Student voices: a longitudinal study of students’ perceptions of their schooling and special education lessons in Iceland

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study explored the school perceptions of Icelandic students with learning difficulties, factors affecting their academic progress and well-being, and how their views developed over time. The purpose of this study was to gain knowledge to assess the school experience of children with learning difficulties in Iceland. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with five students repeatedly over a period of three school years. A qualitative, reflexive thematic analysis was used to develop themes from students’ answers over time. The interviews revealed that participants’ general well-being in school appeared to be connected to peer acceptance and friendships. While participants generally held positive attitudes towards school, they developed a negative attitude towards homework as they grew older. The students’ perceptions of their schooling underscored the importance of listening to students’ preferences regarding their studies and identifying what can support their well-being.

KEYWORDS:

• Special education
• learning difficulties
• interview
• student perception
• well-being
• social status
• perception of school
• school experience

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

All authors contributed to the study’s conception and design. Material preparation was performed by Gudrun Bjorg Ragnarsdottir, Anna-Lind Petursdottir, and Zuilma Gabriela Sigurdardottir. Data collection was performed by Gudrun Bjorg Ragnarsdottir, and analysis was conducted by Gudrun Bjorg Ragnarsdottir. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Gudrun Bjorg Ragnarsdottir, and all authors edited and commented on later versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author [GBR]. The data are not publicly available due to information that could compromise the privacy of the research participants.

Additional information

Funding

This study was a part of a larger study funded by the Icelandic Center for Research – Rannís [grant number 141905-051] and the University of Iceland Research Fund. Funding sources had no involvement in the study.