“Terror victims are probably not the easiest to follow up”: students’ perception of learning and teaching in the aftermath of trauma

Abstract

In August 2011, Norwegian schools welcomed survivors of the Utøya massacre to a new school year. Based on interviews with 135 students who went back to school weeks after experiencing extreme trauma, this study investigates their perception of schooling and learning. Sixty percent of the students reported a variety of reduced academic functioning, and they were not prepared for the learning impairments they faced. Their stories indicate that neither were the schools. Rather, schools appeared to be trauma sensitive only to certain aspects of the trauma-induced effects on schooling: A variety of actions aimed at enhancing school well-being were implemented, however few educational measures to assist and restore impaired academic functioning were reported. The students blamed themselves for reduced academic performance, and had few expectations with regard to teachers helping them academically. The findings are discussed in the context of influential pedagogical ideals in Norwegian and Scandinavian schools.