Post-Pandemic Perspectives: Primary School Children s Views of School Through the Lens of Attachment Theory

This study investigates the changes in primary school students’ perceptions of their school, teachers, and school administrators during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study employs metaphors as a methodological tool to investigate alterations in primary school children's perceptions, framed through the lens of attachment theory. The research centers on two primary questions: first, it explores how primary school students metaphorically perceive the school; second, it examines how they metaphorically perceive school members, including principals, vice principals, and teachers. The participants included 137 fourth-grade students who were studied during the 2020-2021 education year. The research was qualitative in design. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. The data were analysed and interpreted within an attachment theory framework using qualitative methods. Analysis revealed that some students' perceptions had changed, while others had remained the same. The findings suggested that primary school students’ perceptions and understanding of school leadership may have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the results showed that the underlying relationships between pupils and teachers were resilient to the disturbances caused by the pandemic.