Well-being and stress in health sciences undergraduates' workplace learning

Well-being and stress are crucial topics for health sciences students when they begin learning in the workplace. This study examined well-being and stress development over a semester to explore longitudinal change clusters of well-being and stress and whether students in different clusters differ in terms of their levels of cognitive and metacognitive learning. The sample included 188 veterinary undergraduates rotating between 15 workplaces on a weekly basis. The participants completed the WHO well-being scale and perceived stress scale at four time points throughout the semester and single items on cognitive and metacognitive aspects on a daily or weekly basis. The data were analysed via ANOVA, correlation analysis, cluster analysis and configuration frequency analysis (CFA). The results showed a decrease in well-being and an increase in stress over ten weeks. Well-being was negatively associated with stress. The cluster analysis revealed four longitudinal change clusters each for well-being and stress: Flourishers (positive development starting above average), Adapters (positive development starting about average), Decliner (negative development starting above average) and Strugglers (consistently under average). CFA resulted in two types and one antitype, showing that specific pairings of well-being and stress clusters are systematically associated. Compared with the other clusters, Flourishers reported significantly greater use of many cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies. Further research should employ more approaches to identify different student clusters and distinct trajectories of well-being and stress. To enhance students' psychological functioning and learning, interindividual differences must be considered.