How able did newly qualified teachers in England feel to support pupils’ mental health in the late stages of COVID 19? A qualitative study of teacher perceptions

Abstract

The prevalence of mental health problems in school children has grown, especially during the pandemic, detrimentally impacting the lives of those affected. In the UK, primary school teachers and schools are well-placed to spot and support pupil mental health. This preliminary research completed during the first part of the COVID-19 pandemic, addresses a gap in the literature to understand whether primary school teachers feel they have personal and professional resources to manage and support pupil mental health. Six recently qualified primary school teachers took part in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis of these data generated three themes (a) The impact of school on pupil mental health (b) Where does the expertise lie? and (c) School approaches to mental health. The themes show that teachers varied in how prepared they felt to support pupil mental health and this was related to a degree to the way in which their school approached mental health support. Our participants felt well-placed to support pupils' mental health but also concerned about their ability to do so. These findings and the suggestions for change from our participants have clear implications for how teachers can be better enabled to support pupil mental health during and beyond COVID-19.