The importance of fulfilling one's basic needs.
Looking at factors that influence student's mental health and impact their journey to academic success and wellbeing, based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow, 1970).
Based on his studies of student success, Abraham Maslow (1970) created a psychological model, the Hierarchy of Needs, and proposed that individual growth and development is only achieved when a human needs are fulfilled. He concluded that there are different types of needs which lie
on a continuum, where more basic needs must be met before an individual can progress to the next level on their road to success (or self-actualisation). For example, an individual must have their physiological needs met, such as being hydrated and fed, before they can attend to higher needs, such as a personal safety (Freitas & Leonard, 2011). The diagram to the right illustrates the order of the five stages of Maslow’s theory and the specific needs in each stage.
Some researchers have criticised this model, arguing that people have demonstrated self-actualisation in situations where basic needs have not been met (Bergin et al., 2018, p. 42). However, the framework is still widely used and may be help us begin to evaluate why students are falling behind, expressing feelings of stress or anxiety, and what may be hindering their ability to make changes. It may be used to look at an aspect of concern, and work backward to identify underlying issues. A teacher can look at a student who is feeling anxious due to difficulty making friends, and check if they may be lacking needs of lower tiers, such as an unsafe living situation or lack of sleep.
Attributes like positive self esteem and academic achievement are part of the 'esteem' tier of the Pyramid. Thus, there are a number of factors which may be impacting success in these areas and may need to be attended to first. Highlighted below are a couple of student needs which are commonly unmet, and suggestions of how teachers and schools may help address these. Teachers may find it helpful to consider these and other elements of Maslow's hierarchy when presented with students expressing troubles, such as anxiety.
Food and Nutrition
Approximately 17.4% of Australian children live below the poverty line (Davidson et al., 2020). If these percentages were reflected in class of 23 students, four of those students would be living in poverty. As this is the case, teachers need to be aware that their students may be coming to school hungry or may have limited access to nutritious food. In this scenario, students may have difficulty concentrating, and may feel stressed if they fall behind in class as a result. Malnutrition also has direct effects on brain function, the ability to regulate emotions and manage anxiety (Bergin et al., 2018, p. 65).
Before-school breakfast programs are becoming more popular in schools and may be one way to give students the head start they need to learn effectively that day and promote emotional wellbeing. Teachers should also check in with students who appear to be stressed or disengaged to see if they have eaten that day. Appropriate snacks, subject to parent approval, could be handed out if needed. Social Connections Maslow expresses the importance of feeling loved and belonging in his model. When asked what makes them upset, young students answered "not having friends" or "when my friends don't play with me" most often (Peedom & Cummins, 2012). It is clear that social connections, making friends and feeling cared for has a profound impact on students' mental health and wellbeing. Students may begin to feel isolated or excluded from their peers which can lead to personal insecurities and anxiety so it is important to monitor friendship groups and put measures in place so students interact with one another and form valuable connections.
Organising whole class activities where students must interact with many students may help them form connections and friendships, and create a overall positive class climate in which students feel they belong. In this way they are able to achieve both levels of safety and belonging in Maslow's model and will be able to move on and focus on building self esteem and happiness. It is also important to check that no students are being excluded, and to have support systems for students struggling to make friends, such as connections with other classes to introducing them to new students.
References
Bergin, C. C., Bergin, D. A., Walker, S., Daniel, G., Fenton, A., & Subban, P. (2018). Child and adolescent development for educators. Cengage.
Bronfenbrenner, U. & Morris, P. A. (2006). The bioecological model of human development. In R. M. Lerner & W. Damon (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Theoretical models of human development (6th ed., pp. 793–828). Wiley.
Davidson, P., Saunders, P., Bradbury, B., & Wong, M. (2020). Poverty in Australia 2020: Part 1 Overview. Australian Council of Social Service. http://povertyandinequality.acoss.org.au/
Freitas, F. A., & Leonard, L. J. (2011). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and student academic success. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 6(1), 9–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2010.07.004
Maslow, A. (1970). Motivation and personality (2nd ed.). Harper & Row.
Peedom, J. (Director), & Cummins, J. (Producer). (2012). Finding your Tribe [TV series episode]. In Life at 7. Heiress Films Pty Ltd. https://go.openathens.net/redirector/www.monash.edu?url=https://edutv.informit.com.au/watch-screen.php?videoID=463876
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