"Allowed to care”: a nested case study exploring positive experiences of primary aged children during the Covid-19 pandemic

Limniotis, Marina (2024). "Allowed to care”: a nested case study exploring positive experiences of primary aged children during the Covid-19 pandemic. University of Birmingham. Ap.Ed.&ChildPsy.D.

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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had considerable and pervasive impact on children, and it is undeniable that many have experienced significant negative effects. Several long-term school closures resulted in children engaging with learning and teaching online or being among the small minority of children who remained able to attend school, due to having a ‘key worker’ parent or being classed as ‘vulnerable’.

Review of the rapidly extending corpus of published research literature consistently indicates some cases in which children have been judged to have experienced relatively positive outcomes since the COVID-19 pandemic. Existing research in this area depends predominantly on surveys, with more emphasis on the negative impact of the pandemic.

My own nested case study aims to ‘sift for gold’ during this difficult time to find positive exceptions and learn what can be taken forward to inform provisions for these and similar children. Through semi-structured interviews, this research explores the perceptions of four nested cases, each comprising a triad of a child, one of their parents and a member of school staff, about the child’s experiences during the pandemic and what was valued and beneficial within their educational and home experiences. Use of Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) supports a deep understanding of both shared perspectives and individual differences among participants.

Key themes were identified across the case studies relating to the children’s progress: improved wellbeing; self-development/personal growth; development of positive relationships; and greater engagement and progress with learning. Further themes were abstracted, relating to mechanisms that contributed to the recognised progress: a different school environment during the closures; being at home during the closures; quality time, support, and attention from adults; structure, consistency, safety, and boundaries; development of positive relationships; and hobbies and enjoyable activities.

Key implications are therefore: creating a sense of safety through structure, consistency, and boundaries; prioritising spending quality time with children, enjoying activities and nurturing bonds; strengthening the curriculum’s focus on wellbeing and social connections, while promoting greater flexibility in school practices, providing higher levels of adult support when needed, and nurturing parent-school relationships. EPs are well placed to support the implementation of approaches that align with these implications.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ap.Ed.&ChildPsy.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ap.Ed.&ChildPsy.D.

Supervisor(s):