variety of positive educational outcomes, such as adaptive learning behaviours and academic performance (Cartwright et al., 2020; Rabin et al., 2011). It is therefore important to understand the factors which effect stress and EF in students. Mindfulness has been linked to both decreases in stress and increases in EF suggesting it could be a useful skill to target in higher education students. Therefore, this research aimed to explore the relationships between trait mindfulness, perceived stress and EF and to explore whether trait mindfulness effects EF indirectly through perceived stress. The target population of this study was higher education students, due to their increased vulnerability to stress and their reliance on EF to meet educational goals. The study sampled 78 higher education students from UK universities, aged 18-25 years old. Participants completed selfreport questionnaires measuring trait mindfulness, perceived stress and EF. In order to assess the relationships between these factors, bivariate correlations, multiple regression and mediation analysis were utilised. Results showed that greater trait mindfulness significantly predicted EF ability and that this relationship was still significant after controlling for perceived stress. Additionally, the relationship between trait mindfulness and EF and was not mediated by perceived stress. Greater trait mindfulness was also associated with lower levels of perceived stress. An initial negative association between perceived stress and EF was seen, however this was no longer significant after controlling for trait mindfulness. The findings were in line with existing literature, which has seen trait mindfulness to predict lower levels of stress, as well as greater levels of EF. Limited research observes the relationships between all three of these variables and none thus far have observed the mediating effect of perceived stress on the relationship between trait mindfulness and EF. However, the findings do contrast with emerging research suggesting that perceived stress mediates the relationship between trait mindfulness and cognitive function more broadly. This study highlights the strong associations between trait mindfulness and both stress and EF and emphasises the need for future longitudinal research to explore causation in the relationships between trait mindfulness and EF and to further the emerging evidence suggesting trait mindfulness causes lower stress. Presently, trait mindfulness is linked with a variety of positive outcomes and may be an extremely useful skill for higher education students.

This study highlights how trait mindfulness is associated with lower levels of perceived stress and greater EF ability in higher education students. The findings add to the growing body of literature suggesting that individuals with higher trait mindfulness hold characteristics that can protect them from stress and improve EF. A variety of stakeholders, including students, universities, health professionals and psychology practitioners may benefit from the contributions to knowledge made by this study, as it furthers understanding of how both stress and EF which are linked to positive outcomes in students. Students are particularly vulnerable to experiencing stress, and the findings from this study support the use of mindfulness as an effective strategy for stress reduction. EF supports higher education students to engage in adaptive learning behaviours and perform better in assessments that contribute to successful graduation from their courses. EF ability has also been linked to achievement, health, wealth in later life. It has been shown that EF is a trainable skill and can be improved at any age and the current findings support that trait mindfulness could boost EF in higher education students. Mindfulness interventions are becoming increasingly available at universities for students to access (Cieslak et al., 2016) however students more commonly perceive mindfulness as an emotion regulation strategy than a skill that can support EF or their academic skills and performance (Bamber & Schneider, 2022). Universities should continue to explore different interventions through which student mindfulness can be improved, and make attempts to increase student awareness on the possible benefits to EF. Such strategies may be particularly useful around exam periods and assessment deadlines, when students are dealing with increased academic pressures. Likewise, health and psychology practitioners can use the current findings to guide their support of students experiencing high stress, or EF deficits.

Higher education students are required to apply themselves to their academic studies, towards an end goal of passing exams and assignments and gaining credits to ultimately graduate. This can induce significant levels of stress in students (Reddy et al., 2018), which has negative implications for both wellbeing and academic outcomes (Khan et al., 2013; Ruzhenkova et al., 2018). Executive Function (EF) is high order cognitive function that is essential for learning processes. EF has been linked to a variety of positive educational outcomes, such as adaptive learning behaviours and academic performance (Cartwright et al., 2020; Rabin et al., 2011). It is therefore important to understand the factors which effect stress and EF in students. Mindfulness has been linked to both decreases in stress and increases in EF suggesting it could be a useful skill to target in higher education students. Therefore, this research aimed to explore the relationships between trait mindfulness, perceived stress and EF and to explore whether trait mindfulness effects EF indirectly through perceived stress. The target population of this study was higher education students, due to their increased vulnerability to stress and their reliance on EF to meet educational goals. The study sampled 78 higher education students from UK universities, aged 18-25 years old. Participants completed selfreport questionnaires measuring trait mindfulness, perceived stress and EF. In order to assess the relationships between these factors, bivariate correlations, multiple regression and mediation analysis were utilised. Results showed that greater trait mindfulness significantly predicted EF ability and that this relationship was still significant after controlling for perceived stress. Additionally, the relationship between trait mindfulness and EF and was not mediated by perceived stress. Greater trait mindfulness was also associated with lower levels of perceived stress. An initial negative association between perceived stress and EF was seen, however this was no longer significant after controlling for trait mindfulness. The findings were in line with existing literature, which has seen trait mindfulness to predict lower levels of stress, as well as greater levels of EF. Limited research observes the relationships between all three of these variables and none thus far have observed the mediating effect of perceived stress on the relationship between trait mindfulness and EF. However, the findings do contrast with emerging research suggesting that perceived stress mediates the relationship between trait mindfulness and cognitive function more broadly. This study highlights the strong associations between trait mindfulness and both stress and EF and emphasises the need for future longitudinal research to explore causation in the relationships between trait mindfulness and EF and to further the emerging evidence suggesting trait mindfulness causes lower stress. Presently, trait mindfulness is linked with a variety of positive outcomes and may be an extremely useful skill for higher education students.

