According to Prof Dr Rika Hosotani and Prof Dr Kyoko Imai-Matsumura from Hyogo University of Teacher Education in Japan, the quality of teachers’ emotional approach towards children can greatly influence their learning.
One must never neglect the students’ feelings during lessons, either physically or online, but educators must also pay attention to their own emotions.
Educators must have adequate time to achieve balance in their lives, including managing their workload, setting time aside to evaluate students’ progress in academics and behaviour, and developing stress-tolerance and supportive management. Happy educators lead to happy students.
The dependency on electronic gadgets and the advances of AI and AR/VR learning through gamification have impacted interactions between students and educators.
Thanks to technology, students can learn from wherever they are but the psychological aspects of human interaction must never be neglected.
Addressing mental health issues before the problem worsens is important. While the importance of mental health is recognised, some students may be too shy to seek help or do not know where to do so.
Educators and counsellors must be approachable and accessible to their students because a strong human connection can lead to a happier and stress-free life.
HO YEEK-CHIA and LIM JUN-WEI
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS
