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Abstract
This study explored the perceptions of teacher preparedness from educators’ and administrators’ points of view, and the value of social work assistance during the learning process when educating a child who has survived cancer. Social work leadership and advocacy in the school setting can assist professional school staff in feeling confident to provide services to children with unique needs, such as learning differences experienced among pediatric cancer survivors. The Pediatric Cancer Survivor Educator Survey was developed by the researcher and distributed to all professional staff members in the participating school district. The final sample of quantitative data includes 63 participants (N = 63). Of the six presented hypotheses, three were found to be significant. The findings highlight the lack of knowledge by educators on the unique learning needs of pediatric cancer survivors in the school setting. Results indicate that knowledge is positively associated with feelings of confidence and preparedness in meeting the needs of pediatric cancer survivors in the school setting. Results also found that previous experience working with cancer survivors showed improvement in preparedness and confidence when meeting the needs of pediatric cancer survivors in an educational setting. In addition, it was found that educators were accurate in their self-ratings of knowledge on the topic, when comparing to the actual score of the base knowledge quiz. The mean score of this portion of the measure was approximately 50%, indicating an overall lack of knowledge in the sample. The current study demonstrates the need for school social work leadership in the development of trainings and programs, as well as systems navigation, all which are vital to support educators when providing services to this student population.