Background: In a hospital, in-hospital teachers teach children with diseases. Those teachers' training is left to personal effort.
Objectives: This study was designed to clarify growth and development processes in teachers in charge of inhospital schools.
Methods: Data from interviews of 6 teachers of in-hospital classes were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach (M-GTA). In interviews, we asked about awareness and tasks of in-hospital schools teachers and their growth and development as classroom teachers. Ethical guidelines were followed when conducting the interviews.
Results: growth and development processes in teachers in charge of in-hospital schools were analyzed in terms of 20 concepts and 4 categories, with 8 subcategories. Moreover, effect factors were assessed in terms of 6 concepts and 2 categories. First, regarding growth and development processes of in-hospital school teachers, they assigned to the in-hospital school reported “awareness of limits of existing knowledge and experience.” They experienced “acquisition of abilities as teachers of in-hospital schools.” Furthermore, they experienced “acquisition of competence as the teacher of the in-hospital school and construction of teacher's sense of value.” Finally, they came to have “growth, development and confidence as a teacher of an in-hospital school.” Teachers noticed the self-change. These processes were influenced by factors of two categories: “organizational differences between school and hospital” and “appearance of parents and children.” Furthermore, these sub-categories were classified to two factors: “formation of the practice skills” and “cognitive mental change.” These two factors proceeded to the next stage while affecting each other in each process.
Conclusions: This study showed growth and development processes in teachers in charge of the in-hospital school in 4 stages. The teacher's growth and development processes had two factors at each stage: “formation of practice skills” and “cognitive mental change.” These results are expected to be useful for developing teachers of in-hospital schools.
