2024 Volume 13 Issue 1 Pages 11-22
In recent years, many studies have highlighted the importance of school education for children with emotional and mental health difficulties. In practice, there are many challenges to overcome, and it is important to clarify and resolve these issues. Thus, this study focused on the challenges of working with students with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) difficulties by interviewing 16 Japanese teachers working with such students in special needs education schools. Based on the thematic analysis, we identified four themes that represent the perceived difficulties in teaching and the communication challenges of working with SEMH students. Specifically, the teachers faced particular challenges when interacting with students with anxiety disorders and dealing with school refusal. Meanwhile, the wide diversity of individual characteristics, even among the students with the same diagnosis, made it difficult for the teachers to identify and provide the necessary support. The implication of the findings that it is important to provide teachers with emotional support for them to gain a sense of self-efficacy.
