A Systems Thinking Approach to Student-supervisor Interactions and their Effect on Psychological Safety: A Case for Student Learning Labs

The increasing trend of anxiety among students is closely linked to psychological safety, which refers to an environment where individuals feel comfortable expressing their thoughts without fear of negative consequences. Conversely, environments lacking psychological safety can heighten anxiety. This report examines the impact of transitioning from group work to solo projects on master-level students at Aalborg University. The shift to solo projects, with only a supervisor for support, may affect students’ psychological safety.

This study investigates the psychological safety of students during this transition, identifying factors that influence their sense of security and confidence when working independently. By understanding these factors, the study aims to provide insights for educators to better support students in solo projects and mitigate the entrenchment of group-work learning styles while retaining the benefits. Strategies to enhance psychological safety, such as forming learning labs, are explored to break the feedback loop leading to poor solo work experiences and reinforce positive learning outcomes.