This study highlights how trait mindfulness is associated with lower levels of perceived stress and greater EF ability in higher education students. The findings add to the growing body of literature suggesting that individuals with higher trait mindfulness hold characteristics that can protect them from stress and improve EF. A variety of stakeholders, including students, universities, health professionals and psychology practitioners may benefit from the contributions to knowledge made by this study, as it furthers understanding of how both stress and EF which are linked to positive outcomes in students. Students are particularly vulnerable to experiencing stress, and the findings from this study support the use of mindfulness as an effective strategy for stress reduction. EF supports higher education students to engage in adaptive learning behaviours and perform better in assessments that contribute to successful graduation from their courses. EF ability has also been linked to achievement, health, wealth in later life. It has been shown that EF is a trainable skill and can be improved at any age and the current findings support that trait mindfulness could boost EF in higher education students. Mindfulness interventions are becoming increasingly available at universities for students to access (Cieslak et al., 2016) however students more commonly perceive mindfulness as an emotion regulation strategy than a skill that can support EF or their academic skills and performance (Bamber & Schneider, 2022). Universities should continue to explore different interventions through which student mindfulness can be improved, and make attempts to increase student awareness on the possible benefits to EF. Such strategies may be particularly useful around exam periods and assessment deadlines, when students are dealing with increased academic pressures. Likewise, health and psychology practitioners can use the current findings to guide their support of students experiencing high stress, or EF deficits.

In recent years, the use of social media in adolescents has increased at an extremely rapid rate. So fast that it is difficult for research to fully understand its potential impacts on students’ well-being and academic outcomes due to its ever-changing nature. Research shows that the use of social media late into the night can have adverse effects on sleeping habits and cause shorter overall sleep times. This is shown to be due to individuals being woken up by notifications, fear of missing out and the addictive nature of some sites with constant new information that causes constant dopamine production. Additionally, the blue light emitted from electronic devices interrupts circadian rhythms, causing disturbed sleep patterns. This risk provided by night-time specific social media use was studied in relation to academic selfefficacy and academic procrastination. Academic self-efficacy is defined as a student’s selfbelief in their abilities to complete and succeed in their assignments and school tasks. Previous literature has shown that both social media and sleep disruption have negative impacts on academic self-efficacy. Similarly, prior research has also found relationships between academic procrastination, whereby an individual intentionally delays completing a task, and social media use and sleep disruptions. Additionally, high self-esteem has been shown to act as a protective factor for problematic social media use, academic self-efficacy, and academic procrastination. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of selfesteem in the relationship between night-time specific social media use and academic selfefficacy and academic procrastination. The target population was UK university students, as this subgroup are some of the most active online. The sample for this study was 60 students from a multitude of UK universities from both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. After gaining consent from the participants, they completed a series of self-report questionnaires measuring night-time social media use, academic self-efficacy, academic procrastination, and self-esteem. Statistical analyses such as correlations and mediation were performed using SPSS statistical software to investigate the relationships between the variables. The results showed no significant association between night-time specific social media use, a significant positive correlation between night-time specific social media use and no significant results in either of the mediation analyses. Within the mediation analysis, a significant positive association was found between self-esteem and academic self-efficacy and a significant negative association between self-esteem and academic procrastination. There is no current research investigating the mediating effect of self-esteem in the relationship between night-time specific social media use and academic self-efficacy and academic procrastination. By exploring these interactions, this study highlights the importance of understanding how social media use can interact with academic outcomes. Future research can focus on other factors that night-time social media use may interact with, such as sociality, self-regulation, and self-esteem

