Abstract
Student concussions have emerged as a national health and safety issue across the educational spectrum. Recent legislation in many states has fostered a more structured school response system in determining when a student-athlete is eligible to return to athletic competition after suffering a concussion. While such legislation has prompted immediate responses from athletic governing bodies, research and action promoting a “return to learn” policy within school structures has been limited prompting educational leaders to pose the question of when is a concussed student prepared and able to return to the academic environment? The purpose of this dissertation in practice was to explore and understand teachers’ perceptions of the implementation of a concussion management system and its impact on return to learn practices for teachers at a one Catholic secondary school. The study produced three key findings: Institutional Awareness: Exploring the Unknown; Institutional Action: Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding Implementation of Return to Learn and Return to Play Policies; and The Necessity for Institutional Reflection: Teachers’ Perceptions About the Need for Ongoing Evaluation. Implications for leadership include a broadening or development of a Return to Learn protocol that supports students with learning differences.