Associate ProfessorValerie Sotardi

Youth mental health and wellbeing

• Mental health challenges among adolescents and young adults
• Integration of educational and mental health support systems

School and classroom climate

• Students’ perceptions of psychological safety at school
• Teacher–student communication and relationships
• Classroom and school environments that support learning and wellbeing

Learning, achievement, and motivation

• Links between wellbeing, motivation, and academic achievement
• How stress and coping relate to students’ learning outcomes
• Motivated behaviour in school and university settings

Help-seeking attitudes and behaviours

• Conditions under which young people seek help during times of challenge
• Role of psychological safety in shaping help-seeking
• Help-seeking from early adolescence through early adulthood

Interpersonal dynamics and social context

• Relational factors (peers, teachers, families) influencing wellbeing
• Collaboration between schools, families, communities, and services
• School-based pathways for mental health service delivery

Quantitative and mixed-methods research in education

• Advanced quantitative methods and “big data” in educational research
• Longitudinal and large-scale survey design and analysis
• Psychometrics, scale development, and validation
• Mixed-methods designs that integrate quantitative and qualitative data

Teacher education and professional learning

• Teacher training for student wellbeing and psychological literacy
• Evidence-based strategies for supporting student mental health in classrooms

Aotearoa New Zealand and international comparative work

• Youth wellbeing and education in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Cross-cultural perspectives on student wellbeing, motivation, and mental health