Public school teachers' perceptions of internet gaming problems among students：current status and challenges

Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to identify and understand the challenges faced by public school teachers regarding issues related to Internet gaming.Methods An electronic questionnaire was administered to 400 public school teachers in the Saitama Prefecture from September to November 2021. A total of 352 valid responses were obtained. The survey content included teachers' knowledge of gaming disorders, whether their students experienced gaming-related problems, difficulties perceived by teachers, how they discovered the problems, how they dealt with them, the challenges they faced in dealing with the problems, and desired support. Data were analyzed based on the teachers' roles, responsibilities, type of school, and knowledge of gaming difficulties. Fisher's exact probability tests were used to determine significance, and adjusted standardized residuals were used to assess the differences between groups.Results Nearly 63.1% of the teachers already had knowledge of gaming disorders, and 49.4% acknowledged the existence of students with gaming problems. The most common reasons for discovering problems were disrupted daily rhythm (51.7%) and increased tardiness and early dismissal (34.7%). The main actions taken to address gaming problems were "consultation and information sharing with families" (48.6%) and "individual guidance by teachers" (34.1%). Approximately half of the teachers indicated that they regularly experienced difficulties in activities related to prevention, early detection, student support, and interaction with parents. Specific challenges included limited guidance and involvement with families (61.4%) and the inability to intervene and provide effective support (62.5%). Teachers' support included programs for addiction recovery (56.8%), awareness programs for parents (56.0%), and staff training to increase the understanding of gaming disorders (50.5%). The responses varied according to teacher role and school type, indicating that implementation rates and difficulties were higher in middle schools.Conclusion We found that teachers tended to view internet gaming problems as family problems and provide complementary support for home education. Teachers also found it difficult to deal with students with gaming problems. Depending on the teacher's role in the school and the type of school, requests for support varied. Elementary and special-needs schools needed teaching materials that could be used for classroom and school-wide instruction and guidance for concerned students and their parents; junior high schools needed a consultation system with school counselors and other professionals and cooperation with healthcare; and high schools needed measures and support, including social support.