(2 of 2) What About Teachers' Mental Health: Anybody Cares?

Abstract

Mental health in higher education has been a growing concern, but most of the focus is placed on students, leaving teachers—specifically lecturers—largely neglected. This article sheds light on the unique challenges faced by lecturers, such as high workloads, job insecurity, emotional labor, and external pressures like bullying from students and parents. A novel approach is introduced to address this imbalance by advocating for reciprocal feedback mechanisms, which allow lecturers to evaluate students’ professionalism and engagement. This strategy, along with others outlined in the article, ensures a balanced and supportive academic environment that protects the mental health of both students and lecturers. These interventions are essential to maintain the dignity and integrity of long-standing academic institutions.

Introduction

Discussions about mental health in academia are primarily focused on students—highlighting the rising cases of anxiety, depression, and stress among them (Brown, 2020). To address this, higher education institutions have introduced a wide range of initiatives such as counseling services, mental health workshops, and peer support programs (Eisenberg, Lipson, & Posselt, 2016). However, the well-being of lecturers has been largely overlooked in this discourse. The title of this article asks an urgent question: What about teachers’ mental health—anybody cares?

Lecturers carry immense burdens. They juggle teaching, research, and administrative responsibilities while providing emotional support to students. However, the current institutional systems that protect students often fail to extend similar protections to lecturers. This imbalance is particularly evident in the lack of reciprocal feedback mechanisms, leaving lecturers vulnerable to misuse of feedback systems by students and their parents. In environments where academic integrity, tradition, and reputation are paramount, lecturers are left unprotected, and the result is a compromised academic ecosystem.

Traditionally, students are considered the weaker party in the academic power dynamic, with teachers and institutions holding greater authority. This is why protections have been built around the student experience. But as policies continue to tilt towards safeguarding students, an important question arises: Have lecturers now become the weaker party? Have lecturers now become the more vulnerable group?        

When institutional policies focus solely on protecting students, the balance shifts, creating room for potential exploitation. In reality, life involves a complex exchange between the strong and the weak, with power dynamics constantly shifting. Lecturers—despite bearing six critical hats—are now vulnerable. They perform as educators, researchers, philanthropists, administrators, entrepreneurs, and family members, all while receiving modest compensation. This shifting power dynamic demands reciprocal protections, where teachers are equally shielded from potential exploitation by students and parents.

This article poses a crucial research question: How can institutions create a more balanced mental health support system for both students and lecturers, particularly through reciprocal feedback mechanisms?

What is Currently Known: Focus on Student Mental Health

The mental health challenges faced by students have become a pressing issue. Studies have documented the significant rise in mental health concerns among students, driven by academic pressures, social expectations, and financial challenges (Shankar et al., 2020). Consequently, institutions have invested heavily in services aimed at supporting student well-being, such as counseling, mindfulness workshops, and peer mentoring programs (Eisenberg et al., 2016).

While these initiatives are important, the narrative largely ignores the mental health struggles of lecturers. Educators who are essential to the learning process are left to navigate their mental health challenges without the same level of institutional support that students receive. Lecturers also face disruptive behaviors from students that go unchecked, which exacerbates their mental health problems (Keashly & Neuman, 2010). This imbalance demands urgent attention.

Why Lecturer Mental Health is Overlooked: Structural and Cultural Barriers

Several unique stressors contribute to poor mental health among lecturers, and the culture within academia often normalizes overwork, leaving educators vulnerable to burnout. Furthermore, structural challenges, such as the rise of student bullying, compound these issues. Lecturers frequently face intimidation, harassment, and even verbal abuse from students, with little institutional recourse to address these behaviors.

1. High Workloads and Burnout

Lecturers are expected to fulfill multiple roles, including teaching, mentoring, conducting research, and performing administrative duties. This heavy workload, coupled with high expectations for research output, leads to significant stress (Watts & Robertson, 2011). Burnout is common among educators, but institutional responses remain inadequate (Winefield et al., 2008).

2. Job Insecurity and Precarity

Adjunct and part-time lecturers, in particular, face job insecurity, often working on short-term contracts with few benefits and limited job protection (Feldman & Turnley, 2004). This uncertainty exacerbates anxiety and stress, further deteriorating their mental health (Warr, 2007).

3. Emotional Labor and Its Consequences

In addition to their academic responsibilities, lecturers perform significant emotional labor, offering support to students who are struggling both academically and personally (Kinman et al., 2011). This emotional labor often goes unrecognized, adding to the stress of the job. Emotional exhaustion from such labor can lead to burnout and mental fatigue (Maslach & Leiter, 2016).

