Educational Journey of Refugee Students: Suggestions for Practitioners

Abstract

There are 79.5 million people, including children, left their home countries forcibly. Besides,
the duration of exile for people who forcibly displaced their countries becomes 17 years.
During the time refugees stay in the host countries, they try to learn the host country’s culture,
traditions, and values to adapt and survive. Schools are the key components to develop cultural
competency. Within this study, it is aimed to review articles that include examples of good
practice for school counselors and teachers working with refugee students. In this review, metaanalysis
is utilized to examine the qualitative studies about the educational process of refugee
students. Forty-one studies included in this meta-analysis. These 41 studies divided into four
main themes; refugees’ adaptation, school experiences, policies, and refugee health. Best
practices for teachers and school counselors who are working at refugee- receiving schools
were presented.