LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Define the concepts of psychological resilience and educational resilience.
- Explain the role of risk and protective factors in developing resilience and name examples.
- Explain what is a growth mindset
- Name and describe strategies to nurture a growth mindset in children.
Module introductiON
Resilience is not an individual quality that is built in isolation, but rather a capacity that is nurtured and developed within the wider social environment. Whole school and community approaches to strengthening young people’s resilience recognise that promoting resilience requires collaboration between individual people, families, schools, and communities to create supportive environments [1, 2].
Whole-school approaches involve creating an environment in which all members of the school community feel safe, supported, and valued. This includes developing policies and practices that promote positive mental health and well-being and providing access to a range of supports and resources. Promoting a positive school culture is a key aspect of a whole-school approach. Fostering a sense of belonging, inclusion, and connection among students, staff, and parents helps students feel supported and valued, building their resilience [3, 4].
Community-wide approaches involve engaging the broader community in efforts to promote resilience in young people. Building partnerships with local organisations, such as mental health clinics, youth groups, and community centres, provides access to a range of services and supports that help young people develop the skills and strategies needed to bounce back from setbacks [5, 6].
Working together as a community, schools and other organisations can create a network of support that helps young people overcome challenges and build their resilience. Providing access to mental health services, peer support groups, and other resources can promote positive mental health and well-being. These are protective resources that will benefit young people in their personal, academic, and later professional lives [7].
References
1. Boingboing. Understanding resilience and the whole school approach - Schools mental health guide. East
Sussex (GB): Boingboing; 2017 Nov. 10 p. Available from
https://www.boingboing.org.uk/understanding-resilience-whole-school-approach-schools-mental-health-guide/
2. Iglesias E, Esteban-Guitart M, Puyaltó C, Montserrat C. Fostering community socio-educational resilience in
pandemic times: Its concept, characteristics and prospects. Front Educ [Internet]. 2022 Oct [cited 2023 Apr
3];7:1-9. Available from:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.1039152/full DOI:
10.3389/feduc.2022.1039152
3. Cohen J. Creating a positive school climate: A foundation for resilience. In: Goldstein S, Brooks RB, editors.
Handbook of resilience in children [Internet]. 2nd ed. New York: Springer US; 2013 [cited 2023 Apr 3]. p. 411–23.
Available from:
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4614-3661-4?page=1#toc DOI:
10.1007/978-1-4614-3661-4_24
4. Capp GP, Sullivan KS, Park Y. School climate and resilience promoting characteristics: Exploring latent patterns
of student perceptions in California. Oxf Rev Educ [Internet]. 2022 Nov [cited 2023 Apr 3]. Available from:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03054985.2022.2146079 DOI: 10.1080/03054985.2022.2146079
5. Khanlou N, Wray R. A whole community approach toward child and youth resilience promotion: A review of
resilience literature. Int J Ment Health Addiction [Internet]. 2014 Jan [cited 2023 Apr 3];12:64-79. Available from:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11469-013-9470-1
DOI: 10.1007/s11469-013-9470-1
6. Longhi D, Brown M, Reed SF. Community-wide resilience mitigates adverse childhood experiences on adult and
youth health, school/work, and problem behaviors. Am Psychol [Internet]. 2021 Mar [cited 2023 Apr
3];76(2):216-29. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33734790/ DOI: 10.1037/amp0000773
7. Boudreau E. Schools and community resilience [Internet]. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Graduate School of
Education; Jun 2020 [updated 2023; cited 2023 Apr 3]. Available from:
https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/20/06/schools-and-community-resilience
KEY CONCEPTs
3.1 What is Resilience?
In our first video of the module, we will be introducing the concepts of psychosocial resilience and educational resilience. One key question we will also address is whether resilience is an innate trait or whether it is a quality that can be nurtured with specific skills and strategies. Let's get started!
3.2 The Role of Protective and Risk Factors
In this video, we will dive deeper into the resilience process and how it unfolds through the interplay of risk and protective factors. We will explore the various person-level and environmental factors that support or hinder the resilience process, and what their roles are in promoting educational resilience among students. By the end of this video, you will have a deeper understanding of the resilience process and the key role that protective factors play in helping students overcome adversity and achieve academic success.
The Resilience Process In Action
What does the resilience process look like in action, and how do protective and risk factors interact to lead to positive outcomes for someone during difficult times? In this exercise, you will be viewing an image slider which features different ways that people may demonstrate resilience in real life. As you go through each slide, reflect on the following questions. Then, click on the hotspot to reveal the explanation!
