Collaborative research: a wellbeing intervention for improving statistics learning

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded California State University Long Beach Research Foundation $122,999 on October 1, 2026, under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to conduct collaborative research on a wellbeing intervention for improving statistics learning.

The project, titled "A Wellbeing Intervention for Improving Statistics Learning," is a Level 1 IUSE ESL collaboration between California State University, East Bay and California State University, Long Beach. The intervention teaches students about prosocial behaviors and kind acts, then supports them in developing and engaging in kind acts directed at peers in introductory statistics courses. The research addresses student mental health challenges including anxiety, depression, and negative self-affect in early statistics coursework by exploring three core questions: whether a kind acts intervention improves student wellbeing and statistics performance; whether improved wellbeing mediates the relationship between the intervention and improved performance; and whether statistics performance improvement follows a pathway from intervention to general wellbeing to situational wellbeing. The project will compare the kind acts intervention against two control interventions using pre-post surveys on statistics knowledge and mental health constructs, student course outcomes, and engagement data. An external evaluator will provide formative and summative feedback.

Performance occurs in Long Beach, California, with a period of performance from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2029.

Abstract

This level 1 iuse ESL project aims to serve the national interest by exploring how psychosocial interventions impact student wellbeing and performance in introductory statistics courses. This project, a collaboration between california state university, east BAY and california state university long beach, aims to specifically address student mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and negative self-affect. Students will learn about different types of kind acts, along with the underlying science and research base on the potential benefits of prosocial behaviors. Students will then receive support in developing and engaging in kind acts aimed at peers in their introductory statistics course. Student mental health remains a critical challenge across higher education. This project builds from a preliminary study that lays out a clear connection between social anxiety, depression, and statistics anxiety in early statistics courses. The project will explore the following three research questions. (1) to what extent does a kind statistics acts intervention improve student wellbeing and statistics performance? (2) to what extent does improvement in student wellbeing mediate the relationship between a kind acts intervention and improved statistics performance? (3) to what extent is improvement in statistics performance mediated from intervention to general wellbeing to situational wellbeing mechanisms? To approach these questions, the kind stats intervention will be compared to two control interventions. Data streams include pre-post surveys on statistics knowledge and several mental health constructs, student course outcomes, data on students engagement in kind acts within the courses of interest. The project will be assessed by an experiences external evaluator that will provide formative and summative feedback to the project team relating to progress towards the project goals. The NSF iuse: EDU program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of stem education for all students. Through the engaged student learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.