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Promoting resilience for

teachers and their students:


A four dimensional view
The Childrens Hospital Education Research Institute Conference,
Sydney, 6-7 September, 2012
Dr Caroline Mansfield
School of Education
Murdoch University
Western Australia
caroline.mansfield@murdoch.edu.au

Why is teacher resilience important for


students?

How can I care for my students if I dont care for


myself?

Importance of resilience noted in caring professions (for example, nursing


Ablett & Jones, 2007; social work Horwitz, 1998; training for medical professionals
- Howe, Smajdor, & Stckl, 2012; Tempski, Martins, & Paro, 2012).

Teachers as caregivers Caring for the caregiver(Fleming, Mackrain &


LeBuffe, 2013)

Teachers as role models for social and emotional competence

Evidence of reciprocal benefits for students and teachers when


implementing mental health programs (see for example, Tyson, Roberts &
Kane, 2009)

The Keeping Cool project


Mansfield, Price, Beltman, McConney, Wosnitza & Pelliccione.
Funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, 2009

Issues of concern
High rates of Early Career Teacher attrition
Reality Shock Teacher education to teaching (Friedman, 2004)
Can resilience help?

Key project outcomes


Annotated Bibliography and Literature Review
Longitudinal Survey and qualitative data collection
Website (www.keepingcool.edu.au) and Facebook

Three phase study

Phase 1: Literature review


How is teacher resilience conceptualized in the
literature?
process of development that occurs over time involving the ability to
adjust to varied situations and increase ones competence in the face of
adverse conditions (Bobek, 2002, p. 202).
specific strategies that individuals employ when they experience an
adverse situation (Castro, et al., 2010, p. 623).
a mode of interacting with events in the environment that is activated and
nurtured in times of stress (Tait, 2008, p. 58).
resilience is related to regulation of emotions and effective interaction in
social environments (Tait, 2008, p. 72).
dynamic processes - over time
person and environment + adverse situations

Teacher resilience: what do we know?


Resilience is the outcome of a dynamic relationship between
individual risk and protective factors (Benard, 2004).
Individual

Risk
factors

negative self-beliefs and


confidence (Day, 2008)
reluctance to seek help
(Fantilli & McDougal, 2009)

conflict between personal


beliefs and practices (Flores,
2006)

Protective altruistic motives (Sinclair,


2008)
factors
strong intrinsic motivation
(Chong & Low, 2004)

high self-efficacy (Day, 2008)

Contextual

behaviour management (Howard &


Johnson, 2004)

unsupportive leadership / staff (Day,


2008)

heavy workloads (Day, 2008)


time required for non-teaching duties
(Castro, et al, 2009)
casual employment (Jenkins et al, 2009)

collegial support
strong, caring leadership (Howard &
Johnson, 2004, p. 412)

mentor relationships (Olsen & Anderson,


2007)

Beltman, S., Mansfield, C.F. & Price, A. (2011). Thriving not just surviving: A review of research on
teacher resilience. Educational Research Review, 6, 185-207.

Issues emerging from the literature

Variety of conceptualisations of resilience related to context


and perspective
Predominantly qualitative methodology used

Focus of research

Location of research

Sources of data

Early career teachers 42%

USA 34%

Interviews 68%

Experienced teachers 28%

Australia 30%

Questionnaires/surveys 35%

Mixed career stages 18%

United Kingdom 12%

Scales 32%

Preservice teachers 12%

Canada 8%

Documents 30%

Ireland 6%

Observations 20%

Germany, Greece, Hong Kong,


Portugal, Singapore 2%

Online discussion 6%
Focus groups 4%
Student achievement 4%
Drawings 2%

No studies found that directly asked teachers how they would describe a resilient
teacher

Phase 2: Describing resilient teachers


"To be a teacher you have to be resilient!"

Investigating teachers perceptions of resilient teachers


125 early career teachers and 75 graduating teachers
Open ended question - How would you describe a resilient teacher?
Data analysis - Four team members involved in inductive coding. Three
cycles of individual coding and team agreement, then categories and
themes finalised.

How would you describe a resilient


teacher?

Bounces Back
Copes with demands of
teaching / stress
Flexible and adaptable
Positive and optimistic
Seeks help/takes advice
Manages emotions
Cares for own wellbeing
Enjoys teaching
Enjoys challenge
Focused on learning and
improvement
Okay with making mistakes
Maintains motivation and
enthusiasm

Has problem solving skills


Persists
Doesnt take things
personally
Has sense of humour
Organised, prepared, good at
time management
Good communicator
Committed to students
Has confidence/self-belief
Sets realistic goals
Builds supportive
relationships
Effective teaching skills

What makes
a resilient
teacher?

Mansfield, C.F., Beltman, S., Price, A. & McConney, A. (2012). Dont sweat the small stuff: Understanding teacher
resilience at the chalkface. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28(3), 357-367.

