Mattering

We can make simple and straightforward adjustments to help students really feel like they matter. Mattering is a psychological concept. When we feel like we matter is a specific context, we feel like people are paying attention us, that we are important, and that others depend on us in that setting. Researchers have explored mattering with faculty and students, and the findings highlight that the best college teachers really think of their students as human beings first, with complex lives that can add to the learning they wish to have occur in their courses. We’ll review two studies on mattering in college classrooms in this time-out, and identify how creating an environment where students feel like they matter can lead to improved student outcomes.                                                                                                        

Faculty Perceptions of Mattering in Teaching and Learning: A Qualitative Examination of the Views, Values, and Teaching Practices of Award-Winning Professors: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/07342829211057648

Post-Traditional Students’ Perceptions of Mattering: The Role of Faculty and Student Interaction: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07377363.2022.2108642