As night-time specific social media use is seen to significantly increase academic procrastination in university students, this concern can be discussed within the institutions and potentially in secondary schools where parents can be involved in the discussion. This would also allow for early intervention in these behaviours in the individual’s academic career. Interventions could include parent and caregiver talks discussing the risks of latenight access to social media and promoting new techniques to do when a student cannot sleep, such as reading. For students who already believe they may be engaging in problematic social media use, cognitive behavioural therapy should be easily accessible. The importance of self-esteem should also be integrated into a school-based intervention. For example, 11080860 54 teachers and lecturers acknowledge good behaviours and accomplishments while also helping students to set realistic expectations relevant to themselves with the reminder that everyone is different. This could encourage a sense of ownership over the students’ own abilities and allow them to embrace success and failure and accept themselves. Social clubs and programmes with a wide range of activities will allow students to explore their strengths and weaknesses in a way that does not involve exam scores. Additionally, this would allow them to express themselves creatively or introduce new talents, leading to a boost in their feelings of self-worth. Parents and carers should also be advised to ensure they are making their children feel valued at home, as this can reflect on their self-esteem. Interventions can be developed to allow students to control their social media habits before they become problematic and promote high self-esteem.

Following school closures and disruptions, there have been efforts to bridge the academic attainment gap which has been further exacerbated by the pandemic (EEF, 2022). However, very few studies have been conducted to explore, from a qualitative angle, the perceived impact of school closures and disruptions on children’s SEWB from SD communities. The aim of this project was to explore the perceived impact of school closures and disruptions on SD primary school pupils. A qualitative approach was taken to capture perceptions and voice of primary school staff members’ lived experiences of the school closures as well as recommendations they have for future educational practitioners to consider. A total of eight participants participated in remote Zoom interviews reflecting two primary schools in Manchester and one in Liverpool. Two teaching assistants, three teachers, two headteachers and an inclusion manager participated in the study. RTA was used to analyse the interviews, revealing two themes ‘perceived challenges and personal narratives’ and ‘school as a support system’. The first theme aimed to capture the lived experiences of school staff during and following school closures and the unique challenges that their schoolchildren and families faced as a result of SD. Perceived challenges affecting the SEWB of children included play deprivation, long periods of social isolation in poor housing conditions, increased parental stress, low exposure to English and food insecurity. These challenges were perceived to have affected children’s ability to manage their emotions, their peer relationships and communication and language skills. The second theme encompasses the response to these perceived challenges, in that schools responded as a support system offering both instrumental and emotional support to children and their families. Staff recalled implementing targeted support, emotion-coaching strategies and adopting trauma-informed approaches. However, staff also recalled financial and organisational barriers to implementation of targeted support. Recommendations for addressing these challenges include improving parent-school relationships, increasing access to sensory provision and educational trips and embedding a whole-school culture of trauma-informed practice and emotion coaching. These findings fit in with the wider literature regarding the negative impact of SD on SEWB outcomes in children (Masarik & Conger, 2017; Rahal & Stigler, 2022). Additionally, the findings offer support to the existing literature on the negative impact of school closures and disruptions (Marchant et al., 2021; Tso et al., 2020; Vallejo-Slocker et al., 2020). To conclude, whilst these findings are not causal, they should be interpreted as offering valuable insight into the unique systemic challenges that these communities face and how these lived experiences have been perceived to have negatively impacted SEWB outcomes. Given the mental health crisis that has been exacerbated by the pandemic, these findings offer insights into the mechanisms that precede future mental health difficulties. It is clear that school staff have advocated through the pandemic for SD children, therefore, their recommendations hold saliency and value in what could be put in place to address these disparities.

As we now turn to a post-pandemic reality, the literature alludes to the fact that a pre-pandemic schooling structure cannot continue if education policy and practice are to address the academic and SEWB disparities in SD children. Therefore, the impact of this research is that it can allow for an insight into what can be put in place to support various stakeholders. As the research concerns the SEWB of SD children, this research can benefit them directly as efforts can be made to address the challenges that they face and shed light on their lived experiences. Particularly, as child SEWB has become central to inclusive education practice and research, it is important to understand how these learners experience their interrelated worlds of school, family and community (Corcoran & Kaneva, 2021). Moreover, whilst this research has focused on children’s wellbeing outcomes, the literature indicates parental wellbeing is important in being able to support their children socially and emotionally. Therefore, this research is important for highlighting the role that parents have played during the pandemic and how the cultivation of a parent-school relationship can benefit the child. To ensure effective inclusion practice, there is a requirement to involve families and wider communities beyond schools (Lewis et al., 2019). Additionally, these findings were helpful in understanding how schools can respond as a support system to address the short and long-term effects of school closures and disruptions. School staff working in SD communities have an additional challenge of addressing these barriers with very little resources and financial support. Thus, illuminating the voices of adults who have had the most contact with this marginalised group can allow for educational policymakers to be more informed in addressing the context-specific barriers of implementing effective SEWB strategies within educational settings.

