Needs that are not included in the schedule – transactional analysis of students’ (future teachers’) experiences

Abstract

The aim of the article was to examine how pedagogy students, especially those studying part-time, experience the lack of satisfaction of basic existential needs and how they cope with it. The study was based on qualitative methods – individual in-depth interviews and focus groups – conducted with 23 students. Data analysis was carried out using thematic categorization and concepts from transactional analysis: hungers, strokes, games, and life scripts. I formulated the main problem in the form of a question: how do the unmet needs of pedagogy students, not resulting directly from the curriculum, influence their emotional, social and professional functioning – and how do they manifest themselves in terms of hunger, costumes, games and life scenarios in the context of transactional analysis?
The results indicate that students most often reported needs for rest, emotional closeness, safety, and recognition. The chronic unmet needs may lead to frustration, decreased motivation, and, in the long term, to reproducing destructive patterns in their future work with children. The authors emphasize the need for implementing systemic emotional support in academic environments.