Witnessing well-being in action: Observing teacher well-being during field experiences predicts student teacher well-being

Social cognitive theory posits that observing others’ behavior can influence our thinking, behavior, and learning. The present study examines whether this principle also applies to teacher well-being. It investigates whether student teachers’ well-being is linked to the well-being of in-service teachers they closely observe during field experiences. For that purpose, 222 student teachers were assigned to conduct three classroom observations of three different teachers using a dedicated observation tool that focused on in-service teachers’ positive emotions and positive student interactions. Longitudinal data from 666 classroom observations and student teachers’ well-being data were analyzed. It was hypothesized that the mean scores from all three independent classroom observations are most predictive of student teacher well-being. The results revealed significant associations between seven indicators of student teacher well-being and the observed well-being of in-service teachers. Interestingly, it was not the mean of all three observation scores but only the score of the third and final observation that contributed significantly to student teacher well-being. This brief research report seeks to inspire discourse about the benefits and challenges of observational learning in teachers’ well-being education.