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In the wake of COVID-19, university students have experienced fundamental changes of their learning and their lives as a whole. The present research identifies psychological characteristics associated with students' well-being in this situation. We investigated relations of basic psychological need satisfaction (experienced competence, autonomy, and relatedness) with positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation, considering self-regulated learning as a moderator. Self-reports were collected from 6,071 students in Austria (Study 1) and 1,653 students in Finland (Study 2). Structural equation modeling revealed competence as the strongest predictor for positive emotion. Intrinsic learning motivation was predicted by competence and autonomy in both countries and by relatedness in Finland. Moderation effects of self-regulated learning were inconsistent, but main effects on intrinsic learning motivation were identified. Surprisingly, relatedness exerted only a minor effect on positive emotion. The results inform strategies to promote students' well-being through distance learning, mitigating the negative effects of the situation.

Background: Research suggests that students and teachers often tend to diverge in their perceptions of instructional practices that are part of their everyday classroom experience. This might include differing views about assessment and feedback, or the effectiveness of task design. Accordingly, there is a need to understand as much as possible about the reasons for such differences. Purpose: Whilst it is important to investigate students' and teachers' views on the reasons for these differences, the present study aimed to contribute to the 'why' and 'how' behind student-teacher divergence in perception by specifically focusing on teachers' perspectives. Method: A total of 398 Austrian secondary school teachers responded to an open response question in an online survey. They were invited to reflect on the possible reasons for student-teacher divergence in terms of perceptions of instruction. The teachers' statements written in response to the question were analysed, in detail, using qualitative content analysis. Data were grouped according to micro, meso and marcrolevel factors. Findings: Analysis gave rise to a detailed categorisation of the reasons given by teachers, from their viewpoints, for student-teacher divergence in perception. The resultant categories and subcategories revealed a wide range of explanations, including sociodemographic, motivational and emotional factors, and consideration of classroom features, and environmental factors. Conclusions: As the themes that emerged were largely consistent with factors discussed in previous literature, the findings offer further in-depth insight into the possible underlying mechanisms, as well as highlighting some newly identified explanations, from teachers' viewpoints, for student-teacher divergence in perception. The study generates some new ways to think about why teachers and students may have different perceptions of everyday instructional practices in the classroom, and draws attention to the significance of this complex area for all concerned with strengthening the quality of teaching and learning.

Background: Converging evidence points to the relevance of adolescent wellbeing as a resource for positive development and successful learning. As schools represent one of the most significant environments for adolescent development, there is increasing interest in students' wellbeing in schools. However, the growing body of research reveals great heterogeneity regarding operationalisations of school-related wellbeing. Purpose: The present study aims to contribute to the conceptualisation of the construct by taking a closer look at experiences within the context. In doing so, it takes a multi-informant approach and explores students' and teachers' perspectives. Method: A survey was conducted among secondary school students (n = 150) and teachers (n = 197). Participants provided responses to open-ended questions, addressing their general understanding of the construct and indicators of high and low levels of school-related wellbeing. Data were analysed using a qualitative content analysis approach. The EPOCH model of Kern et al., with the dimensions "Engagement," "Perseverance," "Optimism," "Connectedness" and "Happiness," was applied as a categorisation framework. For coded segments that did not correspond to the EPOCH domains, the category system was expanded inductively. Findings: Just over three quarters of all coded segments referred to the EPOCH domains. Three categories were inductively added: "Physical health," "Achievement" and "Framework conditions." Overall, in terms of the content addressed as well as frequencies of the themes, there was a degree of homogeneity across the responses of students and teachers, although findings suggested greater emphasis on eudaimonic aspects in the teacher sample. Conclusions: The present study provides initial insights into students' and teachers' perspectives regarding the conceptualisation of school-related wellbeing and supports the approach of conceptualising it both in terms of hedonic and eudaimonic aspects. It supports the application of the EPOCH model to the school context, considers additional detailed aspects and underscores the multidimensionality of the construct. Future research is required to investigate the roles of all identified categories and whether they correspond to a statistical measurement model.

Although adolescence is characterized by increasing individuation, parental support represents an important resource especially in early adolescence. This multi-informant study examined the role of parental self-efficacy in providing emotional and instrumental support when early adolescents partially learned from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a resources model of coping, we examined effects of parental self-efficacy on early adolescents' reports of self-regulated learning (SRL), learning self-efficacy, and positive emotions, mediated via early adolescents' problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. Assumptions were tested among 263 Austrian parent-child dyads. While the mediation assumption was rejected, we identified positive associations between emotional support and SRL, and between problem-focused coping and SRL, learning self-efficacy, and positive emotions. Instrumental support negatively related to SRL, suggesting benefits of emotional over instrumental support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers how Family Support is conceptualised in the European context with respect to its primary beneficiaries. The central question considers the focus of concern in a child welfare system and what it means when Family Support is focused on children, on parents, or involves the family unit as a whole. Informed by a body of relevant literature reviewed as part of a wider project, Family Support is seen as more often conceptualised as being targeted toward parents as the primary service user, and to a lesser extent described as being tailored toward children or whole families. This approach to Family Support provision is somewhat at odds with a systemic understanding of families, which is foundational to much social care and child welfare work, and which takes account of the multi-layered relationships between individuals within families, and between individuals, families and their social world. Applying an ecological systems perspective, this paper critically discusses the consequences for the involved stakeholders and the implementation of services at different system levels when support and interventions are targeted at the child, the parents or at the family as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]