This dissertation sought to explore the perspectives of professionals in English special schools on the impact of Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAIs) on social communication in students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ASD is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder (Hodges et al., 2020) which approximately 1 out of 100 children worldwide are diagnosed with (Zeidan et al., 2022). Social communication deficits are one of the core characteristics of ASD (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). It includes difficulties with eye contact and with understanding other people’s perspectives (Hardy & Weston, 2020). Social communication deficits are associated with negative outcomes, such as isolation and mental health difficulties (Hardy & Weston, 2020). Therefore, supporting students with ASD to manage social communication difficulties is a key focus of special schools in England, UK (Department of Education, 2015). AAIs are being implemented in some special schools in England in order to try and support students with their social communication deficits. AAIs include Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), where the animal plays a central role in achieving the specified therapeutic goal, and Animal-Assisted Activities (AAAs), which involves the inclusion for animals for general benefit without defined therapeutic goals (Berget & Braastad, 2008; Davis et al., 2015). An example of AAT is a speech & language therapist incorporating a therapy dog into a speech & language session. An example of AAAs is a teacher bringing guinea pigs into class for students to interact with. Often there is significant overlap between AAT and AAAs, and in England there are very limited regulations surrounding AAIs (Berget & Braastad, 2008). This research aimed to explore how AAIs are currently being implemented in special schools in England, their impact on the social communication of students with ASD and the underlying mechanisms, as well as the limitations and challenges associated with their implementation. 9 participants were recruited from across England and included 7 practitioners of AAIs and 2 observers. Some of the professions of the practitioners included a counsellor, a child & adolescent psychotherapist, a speech & language therapist and an occupational therapist. The research had a qualitative approach and semi-structured interviews, conducted on Zoom, were used to gather the perspectives of each of the participants. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Key themes and subthemes were identified. It was found that AAIs are being implemented in special schools in England using flexible and child-led approaches, with participants frequently struggling to describe what a ‘typical’ session of AAIs looked like for them. Animals being used included dogs, guinea pigs and rats. The participants had varying views on the importance of animal training. Participants suggested that recognition of AAIs in education is growing and spreading on the back of anecdotal evidence. However, it was discussed that there is still a lack of understanding about what it is and its benefits. The professionals generally perceived AAIs to have a positive impact on the social communication of students with ASD. The calming effects of animals were discussed, as well as the predictability and consistency of animals. A recurring theme was that animals acted as a ‘bridge’ between students and the social world, whether in building relationships with the practitioner or with their peers. These findings support existing literature on the subject. It was also suggested that interactions with animals can help to build the confidence of students with ASD through allowing them to take on a care-taking role which they may not have in other parts of their life. The impact of the AAIs was found to be lesser for students who were visually impaired. Challenges of AAIs implementation were also discussed, such as concerns about animal welfare and logistical, budget and time constraints. It was noted that AAIs are not suitable for all children, due to factors such as fears of animals.

This research has relevance for a variety of stakeholders. The findings of this research are promising with regards to the impact of AAIs for the social communication of students with ASD. However, these findings alone should not be taken as definitive evidence of its effectiveness. Instead, the mechanisms suggested by the professionals can serve as the grounds for guiding future research. There are also some concerning findings in the research, such as with regards to the lack of training of some animals, which should be addressed. For Policy Makers: it is recommended that comprehensive national guidelines should be introduced to standardise practice in England. Ideally this would take the form of National Occupational Standards, which would make requirements such as a certain level of training for dogs legally binding. This is necessary to protect animal welfare, as well as the safety of children involved in interventions. For Practitioners: it is recommended that until National Occupational Standards are introduced, the voluntary UK Code of Practice created by The Society For Companion Animal Studies (2019) should be adhered to. This is the most thorough code of practice currently available. It includes recommendations such as that cats and dogs should be at least 1 year old before being involved in AAIs and that sessions should not last more than 45 minutes. For Schools: It is recommended that they have their own risk assessments and regulations regarding AAIs in order to ensure their students’ safety. For Parents of Children with ASD: Parents should be aware that there is no concrete evidence of the efficacy of AAIs. They must weigh the potential, unproven, benefits of AAIs against the potential risks for their children.

