Remote Teaching and School Refusal Behavior - Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Ulla Irene Hansen; Kenneth Larsen; Hanne Sundberg; Ellen Kathrine Munkhaugen

doi:10.2478/sjcapp-2022-0014

Remote Teaching and School Refusal Behavior - Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Scand J Child Adolesc Psychiatr Psychol. 2022 Dec 15;10(1):134-143. doi: 10.2478/sjcapp-2022-0014. eCollection 2022 Jan.

Authors

Ulla Irene Hansen¹, Kenneth Larsen², Hanne Sundberg³, Ellen Kathrine Munkhaugen⁴

Affiliations

¹ Regional Resource Centre for Autism, ADHD, Tourette's syndrome and Narcolepsy, Division of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
² Department of Educational Science University of Southeastern, Oslo, Norway.
³ Department of family and upbringing, Ringerike municipality, Ringerike, Oslo, Norway.
⁴ Unit on Mental Health in Intellectual Disabilities Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Norwegian National Advisory, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

Abstract

When the Norwegian government closed down schools and kindergartens in response to the increased spread of COVID-19, the use of homeschooling raised concerns about students with school refusal behavior and the school system's ability to address their special needs in these circumstances. Six students referred to the school absenteeism team were interviewed about their circumstances, using an author-developed interview. The results indicate that the students rated homeschooling as very satisfactory. Students with school refusal behavior participated in homeschooling and their attendance continued during the initial reopening of schools.

Keywords: homeschooling; individualized measures; school and emotional factors; school refusal behavior; social.