This output from the Academic Skills Development Project is a comprehensive Literature Review of existing research showcasing the link between student success, wellbeing, and the development of academic skills.
Download the Literature Review (Word file) View the Literature Review (PDF file)
What does the literature tell us?
Recent research shows that when students are equipped with effective strategies for managing their learning, they report reduced anxiety, increased confidence, and a stronger sense of belonging within their academic community. This targeted support transforms their university experience and plays a significant role in advancing equity and inclusion.
Research also found that embedding skills development within disciplinary contexts, rather than as an add-on service, produces the strongest outcomes. The findings challenge deficit-based models, and provide a foundation for rethinking how academic skills are supported to create inclusive, holistic learning environments.
How might you use the literature?
This literature forms a theoretical basis for approaching academic skills development at collegiate Oxford.
Please share and promote this Literature Review with your colleagues.
You are also invited to reference it in your academic strategies, and consider instigating changes in your practice based on the findings.