The aim of the project was to gain a better understanding of the relationship between academic stress and psychological wellbeing in undergraduate university students of all year groups in the UK, and to identify a way in which this relationship could be reduced. Social support is hypothesised to protect students against the negative consequences of stress, therefore this study aimed to investigate whether social support can protect students against the negative consequences of academic stress on the psychological wellbeing of university students. The study also aimed to provide a better understanding as to how levels of academic stress and psychological wellbeing might differ depending on the student’s year of study, as previous research had mainly focused on first year students. The target population was undergraduate university students in their first, second or third year of their degree at a university in the UK. A total of 130 participants participated in the study, 30 of which identified as male, 98 of which identified as female and 2 of which identified as other. In terms of year group, 40 students were in their first year, 38 were in their second year and 42 were in their third year of study. Participants completed a questionnaire that consisted of 50 items, and included a demographic questionnaire, an academic stress scale, a psychological wellbeing scale and a perceived social support scale. There were four main findings of the study. The first was that there is no significant difference in levels of academic stress and psychological wellbeing between first, second- and third-year undergraduate students, meaning students 74 in each university year group have similar levels of academic stress and psychological wellbeing. This contradicted previous research that found higher levels of academic stress in students in their final year than first year, and higher levels of depression at the end of final year than prior to starting university. The second finding was that there is a significant negative association between academic stress and psychological wellbeing, meaning that participants who reported higher levels of academic stress had lower levels of psychological wellbeing. This finding is in line with previous research. The third finding is that there is a significant positive association between perceived social support and psychological wellbeing, meaning that participants who had higher levels of perceived social support have higher levels of psychological wellbeing. This finding is also in line with previous research. Finally, the study found that social support does not moderate the association between academic stress and psychological wellbeing, meaning that the association between academic stress and psychological wellbeing is not affected by an individual’s perception of their social support. This contradicts previous research which found that social support can protect individuals against the negative consequences of stress on depression and wellbeing. It can be concluded that academic stress is negatively associated with psychological wellbeing and social support is positively associated with psychological wellbeing in undergraduate students studying at universities in the UK. However, the relationship between academic stress and psychological wellbeing is not affected by levels of perceived social support. Future research should continue to investigate potential protective factors against the influence of 75 academic stress on psychological wellbeing to reduce levels of academic stress and improve psychological wellbeing in university students.

The findings of this research have several real-world applications that will have a positive impact on undergraduate university students and universities in the UK. Firstly, the finding that students have low levels of psychological wellbeing is useful as it clearly highlights that universities need to act to help protect the wellbeing of their students. Through demonstrating the potential negative influence of academic stress on psychological wellbeing, universities might begin to consider implementing stress management programmes to help students deal with academic stress. Additionally, they might consider changing aspects of the teaching process to prevent academic stress from occurring. For instance, the frequency of examinations and assignments is a major source of stress in students, therefore universities might review the number of assignments and examinations students are required to sit to ensure they are not being overburdened. This could help prevent academic stress from negatively impacting students’ psychological wellbeing. Further, the finding that social support is positively correlated with psychological wellbeing might benefit students, as universities could encourage students to seek social support when they are struggling and provide ways for students to broaden their social network. For instance, students could be offered a peer support mentor so that they always feel that they have someone to turn to in times of need. Moreover, universities could promote students connecting via social media pages prior to starting university so that they begin university with a support network, as research has highlighted that student’s perception of social support can decline during the transition to university.

Adolescence is characterised as a challenging time due to hormonal changes and increased pressures. Carol Dweck’s growth mindset research suggests that there are categories individuals fall 53 into, that of a fixed mindset, a growth mindset or in between. Research indicates that adolescents’ well-being is paramount and there is increasing need to find preventative measures to target increased well-being in adolescents. Encouraging a growth mindset has been demonstrated to strengthen students' resilience and motivates them to take on new challenges to enhance their wellbeing. This research investigated the relationship between a growth mindset and emotional wellbeing in adolescent-aged pupils whilst accounting for sex. There is little research explaining this association, therefore a moderation analysis was performed to explore the role of academic selfefficacy within this relationship. This study targeted 16-year-old adolescent students as they are shown to be a vulnerable group in terms of mental and emotional health disorders. A total of 79 participants took part in the study. However, 24 participants were excluded due to missing values or variables that were not of interest, leaving a sample of 55 participants for the analysis. Among these, 11 (25%) participants were male, and 44 (75%) were female. After the ethics were approved by the University of Manchester SEED, headteachers of secondary schools were contacted via email, including a link that sent participants to the online study via the Qualtrics platform. Participants were first required to read the information sheet before commencing and providing their informed consent to participate. Students then participated in brief demographic questions asking their gender and three psychological questionnaires. The questionnaires included the Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale, the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales and the Warwick Emotional Well-being Scale, which assessed students' growth mindsets, academic self-efficacy and emotional well-being, respectively. Overall, the results showed no significant findings for the relationship between a growth mindset and emotional well-being and when accounting for sex. However, the research does highlight the significant association between academic self-efficacy and emotional well-being suggesting the importance of encouraging academic self-efficacy beliefs in adolescent pupils to allow students to flourish and believe in their academic abilities that can contribute to better emotional well-being. This is consistent with previous literature indicating that students with positive academic self-efficacy beliefs can positively impact their overall emotional well-being and encourage resilience towards academic challenges. Finally, the moderation analysis was found to be non-significant, which was not consistent with previous literature and theories about a significant relationship between a growth mindset and greater emotional well-being with the addition of high academic self-efficacy beliefs; academic self-efficacy did not moderate the relationship between a growth mindset and emotional well-being suggesting there are more prevalent moderating variables. Although a growth mindset was not significantly associated with greater emotional wellbeing, previous literature has indicated that a growth mindset has been found to have multiple positive psychological outcomes. Therefore, it is still important to encourage and promote a growth mindset in adolescent-aged pupils. The findings are important for teachers and parents to promote academic self-efficacy in adolescents to help to build a generation of more resilient and emotionally equipped students. The findings also point to potential gender differences, suggesting that further research could target interventions appropriately according to those most susceptible to the benefits. Future research can identify further variables impacting adolescents’ emotional well-being and to further understand the complexity of well-being in students.

