Teachers’ Strategies for Supporting Perfectionistic Students: Assessment and Lessons Learned in Elementary and Secondary Schools

Abstract

Understanding and managing perfectionistic behaviours in students is a critical challenge for teachers. Consequently, this qualitative study sought to assess the strategies that elementary and secondary teachers in Ontario, Canada use to respond to perfectionism in their classrooms. Open-ended survey responses from 197 teachers (83.25% female, Mage = 40.21, SD = 9.00; 66.50% elementary teachers) and semi-structured interviews with a subsample of 26 teachers (84.62% female, Mage = 41.19, SD = 10.95; 65.38% elementary teachers) were analyzed using thematic analysis based on descriptive phenomenology. Findings indicated that teachers employ a range of strategies, such as encouraging a growth mindset, offering individualized support, fostering strong teacher-student relationships, and cultivating self-care among their students. Despite their efforts to build resilience and strengthen students’ sense of self, some teachers highlighted the persistent nature of perfectionism and expressed frustration with their limited capacity to effectively support perfectionistic students. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing perfectionism as a significant educational issue and suggest that insights from teachers’ observations and classroom strategies could inform psychoeducational assessment and targeted professional development.