Students with Interrupted Formal Education: Teacher Perspectives

Abstract

This research is a mixed methods case study of teachers’ perceptions about their ability to provide Students with Interrupted Formal Education a high quality education. Data were collected over a period of six weeks using on-line surveys and six in-depth interviews. Data collected and analysis focused on teachers’ experiences working with Students with Interrupted Formal Education and the dilemmas they face when trying to provide these students with a high quality education. Results suggested that irrespective of experience, teachers and school personnel generally feel ill prepared to meet the challenges of teaching Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE). Teachers reported facing numerous common dilemmas when teaching SIFE. They reported receiving limited professional development about the broad range of needs of SIFE, they struggle to find a balance between students’ needs and the demands of the curriculum, educational programming for SIFE is limited, there few materials and resources available and the social emotional wellbeing of students is often overlooked.