Emotional challenges of learners and teachers’ ability to detect and support affected children

Abstract

This qualitative study was conducted at Kamwenge college school in Kamwenge district. The study was aimed to find out how teachers are able to identify learners with emotional challenges. The study also examined how the relationship between teachers and students helps to address their emotional challenges, and the measures that teachers take to help these students that have been identified with emotional challenges. The study adopted an exploratory and cross sectional research design and used qualitative methods based on a conveniently determined of eight teachers and a focus group discussion with students. The study found out that teachers did not deliberately care focus on the emotional challenges of the students. The teachers instead mainly focused on the behavioral-conduct of learners in the framework of school rules and regulations. They tried as much as they could to make sure that students are” well behaved”. The study also recommends that the Ministry of Education and Sports ensures that every school has a Social Worker that would help address the emotional challenges of the students/learners.