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Brit J of Edu Psychol - 2022 - McDonald - She didn t know how to go back School attendance problems in the context of the.pdf (271.35 kB)

'She didn't know how to go back': school attendance problems in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic - a multiple stakeholder qualitative study with parents and professionals

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posted on 2023-06-10, 05:24 authored by Bronte McDonaldBronte McDonald, Kathryn LesterKathryn Lester, Daniel Michelson
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in school closures worldwide and unexcused absences have increased since schools reopened. AIMS: Drawing on multiple stakeholders' perspectives, we aimed to (i) develop a detailed understanding of how school attendance problems (SAPs) have manifested for primary school-aged children in the context of COVID-19; and (ii) identify promising community-based intervention strategies. METHODS: We used a qualitative design with two sequential phases of data collection. Phase 1 involved insight generation using qualitative surveys with parents and professionals working in primary education settings. These results were used to guide in-depth stakeholder interviews in Phase 2. SAMPLE: Phase 1 included 29 parents of primary-school children experiencing SAPs and 19 professionals. Phase 2 included 10 parents and 12 professionals. Parents were recruited through social media; professionals were identified through schools and associated networks in Southern England. RESULTS: Attendance was particularly challenging for children with special educational needs and pre-existing anxiety problems. Compounding factors included COVID-related anxiety, difficulties adapting to new school routines, poor home-school communication and collaboration, and concerns about academic catch-up. Effective support was characterized by schools and families working closely together. Recommendations for practice improvements centred on early intervention, re-building parent-school relationships, peer support for parents, and improving special educational provision. CONCLUSION: New interventions for SAPs must be sensitive to the ongoing COVID-19 context. Help should be easily accessible in the community and address modifiable risk and protective factors for individual children, in family systems, and at the home-school interface.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Br J Educ Psychol

ISSN

0007-0998

Publisher

Wiley

Event location

England

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2022-11-10

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2022-11-10

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2022-11-09

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