● What is the challenging or adverse situation in this example?
● What protective and risk factors can I identify in this example?
● In what ways do I think the protective factors helped result in a positive outcome?
We hope you found this activity helpful in consolidating your understanding of the resilience process, protective and risk factors. Remember that adverse situations can be challenging, but protective factors can help facilitate the resilience process and lead to better than expected outcomes. It's important to seek out and utilise support and resources when facing challenges. Keep in mind that building resilience is an ongoing process and requires effort and determination.
3.3 Mindset and Resilience
In the previous videos, we explored the concept of resilience and how protective and risk factors play a critical role in developing educational resilience. In this section, we will be watching a video that highlights the role of mindset in promoting resilience. The video covers the differences between a growth and fixed mindset and offers some tips on how to nurture a growth mindset in students.
Recall and Review: Road to Resilience
Great job, everyone! You have just taken in a lot of new information about the different types of resilience, the role of risk and protective factors in the resilience process, and the role of a growth mindset. Before we proceed to the group activity for this module, it is time to recall and review some key concepts! To help you consolidate your newfound knowledge, we have prepared a quiz that will test your understanding of these new concepts. For this quiz, there is only one correct answer for each question. Good luck!
Great job, everyone! Remember, building resilience is essential for children's success in the face of adversity, and developing a growth mindset can play a critical role in promoting resilience. By nurturing a growth mindset among students, teachers can help them become active problem-solvers with an appetite for learning who are willing to embrace challenges and learn from their mistakes. Keep up the great work!
3.4 Learning Together: I Will Find A Way
In this group activity, you will be guiding your participants through a roleplay activity in which they will roleplay in pairs as either teachers and students. The ‘students’ will struggle to complete a difficult maze to complete and will be asked by their ‘teacher’ how they feel about the difficult task. The aim of this roleplay interaction is for your participants to practice instilling a growth mindset among their students, particularly when they are experiencing a challenge in the classroom.
As the facilitator, your role is to guide the participants through the role-play scenarios and prompt them to reflect on their experience with practicing instilling a growth mindset. Provide a safe and supportive environment for participants to practise their responses and encourage them to share their thoughts and feelings. As the group discusses how to promote a growth mindset among students, we encourage you to prompt them to think critically about how they can apply these principles in their daily teaching practices.
Material
Maze activity sheets that you can assign for different age groups. We recommend downloading them for free from Raising Our Kids!
● Printable Maze 1
● Printable Maze 2
● Printable Maze 3
Sugested Approach
1. Divide the participants into pairs, ensuring that each pair consists of teachers who teach the same year group. Ask them to select one participant to play the ‘teacher’ and the other as the ‘student’. Then, distribute the maze activity sheets, making sure that each pair receives a sheet appropriate for the age group they teach.
2. Explain that the aim of the activity is for the 'teacher' to demonstrate how they would instil a growth mindset in a student who is facing a difficulty in the classroom. Clarify to the participants that they will demonstrate their approach in front of the entire group. Encourage them to be creative and engaging in their approach. Allow sufficient time for the pairs to prepare their roleplay and remind them to keep in mind the age group of the student they are roleplaying with.
3. After each round, ask the participant who demonstrated the activity to reflect on how they felt about the activity and whether it was easy or difficult. Other questions you can ask include:
● Did you find anything challenging during your demonstration?
● What did you learn about the importance of a growth mindset?
● How do you think your students will respond to this activity?
● What are some other ways you can promote a growth mindset among your students?
4. Encourage participants to support each other and provide feedback after each round. Offer additional guidance and support as needed.
5. Conclude the activity by debriefing the entire group and sharing any additional insights or strategies for promoting a growth mindset in the classroom. Encourage participants to continue exploring ways to incorporate these values into their teaching practice and to nurture the resilience of their students.
At the end of the training session...
Demonstrate care for your participants’ views
Your participants’ views about the topic and training are valuable and can inform how future training modules are delivered. Conclude the training session by gathering verbal feedback – don’t forget to record these in writing!
● What new information did they learn during the training that they did not know before?
● In what ways do they think this topic will be useful for them in their work with students?
● What is their most valuable takeaway from the training?
Be sure to also collect your participants’ responses to the post-test and training evaluation form for more structured monitoring and evaluation!