Abstract

An estimated 20 percent of adolescents in North America have sustained a concussion. Teachers and school administrators are responsible for supporting following concussion to return to school. The purpose of this study was to describe the perspectives of Canadian teachers and school administrators with supporting returning to school post-concussion. This qualitative study was guided by an interpretivist philosophy. Semi-structured interviews with grades 7–12 teachers (n = 13) and school administrators (n = 5) were coded inductively and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. We organized the data into five themes: 1) Educator roles differ for administrators and teachers; 2) Students’ symptoms affect their learning; 3) Students should have access to academic accommodations; 4) Students benefit from social support, compassion, and empathy; and 5) Concussion education and management processes are lagging. In Canada, teachers and administrators have different roles when supporting students returning to school after a concussion and those roles influence their engagement with the students and their awareness of students’ needs. Lack of concussion education and concussion management processes at schools may affect how students are supported following a concussion. Our findings can inform the development and implementation of supports to facilitate return to school for students following a concussion.

Details

Title
Facilitating students’ return to school following a concussion: Perspectives of Canadian teachers and school administrators
Author
Shepherd, Heather A 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Shill, Isla J 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Caron, Jeffrey G 2 ; Reed, Nick 3 ; Keith Owen Yeates 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Schneider, Kathryn J 5 ; Black, Amanda M 1 ; Emery, Carolyn A 6 

1  Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; O’Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada 
2  School of Kinesiology and Physical Activity Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 
3  Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 
4  Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada 
5  Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Sport Medicine Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Evidence Sport and Spine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada 
6  Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; O’Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Departments of Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada 
Publication year
2023
Publication date
Dec 2023
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Ltd.
e-ISSN
2331186X
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2023.2257124
ProQuest document ID
2902247891
Copyright
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.