Turnaround teachers' perspectives on fostering educational resilience in a disadvantaged school : a qualitative exploration
Date
2002
Authors
Oberle, Tamara Dawn
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Abstract
A promising new approach for improving the education of students' "at-risk" of academic failure is focusing on educational resilience. The purpose of this research study was to examine the issue of educational resilience from a teacher's perspective. Participants were four elementary teachers from a disadvantaged school who were nominated as fulfilling the criteria of a "turnaround teacher" (Benard, 1998). The participants participated in a qualitative interview in which their perceived influence, beliefs, attitudes, and practices in the process of fostering resilience were explored. Findings suggest that the teachers were aware of the influence they have on their students' resilience. This influence was developed primarily through the personal relationships they had with their students. The participants had a strong belief that it takes just one person to influence a child's resilience. Implications of the study were addressed in relation to teacher training, intervention, hiring practices, and teacher burnout. The ma· or limitations of the research and suggestions for future research were outlined.