This study was conducted as adolescent well-being is often overlooked in favour of prioritising academic achievement. This study aims to support the notion that student achievement can be improved by taking into consideration their mindset towards learning. Currently, adolescents are facing a very high prevalence of mental health disorders and poor well-being. Creating a generation of students who are more resilient, confident and experience greater emotional wellbeing are more likely to positively contribute to their communities and seek further education, participate in lifelong learning and succeed in their careers. This can result in a more supportive social community where people can support one another. Furthermore, students who hold greater emotional well-being have been shown to have stronger relationships with friends and family which can contribute to reduced feelings of loneliness and mental health disorders. Therefore, education systems may benefit from a more holistic approach on student development placing their emotional well-being at the forefront. A more inclusive society can help to reduce costs for the NHS in terms of mental health care, greater job satisfaction and overall wellbeing as a result of placing stronger emphasis on well-being in educational policy for schools. With education systems placing focus on mental and emotional health in students this can also reduce the stigma associated with these disorders and encourage more students to seek support. The study’s findings into gender differences can help practitioners in designing interventions that can improve vulnerable populations' emotional and academic well-being and result in more thorough and evidence-based interventions.

Academics play a major role in shaping a student’s career trajectory and personality. It plays a crucial role in determining if a student will continue with his/her studies or not. This is, however, influenced by one’s personality traits. Thus, it is critical to comprehend how personality characteristics across individuals relate to academic motivation. According to the five-factor model, personality traits can be categorised as openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. This study aimed to investigate the impact of personality on the academic motivation of Indian students studying in the UK and the role of gender on it. The target population was 81 Indian university students aged 18-25, from universities across UK. After obtaining ethics, self-report questionnaires measuring personality traits and academic motivation were made available. Statistical analyses such as correlation, MANOVA and regression were performed using SPSS. Moderation analysis was conducted using PROCESS software to identify the moderating role of gender on the relationship between openness/conscientiousness and intrinsic motivation. Openness and conscientiousness personality trait predicted variance in intrinsic motivation. Regression analysis showed openness and conscientiousness have a statistically significant effect on intrinsic motivation and gender does not. Moderation analysis showed that gender does not moderate the relationship between intrinsic motivation and these two personality traits. There is no current research linking personality with academic motivation and moderating role of gender for this specific demographic . This study highlights the importance of understanding that students have different personalities, motivations, and learning styles and how educators should tailor their teaching approach accordingly so as to match their needs. Future research can focus on identifying other factors such as socio economic background, parenting styles, self-esteem etc that may impact academic motivation in these students.

This study sheds light on the intricate relationship between personality traits and academic motivation among Indian students studying in the UK. The results go against what is generally believed, showing a positive link between neuroticism and academic motivation, highlighting the complex nature of this association. The study also highlights the value of individualised educational approaches by demonstrating that not every one of the Big Five personality traits is directly correlated with academic motivation. These insights carry practical implications for educational institutions. Teachers are encouraged to adopt student-specific approaches, leveraging the positive link between neuroticism and academic motivation. Creating tailored interventions to foster emotional regulation and channel neurotic tendencies into productive academic endeavours could prove beneficial. Additionally, the study underscores the need to recognize personality diversity in academic settings. By acknowledging that different personality traits impact motivation uniquely, educators can refine their teaching methods to accommodate individual needs. Furthermore, teachers' positive reinforcement of students' autonomy, relevance, and relatedness of the information may enhance students' willingness to learn. While gender did not significantly moderate the relationship between personality traits and intrinsic motivation in this study, the findings highlight the evolving dynamics of gender in the academic context. This study paves the way for future research, encouraging exploration of the interplay between personality, gender, and academic motivation across various cultural and educational contexts. Overall, this research enriches our understanding of the complex interactions that shape students' academic experiences.

