Teachers' perception of bereaved children's academic performance

Abstract

It is well documented that loss and trauma may lead to a reduction in school grades and an increase in the school dropout rate among school children. However, in order for the schools to support students in the best way after trauma and loss, it is of great importance that teachers are aware of these problems. In this study, we investigated the perceptions of the academic problems of bereaved students among 138 teachers and headmasters from six secondary and high schools. We administered questionnaires to the whole sample, and six focus group interviews were conducted to obtain in-depth knowledge from the same population. Teachers perceive a deterioration of school performance in grieving students. The teachers' perceptions are in accordance with what students report in studies. The teachers perceived grieving students as struggling with learning, showing reduced achievement in tests, and experiencing learning setbacks. There is a need for schools to try to remedy these problems in order for students to achieve their learning potential. The students' academic decline is not due to their lack of resources, but is a temporary setback due to the loss.