4. Bullying by Students

Bullying by students is a growing issue that significantly affects lecturers’ mental health. In some cases, students use intimidation tactics, verbal abuse, or coordinated efforts to undermine lecturers’ authority, especially in disputes over grades (Keashly & Neuman, 2010). In other cases, parents join in, further pressuring institutions to favor students over lecturers. This imbalance leaves educators vulnerable to exploitation without sufficient institutional support (Schat & Frone, 2011).

The Many Hats Lecturers Must Wear: More Than Just Educators

Lecturers are not just teachers. They fulfill multiple roles, which places immense pressure on them and leaves them vulnerable to mental health issues. Yet, the institutions they work for rarely provide adequate support. The following outlines the various roles lecturers must balance:

1. A High-Quality Teacher Like Sosrokartono Lecturers are expected to teach with excellence, much like the revered intellectual Sosrokartono. They must inspire students, adapt their teaching methods to accommodate diverse learning styles, and make complex concepts accessible.
2. A High-Performance Researcher Like a Nobel Laureate In addition to teaching, lecturers are often expected to produce groundbreaking research, publish frequently, and secure funding. This pressure is comparable to that placed on Nobel laureates, demanding constant innovation and contribution to their fields (Kinman & Wray, 2018).
3. A Philanthropist as Social as Jesus Lecturers are also expected to contribute to society through outreach and service, much like a philanthropist. This responsibility is embedded in their contracts, requiring them to engage in community work, share their expertise, and mentor the next generation of scholars (Kinman et al., 2011).
4. An Administrator Like a Harvard Business School Alumnus The administrative workload of lecturers is significant. They must manage student assessments, handle compliance with institutional policies, and participate in departmental planning. This administrative burden is often ignored, but it adds significant stress to their roles (Watts & Robertson, 2011).
5. A World-Class Entrepreneur Like Those in MIT’s Martin Trust Center Lecturers are expected to think entrepreneurially, securing grants, forming industry partnerships, and sometimes even commercializing their research. This entrepreneurial mindset is critical for navigating the complexities of modern academia.
6. A Family Member with 24/7 Responsibilities Finally, lecturers must manage their family responsibilities alongside their professional duties. This balancing act adds another layer of pressure, particularly given the relatively low remuneration lecturers receive for their wide-ranging contributions.

How Neglecting Lecturer Mental Health Impacts the Academic Environment

The failure to address lecturers' mental health has far-reaching consequences, not only for the educators themselves but for the academic environment as a whole. A growing body of literature demonstrates that lecturer burnout negatively impacts teaching quality, student engagement, and overall learning outcomes (Gillespie et al., 2001). When lecturers are overworked, emotionally exhausted, or dealing with bullying, they are less able to provide the high-quality instruction and support that students need to succeed.

Moreover, lecturers experiencing mental health issues or bullying may disengage from their work, leading to absenteeism, decreased productivity, and a lack of innovation in teaching practices (Kinman & Wray, 2018). This creates a feedback loop, where the quality of education declines, student satisfaction decreases, and lecturers are further blamed for poor outcomes, perpetuating their mental health struggles.

Additionally, absenteeism becomes a more prominent issue as lecturers struggling with mental health challenges take time off, either to recover or as a response to overwhelming stress. When lecturers are frequently absent, students lose valuable learning time, and the continuity of the curriculum is disrupted. The absence of consistent instruction affects students' ability to progress through their studies effectively, and this inconsistency can lead to frustration, decreased academic performance, and a sense of dissatisfaction with the institution.

Neglecting lecturer mental health can also stifle innovation and academic growth within institutions. Overworked and stressed lecturers have less capacity to engage in research, curriculum development, or extracurricular projects that could enhance the institution’s academic standing. With lecturers too overwhelmed to take on new initiatives, the academic environment becomes stagnant, and the institution risks falling behind in terms of educational advancements, student satisfaction, and research contributions.

Thus, by failing to adequately support lecturers' mental health, institutions not only harm their educators but also jeopardize the very fabric of their academic mission. The broader academic community suffers as both the quality of education and the institution's reputation deteriorate.

Novel Approaches to Balancing Mental Health Support

Recognizing the integral role of lecturers in maintaining educational standards, this article advocates for balanced mental health strategies that address both student and lecturer needs. While many institutions have already made strides in supporting student mental health, this must be expanded to include the well-being of lecturers, whose mental health is equally critical to the success of the academic environment. The following novel approaches are proposed to ensure both groups receive the protection and support they deserve.