How would you describe a resilient


teacher?
Aspects of resilience

% of
participants

Emotional

includes self-belief and confidence, not taking things


personally, sense of humour, ability to bounce back,
emotion regulation

61%

Motivational

includes problem solving skills, persistence and


perseverance, having realistic expectations, setting realistic
goals, focused on self-improvement, being positive and
optimistic
includes teaching competence and skills, organisation,
preparation, classroom management, facilitating effective
learning, being flexible and adaptable

54%

includes asking others for assistance, interpersonal skills,


ability to take advice from others, professional and personal
support networks

34%

Professionrelated

Social

42%

Emotional aspects (61%)


Able to bounce back
A resilient teacher is one who is able to bounce back from
the stress and hard experiences and continue teaching
effectively.
A resilient teacher can keep their sense of humour and enjoy
the job and laugh about the bad stressful events that occur
and does her best to start each day with a happy attitude
Manages emotions
A resilient teacher has a positive outlook, a friendly, calm
disposition, is self confident and reliable and doesnt sweat
the small stuff. A resilient teacher doesnt take things
personally and remains objective in difficult situations.

Motivational aspects (54%)


Maintain motivation
resilient teachers work hard to maintain a positive outlook on
their work and leave school thinking about the highs rather
than the lows.
Sees the big picture to help them through stressful
situations.
have realistic expectations of themselves and others
Persist
Persist and persevere through problems or situations are
unrelenting when overcoming challenges within the classroom
/school
do not give up on improving themselves and their practice

Profession-related aspects (42%)


Organisation, preparation, flexibility, adaptability
One who is able to adapt to the demands of each student
and class, have the tools at their disposal to react
appropriately to each situation be able to think on their
feet and above all keep their sense of humour and enjoy
the job.
A teacher who is able to think on their feet if they are
faced with a problem of faced with challenges in the
classroom. Can think quickly of alternatives and find
solutions, is reflective and flexible and takes suggestions
on board.

Social aspects (34%)


Collaboration, asking for help and taking advice
Someone who is willing to reach out for help to other
supportive teachers and admin staff and someone who is
willing to take and use constructive criticism.

Professional and personal relationships


Has solid, honest relationships with colleagues.
One that has someone to talk to about work related
issues.
Resilient teachers talk with each other.

Multidimensional nature of teacher


resilience
A resilient teacher is someone who:
Has effective time management and organisational skills
Ensures a balance between work and leisure
Has a positive attitude, even in times of difficulty
Has realistic expectations of themselves and others
Has the ability to bounce back when experiencing adversity
Sense of humour is essential!
Willing to talk to others and ask the stupid questions!!

Findings

Challenges in investigating teacher resilience - only 20% of


respondents described a single attribute as contributing to
resilience.

Additional attributes that have not emerged in the teacher


resilience literature for example, being reflective, emotional
distancing (not take things personally).

Both the literature and our empirical data emphasise the


importance of considering both the individual and the context
in providing supports or constraints for the development of
teacher resilience (66% of respondents included context in
their answers).

Phase 3 : Considering context

Interviews

Process
Contact with those completing surveys who had agreed to participate
further
14 interviews (face to face and by phone) conducted and transcribed
by project Research Assistant

Participants
11 female, 3 male; all in 1st or 2nd year of teaching
4 in 20s, 5 in 30s, 3 in 40s, 2 in 50s

Data analysis
Examined overall challenges and responses across participants
Examined process of resilience within participants

Findings: Challenges
101 separate challenges; ongoing demand rather than critical incidents

Personal

Interpersonal

Infrastructure

Work-life balance

Family and friends

Policies and practices

e.g. no time for hobbies

e.g. less contact

e.g. poor housing

Personal attributes

Teachers and admin.

School organisation

e.g. perfectionist

e.g. lack of recognition or


support

e.g. moving rooms; lots of


meetings

Knowledge

Students

Classroom resources

e.g. lack of reporting

e.g. challenging behaviour;


multiple needs

e.g. lack of teaching


materials and resources

Feel overwhelmed

Parents

Pre-service preparation

e.g. trying to juggle fifteen e.g. parent complaints


thousand balls; its like a
roller coaster

e.g. teaching in different


area; lack of admin
experience; 1 year course

Findings: Vignettes
Sarah: I am where I am meant to be.
Joanne: Youre just a relief teacher.
Richard: The staffroom is the place to vent.
Jessie: I am resilient, thats why Im leaving, but Im still going
to teach

Findings: Strategies used in response to


challenges
Focus on the students
Use problem solving skills
Reflect
Get organised
Build resources

Debrief with partner


Ask for help rather than
pretend its okay
Talk to your mentor
Talk to other staff
Seek counselling

Keep calm
Focus on what you love about the job
Enjoy the kids / have fun
Manage emotions
Positive self talk

Believe in yourself
Have realistic expectations
Persist
Focus on improvement
Build confidence

And exercise!
No matter what I go for a run burn up energy and calm my mind

Implications from this study:


For teachers and school professionals:

Importance of boosting protective factors (professional, emotional,


motivational and social).

