Wellbeing: Work-Life Balance &
Women Learners
Joanne Smith
Aims
To consider the potential wellbeing
benefits of learning
 Looking at the issue of Work-Life Balance
(WLB)
 Providing a brief overview of this PhD
study & the approach taken
 Look at challenges and benefits of
learning, linking with WLB and wellbeing
theme
 Consider strategies and motivators

Education & Well-being
“The evidence that learning promotes wellbeing is overwhelming” (Field, 2009, IFFL)
“Learning encourages social interaction
and increases self-esteem and feelings of
competency…….”
“…will enable individuals to develop new
skills, strengthen social networks, and feel
more able to deal with life’s challenges.”
New Economics Foundation (2009)
Linking education with wellbeing
NIACE (2013) comments that education
and learning can lead to improved
wellbeing
 Associated with raised self esteem
 Raised awareness around health issues
and wellbeing
 Improved career prospects and job
opportunities leading to social inclusion

Defining Work-Life Balance:
“‘Work-life balance’ has emerged as a
widely used and popular way of talking
about challenges in combining paid work
with other parts of life.” (Gambles et al
2006)
 “Having sufficient control and autonomy
over where, when and how you work to
fulfil your responsibility within and
outside paid work.” (Work Foundation
2008)

Work-life Balance & Well-being
Form a close association
 Individual ability to reach a balance within
their lives will lead to wellbeing
 Yet WLB is often viewed as a deficit
model, in terms of discussion being about
a lack of balance
 There is a wealth of research which
includes a strong gender dimension

My research….
Based upon a mixed method
 Initial Survey of 106 learners
 In-depth Interviews of 10 women
undertaking Foundation Degrees in Early
Years
 Also, 2 focus groups, one with a new
group of respondents, a second re-visiting
respondents from the interviews
 Hence forming a case study based upon a
thematic review

Nature of work based learning
Work
 Earn
 Learn
 Foundation degrees value the benefits of
having learners who are in the workforce
 Looking at combining theory and practice
 Also drawing from tacit skills and
understanding

Issues around work-based learning
& WLB
Work-based Learning can lead to potential
issues around achieving WLB
 Work earn and learn is based upon
combining roles
 With different aspects of life taking time and
effort
 Potentially for clashing demands as well as
complementing aspects

Achieving WBL?
Challenges faced:
Demands competing for attention:
 Family and the domestic
 The workplace / time dedication to
employment
 Learning / study time: In terms of the
study day / evening at University or
college
 Independent study
 Leisure
Overlapping Demands
How much leisure? Not much…
Leisure
Leisure is forced out as study takes over
much personal time
 Only leisure which benefits the family is
allowable
 Cassidy (2005) comments that leisure is
an important buffer zone for stress
 Associating the depletion of leisure with
stress and adverse physical effects

What respondents say about their
situation?
“It’s really hard…”
“…the house is a mess at the minute,
but I have got to get my assignment
finished….it all takes a back seat
…when I have finished my assignment I
will clean up…..”
“…..occasionally I will have a weep….”
“What is very difficult is the guilt when I
started to study….I was guilty of
studying”
What is a typical day like?
“…it is just hard coming home from
working all day and then coming home
to do more work”
 “…my study time has gone to
evenings…..later and later”
 “I feel tired……then I yawn myself
through it…..”
 “I get worked up…I hate being
stressed”

Implications of study include…
Stress
 Guilt linked a sense of family
responsibility
 Physical effect: Illness, headaches, colds,
weight gain
 Emotional Effects: Tears and crying
 Deadline obsession: constantly focused
upon the end

Strategies to achieve balance:
Managing and planning time
 Delegating to family and seeking help
 Placing priorities around studies
 Lowered domestic standards and
expectations in some areas to achieve
deadlines
 Support from family, tutors, the student
group, workplace
 Reducing working hours

Strategies:
“Everything is controlled…..time
tabled…”
 “….. I can do it when they are in bed and
I know that they are safe”
 “…so that work doesn’t take over
everything….….I keep things in boxes
really.”
 “I really did struggle I thought ….I can’t
do this course and be working full
time….I decided to reduce my hours”

Motivation was linked to….
Wanting a better future for themselves
and their families
 Increased income potential
 Roles models for their children
 To make their families proud
 On balance they felt they might make
short terms compromises for greater
opportunity in the future

Respondents said about study:
“….they know that I want to better
myself….and if I better myself maybe I
would get a better job”
 “I feel like I am achieving
something…..and I am learning a
lot…and I am passing it on…”
 “…. I do it for girls, because, they are
looking forward to me graduating”

Positive benefits of learning







Improved self-esteem and self image
Increased confidence in dealing with all
aspects of life
Sense of personal achievement
Becoming more articulate
Better able to access information
Increased options and improved career
prospects
Positive impact upon family and community
Final Question……
If you had know what it involved would you
still do it?
 “….sometimes you think why on earth
am I studying? Why am I doing this, but
there is an answer, you are going to
get a degree at the end of it….”
 “….now when I speak about things at
work, I actually know what I am
talking about and that is great, you
feel good about yourself”
“….I say if I had know what this
was going to be like I would never
have begun, but I know that I would
have because I have always wanted
to do a degree….I really believe
that and I think that I am a better
person for it…..I am more
confident”
In conclusion





Education and learning have a positive effect
upon wellbeing
But at times outcomes require compromises
around WLB
Negatives effects might be stress, time
pressure and reduction in leisure
But this is compensated through increased
confidence, self esteem and a sense of
accomplishment, as well as improved career
prospects
This keeps learners dedicated to their study