TY - JOUR
T1 - Wellbeing of School Communities in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic
T2 - A Qualitative Study in Chilean Low-SES Schools
AU - López, Verónica
AU - Ramírez, Lorena
AU - López-Concha, Romina
AU - Ascorra, Paula
AU - Álvarez, Juan Pablo
AU - Carrasco-Aguilar, Claudia
AU - Jervis, Pamela
AU - Squicciarini, Ana María
AU - Simonsohn, Ariela
AU - Contreras, Tabata
AU - Opazo, Héctor
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2022 López, Ramírez, López-Concha, Ascorra, Álvarez, Carrasco-Aguilar, Jervis, Squicciarini, Simonsohn, Contreras and Opazo.
PY - 2022/4/11
Y1 - 2022/4/11
N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact schools and how education is conveyed to students. One of the aspects that has gained strength is supporting the wellbeing of educational communities. The purpose of this study was to describe and understand the construction of school wellbeing during the pandemic, based on the notion of collective and sustainable wellbeing. Through a qualitative design, we conducted a study in four Chilean low-SES schools in which a national school mental health program is implemented. A total of 41 in-depth interviews and one group interview were conducted with students, parents, teacher, teacher assistants, school principals, psychosocial professionals, and the school mental health officers during the second half of the 2020 school year. Thematic content analyses showed that, while facing the school closure challenges, schools strived to protect students’ and teachers’ wellbeing. However, participants highlighted necessary conditions for sustaining the school community’s wellbeing and mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: assuring digital connectivity for all students; coordinated work with families and within the school; strengthening networks; curriculum adaptation and diversified pedagogical strategies; and emotional support toward teachers, families, and students. We discuss these findings and their implications for a sustainable and collective perspective of the wellbeing of school communities in low-SES schools, as well as for policy, practice, and research from the perspective of schools for social justice and health promotion.
AB - The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact schools and how education is conveyed to students. One of the aspects that has gained strength is supporting the wellbeing of educational communities. The purpose of this study was to describe and understand the construction of school wellbeing during the pandemic, based on the notion of collective and sustainable wellbeing. Through a qualitative design, we conducted a study in four Chilean low-SES schools in which a national school mental health program is implemented. A total of 41 in-depth interviews and one group interview were conducted with students, parents, teacher, teacher assistants, school principals, psychosocial professionals, and the school mental health officers during the second half of the 2020 school year. Thematic content analyses showed that, while facing the school closure challenges, schools strived to protect students’ and teachers’ wellbeing. However, participants highlighted necessary conditions for sustaining the school community’s wellbeing and mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: assuring digital connectivity for all students; coordinated work with families and within the school; strengthening networks; curriculum adaptation and diversified pedagogical strategies; and emotional support toward teachers, families, and students. We discuss these findings and their implications for a sustainable and collective perspective of the wellbeing of school communities in low-SES schools, as well as for policy, practice, and research from the perspective of schools for social justice and health promotion.
KW - Chile
KW - mental health
KW - pandemic (COVID-19)
KW - school
KW - wellbeing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85128833631&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.853057
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.853057
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85128833631
SN - 1664-1078
VL - 13
JO - Frontiers in Psychology
JF - Frontiers in Psychology
M1 - 853057
ER -