Promoting resilience for teachers and their students:

A four dimensional view The Children’s 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 don’t 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, & Stöckl, 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

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 one’s 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).

Phase 1: Literature review

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).

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.

Individual Contextual

Risk factors

•negative self-beliefs and confidence (Day, 2008)

•reluctance to seek help (Fantilli & McDougal, 2009)

•conflict between personal beliefs and practices (Flores,

2006)

• 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)

Protective factors

•altruistic motives (Sinclair,

2008)

•strong intrinsic motivation (Chong & Low, 2004)

•high self-efficacy (Day, 2008)

• collegial support • “strong, caring leadership” (Howard &

Johnson, 2004, p. 412)

• mentor relationships (Olsen & Anderson,

2007)

• Variety of conceptualisations of resilience related to context and perspective

• Predominantly qualitative methodology used

Issues emerging from the literature

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

"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.

Phase 2: Describing resilient teachers

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 • Doesn’t 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). “Don’t 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

54%

Profession-related

includes teaching competence and skills, organisation, preparation, classroom management, facilitating effective learning, being flexible and adaptable

42%

Social includes asking others for assistance, interpersonal skills, ability to take advice from others, professional and personal support networks

34%

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 doesn’t sweat the small stuff. A resilient teacher doesn’t take things personally and remains objective in difficult situations.”

Emotional aspects (61%)

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”

Motivational aspects (54%)

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.”

Profession-related aspects (42%)

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.”

Social aspects (34%)

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!!”

• 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).

Findings

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

Personal Interpersonal Infrastructure

Work-life balance e.g. no time for hobbies

Family and friends e.g. less contact

Policies and practices e.g. poor housing

Personal attributes e.g. perfectionist

Teachers and admin. e.g. lack of recognition or support

School organisation e.g. moving rooms; lots of meetings

Knowledge e.g. lack of reporting

Students e.g. challenging behaviour; multiple needs

Classroom resources e.g. lack of teaching materials and resources

Feel overwhelmed e.g. “trying to juggle fifteen thousand balls”; “it’s like a roller coaster”

Parents e.g. parent complaints

Pre-service preparation e.g. teaching in different area; lack of admin experience; 1 year course

101 separate challenges; ongoing demand rather than critical incidents

Findings: Vignettes

Sarah: “I am where I am meant to be”.

Joanne: “You’re just a relief teacher”.

Richard: “The staffroom is the place to vent”.

Jessie: “I am resilient, that’s why I’m leaving, but I’m still going to teach”

Findings: Strategies used in response to challenges

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

Keep calm Focus on what you love about the job

Enjoy the kids / have fun Manage emotions

Positive self talk

Debrief with partner Ask for help rather than pretend it’s okay Talk to your mentor Talk to other staff Seek counselling

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.

• 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

Implications for employers / administrators

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 there’s days when I think ‘gee, I’m lucky’. So it’s 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), 733-740.

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. Journal of Educational Change, 9(3), 243-260.

Fantilli, R. D., & McDougall, D. E. (2009). A study of novice teachers: Challenges and supports in the first years. Teaching & Teacher Education, 25(6), 814-825.

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., & Stöckl, 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). “Don’t 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. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 36(2), 79 - 104.

Tait, M. (2008). Resilience as a contributor to novice teacher success, commitment, and retention. Teacher Education Quarterly, 35(4), 57-76.

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.