Teachers’ and Counselors’ Experiences of the Psychological Consequences of High School Students’ Absenteeism after COVID-19

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. in Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

2 Ph.D. candidate in nursing, Dept. of Nursing, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

3 Ph.D. in Psychology, Faculty of Social Science, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

10.22123/chj.2024.425476.2044

Abstract

Introduction: The high school period is critical for students’ independent identity formation. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many high school students to miss school, which can have various psychological effects on them. This research aimed to explore the experiences of teachers and counselors about the psychological consequences of students’ absenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic after resuming school.
Materials and Methods: This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach and was conducted in 2023. The participants were 21 teachers and counselors from the high schools of Mazandaran province, Iran, who were chosen by purposive sampling and interviewed in-depth and semi-structured. The sampling continued until data saturation was reached, and the data was analyzed using the six-step Van Manen method. The criteria of Lincoln and Guba were applied to ensure the trustworthiness and validity of the data.
Results: From the data analysis, six main themes emerged, followed by 15 sub-themes. The main themes were self-esteem behind the mask, weakening the school’s position, pressure in a damaged family, reduced resilience, loss of enthusiasm, and the virtual and social learning duality.
Conclusion: The findings indicated that high school students who missed school and followed distance education for a long time could face serious psychological problems. The study suggested that education systems adopt a blended face-to-face and distance education approach to provide care programs and prevent psychological complications in situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

References

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Community Health Journal
Volume 17, Issue 4
April 2024
Pages 72-85

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