초등학교 교사들이 인식한 코로나19가 초등학생의 사회정서 역량에 미친 영향과 극복 과제

The Impact of COVID-19 Recognized by Elementary School Teachers on the Social and Emotional Competencies of Elementary School Students and Challenges to Overcome

Objective: This study examines how elementary school life, which was not smooth due to irregular attendance and non-face-to-face classes during the COVID-19 period, affected the social- emotional aspects of students. In addition, this study attempts to find out what kind of support is needed for students’ social-emotional development. Methods: For this study, 13 teachers and 2 counselors from two elementary schools in Seoul were selected and in-depth interviews and written interviews were conducted. The collected data was analyzed based on thematic analysis. Results: Elementary school teachers recognized the impact of COVID-19 on elementary school students. First, children’s social competencies generally have declined. Second, their emotional competencies have been affected negatively by the changed school life during the COVID-19 period. Third, insufficient social and emotional competencies of children have caused more frequent school violence and conflicts in a class when compared before the COVID-19 period. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need to support students in developing social and emotional competencies at various levels of education-classes, schools, and the ministry of education.