Adolescents’ school experiences: Understanding the needs of young people post COVID-19

Abstract Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, Victorian students completed two years of virtual schooling, which has been reported to contribute to many academic, social, and mental health impacts. Thus, it is important to capture the voices of students as they adjust to schooling in a post-pandemic era. Method The current study utilised focus groups to explore the experiences and needs of eight Victorian secondary school students. Participants’ lived realities formed four main themes, namely: (i) social interactions, (ii) academic pressure and classroom dynamics, (iii) mixed views about school wellbeing efforts and (iv) re-learning school routines and expectations. Results A diverse range of experiences were captured across these four themes that are further categorised into sub-themes. It was found that some participants struggled to adapt to socialising in person again, whilst others indicated that their social networks broadened after forming unlikely friendships online. Participants reported that school wellbeing approaches felt ingenuine and tokenistic. Participants also discussed their challenges with having to stick to routines and timetables and missed the flexibility of home-based learning during lockdowns. Conclusions The implications of these findings are discussed, and student-identified strategies are outlined to facilitate student engagement and wellbeing in a post-pandemic era.