Promoting resilience : teachers' perceptions from the classroom

Abstract

This paper examined seven teachers' interpretations of the terms 'at risk' and resilience, their preceived influential role, and universal teaching methods that were perceived to promote resilient behaviours in the classroom. 'At risk' was described as a more familiar term than resilience, with a stronger focus in schools on academic 'at risk'. Resilience was viewed to be predominantly a result of internal attributes. Four themes emerged from the one-on-one interviews with elementary school teachers. Responsibilities, high expectations, consistency, and social competence were perceived by the teachers as leading to resilience development among their students. This study adds to the growing body of research which aims at uncovering the processes leading to the development of resilience.