1. Establish a Reciprocal Feedback Mechanism

Currently, most academic institutions operate under a one-sided feedback system where students evaluate lecturers based on various criteria. While this is essential for student voice, it leaves lecturers vulnerable to misuse of the system. Without any means of providing structured feedback on student behavior, lecturers are often powerless to address issues such as disrespect, disengagement, or disruptive conduct in the classroom.

A reciprocal feedback mechanism would empower lecturers to assess students on parameters like professionalism, engagement, respect for the learning environment, and adherence to academic standards. This system would be quantitative, much like the rating system students currently use for lecturers, allowing for a fair and balanced approach to accountability. The benefits of this system are twofold: it holds students responsible for their behavior while also providing institutions with data to support interventions for both students and staff (Keashly & Neuman, 2010).

By giving lecturers the ability to flag disruptive behavior formally, institutions can develop targeted support systems to address these issues. For example, students who consistently receive poor feedback could be offered counseling or behavioral interventions aimed at improving their engagement and respect for the academic environment. This, in turn, would create a more harmonious classroom dynamic, reducing the stress on lecturers and enhancing the learning experience for students who are eager to participate.

Reciprocal feedback also addresses unconscious incompetence, a concept where individuals are unaware of their shortcomings. For students, receiving feedback on their professional conduct in an academic setting can be a critical step in their personal and professional development. It mirrors the real-world expectations of professionalism, accountability, and growth, preparing students for future careers while maintaining the integrity of the academic environment.

2. Strengthen Policies to Protect Lecturers from Bullying

Bullying by students has emerged as a significant issue affecting lecturers' mental health. In some cases, students use verbal abuse, threats, or coordinated efforts to undermine the credibility of lecturers, especially when it comes to disputes over grades or academic performance (Keashly & Neuman, 2010). In other cases, parents also become involved, pressuring institutions to favor students or penalize lecturers unjustly.

Institutions must implement clear and enforceable policies that protect lecturers from such forms of bullying. This could include formal warnings, disciplinary actions for repeated offenses, and behavioral improvement plans for students who engage in intimidation tactics. Importantly, institutions must ensure that these policies are communicated to both students and parents, emphasizing the seriousness of such behaviors and their consequences (Schat & Frone, 2011).

Moreover, institutions should create a safe reporting mechanism where lecturers can raise concerns about bullying without fear of retaliation or negative repercussions on their careers. Anonymous reporting systems, coupled with swift institutional responses, would ensure that lecturers feel supported and protected, which is essential for maintaining their mental health and their authority in the classroom.

3. Formal Recognition of Lecturer Emotional Labor

Lecturers' emotional labor is often invisible but essential to the functioning of academic institutions. Whether mentoring struggling students, offering guidance on personal issues, or managing classroom dynamics, lecturers are constantly engaging in emotional work that goes beyond their job descriptions (Kinman et al., 2011).

Institutions must formally recognize this labor and provide resources to support it. This could include offering counseling services specifically tailored for staff, workshops on managing emotional labor, and the establishment of peer support networks where lecturers can share strategies for coping with emotional exhaustion. Recognizing the toll that emotional labor takes on lecturers is a crucial step in preventing burnout and ensuring their long-term well-being (Maslach & Leiter, 2016).

4. Implement a Code of Mutual Accountability

Both students and lecturers must adhere to a code of mutual accountability that promotes respect, professionalism, and academic integrity. Currently, the imbalance in power between students and lecturers can lead to situations where students feel free to disrespect or disregard lecturers without facing consequences. A formal code of mutual accountability would establish clear expectations for both parties and emphasize the importance of maintaining a respectful academic environment.

Such a code would provide lecturers with the authority to address disrespectful behavior, ensuring that students are aware of the consequences of such actions beyond grades. For example, disruptive behavior or disrespect could be formally recorded and addressed through institutional processes, ensuring that students are held accountable for their conduct in a structured way. This approach would not only protect lecturers but also help cultivate a more engaged, respectful, and productive student body (Trotter & Roberts, 2006).

Conclusion

The mental health of lecturers is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of higher education. While institutions have rightly focused on addressing the mental health needs of students, they must also turn their attention to the well-being of educators who are the backbone of the academic system. Lecturers wear many hats—teacher, researcher, philanthropist, administrator, entrepreneur, and family member—and their mental health must be prioritized.

Implementing reciprocal feedback mechanisms, protecting lecturers from bullying, formally recognizing emotional labor, and creating a code of mutual accountability are essential steps in creating a balanced and supportive academic environment. By valuing the contributions and well-being of both students and lecturers, institutions can foster a more harmonious and productive learning environment.

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