Pre-service teachers’ engagement with student wellbeing

Concern with student wellbeing is now firmly on the educational agenda, with various state programs explicitly seeking to address issues of bullying, drugs and mental health. This focus is also increasingly seen as important in effective teacher preparation programs. This paper reports on findings of a study that investigated pre-service teachers’ emerging understandings and sense of competence in developing appropriate frameworks and practical strategies to address this issue. The research used a qualitative case study method, including individual interviews of a group of Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) students to identify their changing perceptions of this aspect of teacher preparation during their one-year program. Students’ reflections, incorporating their perceptions of university and professional experience, were analysed after each of the two practicum components of their course. The findings indicate that developing perceived competence in this area represents a significant challenge for pre-service teachers, and the paper concludes by considering implications for an effective teacher preparation program.