Rehber Öğretmen Gözünden Okullarda Çocuk Temelli Acil Durum Yönetimi

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine child-centered emergency management in schools from the perspective of school counselors and to evaluate practices during the phases of preparedness, response, and post-disaster psychosocial support. A phenomenological qualitative design was employed. Fifteen school counselors working in various provinces of Türkiye were selected through criterion sampling, and data were collected via semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis with NVivo 14 software. The analysis yielded five main themes: the roles of school counselors in emergency management, psychological needs of children, challenges encountered, education and awareness activities, and recommendations for improvement. Findings revealed that school counselors play active and multidimensional roles in school-based emergency management. However, most participants emphasized that school emergency plans remain insufficient in practice and that post-disaster psychological support mechanisms are inadequate. The study concludes that enhancing the knowledge, skills, and coordination capacities of school counselors, and institutionalizing psychosocial support systems are essential steps toward child-centered school resilience. The results contribute to both academic literature and educational policy by providing evidence-based insights into the integration of counseling services into school emergency management systems.