Acquiring an education is extremely important for every individual in life, as it enables easier entry into the labor market. On the way to education, learning difficulties often appear, the causes of which are hidden in the home environment, school, professionals working in schools, values, lack of motivation, poverty... Social work is changing the narrative of resolving these issues, from one where adults know what is best for students, to one where we acknowledge that students are experts in their own experiences and personal learning support plans are designed in cooperation with the student. Students from three different secondary schools in one Slovenian region participated in my study. They identify families, teachers, values, peers and friends as the factors which most influence learning difficulties. Students identify the lack of motivation, values and lack of adequate explanation from the teacher as the most common causes of learning difficulties. They recognize that learning difficulties are most often noticed first by family members and least often by school guidance counselors. The school counseling services at these three schools consist of pedagogues and psychologists. According to students, the resolution of learning difficulties is most impacted by families and least by the school counseling service. Social workers contribute important expertise on working relationships, cooperation and co-creation of desired outcomes to the educational environment.causes of learning difficulties, role of parents, role of professionals.
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