The present study aimed to examine the relationship between personality traits, psychological well-being (PWB), school satisfaction and social satisfaction among Hong Kong university students who are studying in the UK. The association between personality and well-being has been studied extensively in the past decades, yet, few research focused on emerging adulthood and culturally distinct contexts, such as Hong Kong students. Moreover, existing literature on the impacts of individual personality traits on multidimensional well-being is mixed and contradicting, this study tried to narrow the inconsistencies between previous findings. A cross-sectional quantitative online survey was adopted in this study. Self-report data was collected via psychometrically sound and published surveys gathered from the online anonymous survey distributed through Qualtrics, including the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP), Psychological Well-being Scale (PWB18-items) and Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS). Participants were university students studying in the UK, who also identify themselves as Hong Kongers. A total of 107 responses were collected and 104 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The data underwent a series of correlational analyses and hierarchical regression analyses in order to understand whether and by the variance of personality explains PWB, school satisfaction and social satisfaction. Results revealed that personality traits in general predict PWB, school and social satisfaction. Traits openness, conscientiousness and neuroticism predict PWB; conscientiousness and neuroticism predict school satisfaction; conscientiousness, agreeableness and extraversion predict social satisfaction. School satisfaction is not explained by both PWB and social satisfaction, where PWB predicts social satisfaction. In sum, this research confirms the relationship of individual personality traits, PWB, school and social satisfaction to some extent, which the proposed hypotheses were partially supported. It highlights the importance of considering personality factors in well-being, both hedonically and eudaimonically in a comprehensive structure. The uniqueness of the chosen population is acknowledged in contributing to the existing growing body of research. Future research direction on examining this specific population longitudinally at different times with multiple assessment methods is recommended. Educational implications for higher education institutes and individual students are discussed, that the attributional factor of personality in understanding one’s distinct PWB and SWB is emphasised, encouraging students to accept and value their individual difference in pursuing optimal functioning and happiness in university lives.

This study serves as an insight for future research on this novel population: Hong Kong students in the UK. By understanding and extending the research interest outside the WEIRD population, knowledge could be generalised to a wider population internationally. It incorporates current policies on immigration and culture of Hong Kongers, in examining the actual attitudes of this unique group in universities. Moreover, this study investigated based on grounded theories of personality and well-being, enriching the knowledge in personality and positive psychology within educational settings. Transition is further studied by including cross-country (i.e., Hong Kong to UK) transition, along with school and social transitions. This offers opportunities for further academic research on the interaction between different types of transitions. For higher education institutions, this study may serve as educational policy making and programme design aspirations. Given that personality and well-being are related, individual differences ought to be catered when designing various interventions and teaching approaches. Universities could also reinforce the PWB and SWB supporting systems apart from strengthening mental health awareness in school, acknowledging the PWB-SWB distinction whenever students require support. For individual students, they possibly learn that enhanced self-understanding of one's internal state can improve their self-realisation and goal pursuit. Some traits were found as predictors of well-being, getting to know one's own personality is helpful in evaluating their well-being. It is also important to stress that personality is not the only attribution to well-being, the relatively stable traits could interact with other factors in resulting positive well-being in university life. Individuals could explore other contributors of well-being and happiness instead of dwelling on their perceived less desirable traits. Learning to accept and cope with one’s personality and optimising one’s functioning could be vital for students in their university studies, future career achievements and life outcomes

Adolescents are traditionally perceived as prolific risk takers as they are prone to indulge in reckless driving, binge drinking and unprotected sex. Research shows that adolescent perception of risk is aligned with the norms of their social group and risk-taking increases in the presence of peers, known or unknown. As interaction with peers increases during this time and they become more important in their daily lives, adolescents seek peer approval and exclusion from the social group results in emotional distress. This risk of social exclusion is called social risk and the extent of acceptance they feel in their social group is called sense of belongingness. One of the factors that affects both belongingness and social risk is personality. According to the five-factor model, personality traits can be categorised as openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. This study aimed to investigate the impact of personality on the concern for social risk felt by adolescents and the impact of their sense of belongingness on it. Extraversion and neuroticism were examined in greater detail as they had stronger links to belongingness and social risk. The target population was adolescents aged 12-14 as they are most susceptible to peer influence. The sample for this study was 105 students from two schools in Northwest England – one independent and one state maintained. After obtaining parental consent and assenting to participate, they were invited to complete self-report questionnaires measuring personality traits, belongingness and social risk. Statistical analyses such as correlation, regression and mediation were performed using statistical software to investigate the relationship between them and identify the contribution of extraversion and neuroticism. The results showed that higher extraversion was linked to lower concern for social risk due to a higher sense of belongingness and higher neuroticism was linked to higher concern for social risk due to a lower sense of belongingness. Also, higher belongingness predicted lower concern for social risk and belongingness was affected by personality traits of extraversion neuroticism and conscientiousness. There is no current research linking personality with concern for social risk as social risk is new concept and this study contributes to this field. By explaining the mechanism of belongingness by which personality traits can influence concern for social risk in adolescents, this study highlights the importance of understanding adolescent behaviour, the factors affecting risk taking and the motivations behind such behaviour. Future research can focus on identifying other factors such as emotional regulation skills, loneliness and environmental factors that may affect concern for social risk in adolescents.