Critical role played by support networks in and out of the school context.

Modelling resilience in the classroom: Take opportunities to model and


talk through resilient responses to challenges with students.

Be proactive in supporting colleagues and students in their own


resilience development help create a culture of resilience.

Be especially supportive to newcomers in the school environment.

Care for yourself so you can care for the students.

Implications for employers / administrators


Improvement in hiring practices, induction, support and targeted
professional development
Teachers motivations are primarily altruistic so financial perks,
an extrinsic motivator, unlikely to dramatically impact on
recruitment and retention rates (Chong & Low, 2009) but..
Rewards and leadership opportunities could be beneficial for
some new teachers depending on their initial motivation and for
those who have been teaching for 3 or 4 years
Provide opportunities for staff growth and career development

Emerging questions

Whose responsibility is teacher resilience?


Role of individuals, employers, schools, family and friends?
What kinds of professional learning might provide
opportunities to build resilience for school professionals?
What might teacher resilience look like to more
experienced teachers?
Future directions?
longitudinal research following career paths focusing on
resilience
developing resources/professional learning to support
the capacity for teacher resilience

Final thoughts from teachers


There are days when I think oh, I could just go
and work in an office and earn more money
and have less stress (laughs) but then theres
days when I think gee, Im lucky. So its those
days that you hang on to and they get you
through every job has its ups and downs

Final thoughts from teachers

I use the analogy of a branch the


branch can break with stress, but if a
branch is allowed to be exposed to the
wind and the seasons it becomes more
flexible, it shapes itself accordingly
Thank you
caroline.mansfield@murdoch.edu.au
www.keepingcool.edu.au

References (1)
Ablett, J. R., & Jones, R. S. P. (2007). Resilience and well-being in palliative care staff: a
qualitative study of hospice nurses' experience of work. Psycho-Oncology, 16(8), 733740.
Beltman, S., Mansfield, C., & Price, A. (2011). Thriving not just surviving: A review of
research on teacher resilience. Educational Research Review, 6(3), 185-207.
Bobek, B. L. (2002). Teacher resiliency: A key to career longevity. The Clearing House, 75(4),
202-205.
Castro, A. J., Kelly, J., & Shih, M. (2010). Resilience strategies for new teachers in high-needs
areas. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(3), 622-629.
Chong, S., & Low, E. L. (2009). Why I want to teach and how I feel about teaching formation of teacher identity from pre-service to the beginning teacher phase.
Educational Research Policy and Practice, 8, 59-72.
Day, C. (2008). Committed for life? Variations in teachers work, lives and effectiveness.
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Fleming, J. L., Mackrain, M., & LeBuffe, P. A. (2013). Caring for the caregiver: Promoting the
resilience of teachers. In S. Goldstein & R. B. Brooks (Eds.), Handbook of Resilience in
Children (pp. 387-397). New York: Springer Science+Business Media.
Flores, M. A. (2006). Being a novice teacher in two different settings: Struggles, continuities
and discontinuities. Teachers College Record, 108(10), 2021-2052.

References (2)
Friedman, I. A. (2004). Directions in teacher training for low-burnout teaching. In E. Frydenberg
(Ed.), Thriving, surviving, or going under: Coping with everyday lives (pp. 305-326).
Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
Horwitz, M. (1998). Social worker trauma: Building resilience in child protection social workers.
Smith College Studies in Social Work, 68(3), 363-377.
Howard, S., & Johnson, B. (2004). Resilient teachers: Resisting stress and burnout. Social
Psychology of Education, 7(4), 399-420.
Howe, A., Smajdor, A., & Stckl, A. (2012). Towards an understanding of resilience and its
relevance to medical training. Medical Education, 46(4), 349-356.
Jenkins, K., Smith, H., & Maxwell, T. (2009). Challenging experiences faced by beginning casual
teachers: Here one day and gone the next! Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 37(1),
63-78.
Mansfield, C. F., Beltman, S., Price, A., & McConney, A. (2012). Dont sweat the small stuff:
Understanding teacher resilience at the chalkface. Teaching and Teacher Education, 28(3),
357-367.
Olsen, B., & Anderson, L. (2007). Courses of action: A qualitative investigation into urban teacher
retention and career development. Urban Education, 42(1), 5-29.
Sinclair, C. (2008). Initial and changing student teacher motivation and commitment to teaching.
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Tait, M. (2008). Resilience as a contributor to novice teacher success, commitment, and
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Tempski, P., Martins, M. A., & Paro, H. B. M. S. (2012). Teaching and learning resilience: a new
agenda in medical education. Medical Education, 46(4), 345-346.

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