A qualitative study on the effects of post earthquake relocation on children's school adjustment
摘要
Earthquake-related migration may create significant challenges for children's school adjustment and psychosocial well-being. This study investigated the school adjustment of children whose families had to migrate following the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, on February 6, 2023. The participant group in this qualitative case study consisted of parents and teachers of 10 children aged five to eight years. The research findings revealed that there are both factors supporting and hindering the school adjustment of children who migrated due to the earthquake. Supportive teacher attitudes and children's cooperative, flexible, and extroverted personalities were among the most important facilitating factors. Financial and emotional support provided by the school, teachers, and other parents also facilitated school adjustment. Peer exclusion, indifferent teacher attitudes, earthquake-related anxiety, parental loss or separation, and children's withdrawn or anxious personalities were identified as hindering factors. The findings highlight the importance of individualized support programs for children and parents, as well as more effective teacher training in this area. This study contributes to current understanding of the school adjustment experiences of children influenced by disaster-related migration.