Since following peer group norms may be a strategy employed by adolescents to avoid the risk of social exclusion, this concern for social risk can be harnessed in schools to promote prosocial behaviour in adolescents by engaging with positive peer role models. Interventions in school to promote better behaviour and academic engagement could be advocated by popular students who would wield greater influence over their peers than teachers and external staff. The importance of belongingness in multiple fields should be acknowledged and programs to build belongingness can be implemented. Schools need to provide opportunities to students to participate in different areas such as sport, art, music and theatre to build school belongingness which is linked with better academic performance and lower dropout rates. Social programs such as youth clubs which provide a dedicated space for adolescents to socialise and build skills promote a sense of community belongingness. Parents and carers should be advised about the importance of making adolescents feel valued in their family units as this gives them a sense of responsibility which reduces their propensity for risky behaviours. As children spend a large amount of time in school, teachers are well placed to observe students high in neuroticism and consequently at risk of social exclusion. Interventions can be developed to equip children with strategies for practising behaviours that would enable them to make and maintain better friendships at school and relationships at home and in the community.

Transitions can broadly be understood as periods of change where individuals move from one life stage to another. Starting university is a multifaceted process involving simultaneous academic, social and emotional adjustment. Traditionally, research has focused on the academic outcomes of new students when discussing what constitutes a successful transition to university. There is an evident need to take a more holistic approach to university transitions, understanding what makes them successful through multiple different aspects surrounding the university lifestyle, such as the social and emotional characteristics. The present research specifically aimed to address notable gaps in the literature by adopting a multidimensional framework for understanding successful transitions within a post-pandemic UK context. It also sought to clarify whether time spent at university impacts differences in perceived adjustment. The target population were undergraduate students attending UK universities. A total of 90 students participated, with ages ranging from 18 to 61 (mean age = 21.4 years). The sample included 30 males and 60 females, across four years of studies. Participants were asked to complete four validated self-report measures: the Mini-International Personality Item Pool which measures five broad personality types, the Academic Adjustment Scale which measures academic performance, lifestyle and motivation, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, which measures the perceived level of support from family, friends and significant others, and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire – Short Form, which measures the use of two emotion regulation strategies: cognitive reappraisal (thinking differently in order to alter the emotional impact of a situation) and expressive suppression (inhibiting the outward display of emotions). Multiple linear regression models were used to examine personality as a predictor of adjustment outcomes and independent sample t-tests were used to compared adjustment levels between first-year students and non-first-year students. Conscientiousness emerged as a significant positive predictor of academic adjustment, supporting its links with motivation and goal-directed behaviour, important for educational success. Neuroticism (emotional stability) was identified as a significant negative predictor of social adjustment, aligning with research on its links to maladaptive coping, and contrary to previous literature, extraversion (sociability) was not a predictor. Conscientiousness and agreeableness (helpful, sympathetic) emerged as significant positive predictors of cognitive reappraisal, suggesting that these traits may encourage constructive reframing of stressful situations. No personality trait emerged as significant predictors of expressive suppression. There were no differences in perceived levels of academic, social or emotional adjustment between years of study, challenging the assumption that adjustment naturally improves over time.

This research underscores the importance of a multidimensional framework for understanding university adjustment. It refines understanding of personality’s role and challenges assumptions of linear improvement in adjustment over time. Practically, the research suggests the value of personality-informed support services, such as interventions aimed at improving resilience for neurotic students and time-management training for students low in conscientiousness. It also highlights the importance of embedding wellbeing initiatives into university policy, especially given contemporary stresses (e.g., digital learning, financial pressures). Students themselves would benefit from the findings of this research, through more effective and tailored support mechanisms. Support services and counsellors would also benefit. This research provides evidence for targeted interventions based on personality profiles and the persistence of adjustment challenges. By understanding the broader factors that influence student success beyond academic ability, educators and academic staff would also benefit. For example, lectures could be designed to promote social engagement aimed at students who might struggle to socially integrate. Finally, university policymakers and administrators would benefit, as the findings suggest a need for the development of comprehensive wellbeing strategies and policies that address the multifaceted nature of student transitions in a modern context.