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"Det finns ingen enkel lösning" - en kvalitativ intervjustudie om skolkuratorers erfarenheter med problematisk skolfrånvaro

Hörmark, Mattias LU and Blom, Emelie LU (2025) SOPB63 20251
School of Social Work
Abstract
In recent years, discussions regarding problematic school absenteeism have increased in research and media. The Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket) observed an increase in both valid and invalid absences among students attending compulsory school in 2023, compared to previous years. Using Michael Lipsky's theory of street-level bureaucrats, which encompasses alienation, discretion, and lack of resources, our aim in this study was to gain an overview of school counselors' experiences with their work regarding problematic school absenteeism and cooperation with other actors. We used a qualitative method and carried out six semi-structured interviews with school counselors in compulsory schools within three municipalities in... (More)
In recent years, discussions regarding problematic school absenteeism have increased in research and media. The Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket) observed an increase in both valid and invalid absences among students attending compulsory school in 2023, compared to previous years. Using Michael Lipsky's theory of street-level bureaucrats, which encompasses alienation, discretion, and lack of resources, our aim in this study was to gain an overview of school counselors' experiences with their work regarding problematic school absenteeism and cooperation with other actors. We used a qualitative method and carried out six semi-structured interviews with school counselors in compulsory schools within three municipalities in southern Sweden. Our study showed that poor communication and caregivers' lack of motivation can obstruct the relationship between caregivers and schools. The counselors sought more cooperation with social services, which could become a reality with new school social teams. We also found that the counselors' work with school absenteeism could be described as alienating, even though the effects of it seemed non-existent. Lack of role clarity made the counselors unsure of how to best utilize their discretion, and lack of different resources restricted the counselors' choices of methods. (Less)
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author
Hörmark, Mattias LU and Blom, Emelie LU
supervisor
organization
course
SOPB63 20251
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
problematic school absenteeism, school counselors, interprofessional cooperation, school social work, Lipsky
language
Swedish
id
9200134
date added to LUP
2025-06-19 15:09:10
date last changed
2025-06-19 15:09:10
@misc{9200134,
  abstract     = {{In recent years, discussions regarding problematic school absenteeism have increased in research and media. The Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket) observed an increase in both valid and invalid absences among students attending compulsory school in 2023, compared to previous years. Using Michael Lipsky's theory of street-level bureaucrats, which encompasses alienation, discretion, and lack of resources, our aim in this study was to gain an overview of school counselors' experiences with their work regarding problematic school absenteeism and cooperation with other actors. We used a qualitative method and carried out six semi-structured interviews with school counselors in compulsory schools within three municipalities in southern Sweden. Our study showed that poor communication and caregivers' lack of motivation can obstruct the relationship between caregivers and schools. The counselors sought more cooperation with social services, which could become a reality with new school social teams. We also found that the counselors' work with school absenteeism could be described as alienating, even though the effects of it seemed non-existent. Lack of role clarity made the counselors unsure of how to best utilize their discretion, and lack of different resources restricted the counselors' choices of methods.}},
  author       = {{Hörmark, Mattias and Blom, Emelie}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{"Det finns ingen enkel lösning" - en kvalitativ intervjustudie om skolkuratorers erfarenheter med problematisk skolfrånvaro}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}