Resilience in Higher Education: Lessons and Learning

Dr Noelene Weatherby-Fell

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Caroline Mansfield (Murdoch University)Susan Beltman (Curtin University)

Tania Broadley (Queensland University of Technology)Noelene Weatherby-Fell (University of Wollongong)

The views of this project do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government

Context: Why BRiTE?Issues in the teaching profession

• National and international concern about teacher quality, retention and wellbeing … and student outcomes

• Increasing accountability in the teaching profession and increased job stressors

• Previous studies (Keeping Cool: Embedding Resilience in Teacher Education)

• Literature affirming that resilience is linked to teacher commitment, engagement, enthusiasm, efficacy, job satisfaction, wellbeing, quality and student outcomes

Issues in higher education

• Curriculum constraints in university curriculum

• External regulation of teacher education programs - accreditation

• Workshops vs alternative modes of delivery (timing)

• Improving the “work readiness” of beginning teachers

Conceptualisation of Teacher Resilience

• the capacity to harness personal and contextual resources to navigate through challenges,

• as well as the dynamic process whereby characteristics of individual teachers and of their personal and professional contexts interact over time as teachers use particular strategies,

• to enable the outcome of a teacher who experiences professional engagement and growth, commitment, enthusiasm, satisfaction, and wellbeing.Mansfield, C. F., Beltman, S., Broadley, T., & Weatherby-Fell, N. (2016). Building resilience in teacher education: An evidenced informed framework. Teaching and Teacher Education, 54, 77-87. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2015.11.016

Personal

Resources

(e.g. motivation, social

and emotional

competence)Strategies

(e.g. problem solving,

time management,

maintaining work-life

balance)Contextual

Resources

(e.g. relationships,

school culture, support

networks)

Resilience outcomes

(e.g. commitment, job

satisfaction, wellbeing,

engagement)

The BRiTE FrameworkTheme Informed by the literature Example pre-service topics

Building

resilience

Resilience as a dynamic, multifaceted process where individuals mobilisepersonal and contextual resources and use coping strategies to enable resilience outcomes.

What is resilience?Why is resilience important for

teachers?

Relationships

Social competence (for building relationships, support networks and working collaboratively), setting boundaries, communication

Personal and professional support networks

Communicating effectively

Wellbeing

Seeking renewal, work life balance, time management

Responding to and managing (dis)stress

Healthy living

Motivation

(or Taking

Initiative)

Efficacy, value, sense of purpose, sense of vocation, initiative, high expectations, problem solving, professional learning, goal setting, help seeking, reflection, persistence

Persistence and efficacy Problem solving processes Help seeking Ongoing professional learning

Emotions

Emotional competence, optimism empathy, hope, courage, humour, emotion regulation, mindfulness

Emotional awareness Optimistic thinking Managing emotions

Mansfield, C. F., Beltman, S., Broadley, T., & Weatherby-Fell, N. (2016). Building resilience in teacher education: An evidenced informed framework. Teaching and Teacher Education, 54, 77-87. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2015.11.016

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www.brite.edu.au

Implementation Options

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Reflection

“It allowed me to reflect on my own teaching practice, I will

definitely be using this during my next PEX and also in my future

teaching career” [14P_15].

Resources

“This module gave me some great suggestions on how to

build and maintain relationships in a new school environment”

[14P_95].

Strategies

“I thought this module was extremely helpful in making me

think of ways of how to deal with stress. I would definitely use the

strategies mentioned in this module” [14P_15].

Increasing awareness

“It was common sense but good to read and review to be

aware of something that happens to us every day”

[14P_79].

From pre-service teachers …

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Continuing the work … Staying BRiTE

• Implementation in participating universities ongoing• Continued dissemination• OLT National Teaching Fellowship (2016-2017):

Caroline.mansfield@murdoch.edu.au

Promoting resilience in higher education: A collaborative approach to curriculum development for student resilience

in teacher education

1: Snapshot of current practice

2: Targeted work with interested

universities, developing

contextually responsive approaches

3: Sharing and dissemination

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Bachelor of Education – The Early Years

4 year undergraduate program

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BRiTE and Belonging, Being and Becoming: The

Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) for Australia

“All children have the best start in life to create a better future for themselves and for the nation.” (Council of Australian Governments’ Vision)

The 5 principles within the EYLF reflect contemporary theories and research

evidence concerning children’s learning and early childhood pedagogy, and

underpin practice focused on assisting all children to make progress in relation to

Learning Outcomes, including their transition to school.

Principle 1: Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships

Principle 2: Partnerships (focus on families and support professionals)

Principle 3: High expectations and equity

Principle 4: Respect for diversity

Principle 5: Ongoing learning and reflective practice (build professional

knowledge and develop learning communities)

NQS and Module B – Building resilienceTopics NQS – Quality areas and standards

What do you know about resilience?

QA5. Relationships with Children

Standard 5.1 Respectful and equitable relationships are developed and maintained with each child.

Standard 5.2 Each child is supported to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships with other children and adults.

Resilience in schools

What makes a resilient teacher?

The resilience process

Bouncing back / bouncing forward

Why BRiTE?

NQS and Module R - Relationships

.

Topics NQS - Quality areas and standardsMaintaining support networks QA4. Staffing Arrangements

Standard 4.2 Educators, coordinators and staff members are respectful and ethical.

QA5 Relationships with Children

Standard 5.1 Respectful and equitable relationships are developed and maintained with each child.

Standard 5.2 Each child is supported to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships with other children and adults.

QA6 Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities

Standard 6.1 Respectful supportive relationships with families are developed and maintained.

Building relationships in new environments

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NQS and Module I - WellbeingTopics NQS - Quality areas and standards

Personal wellbeing QA2. Children’s Health and Safety

Standard 2.1 Each child’s health is promoted.Standard 2.3 Each child is protected.

QA4. Staffing Arrangements

Standard 4.1 Staffing arrangements enhance children’s learning and development and ensure their safety and wellbeing.

Work-life balance

Maintaining motivation

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NQS and Module T – Taking initiativeTopics NQS - Quality areas and standards

Problem solving QA6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities

Standard 6.2 Families are supported in their parenting role and their values and beliefs about childrearing are respected.

Standard 6.3 The service collaborates with other organisations and service providers to enhance children’s learning and wellbeing.

QA7. Leadership and Service Management

Standard 7.1 Effective leadership promotes a positive organizational culture and builds a professional learning community.

Standard 7.2 There is a commitment to continuous improvement.

Ongoing professional learning

Communicating effectively

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NQS and Module E - Emotions

Topics NQS - Quality areas, standards and elements

Developing optimism QA4. Staffing Arrangements

Standard 4.1 Staffing arrangements enhance children’s learning and development and ensure their safety and wellbeing.

QA5 Relationships with Children

Standard 5.1 Respectful and equitable relationships are developed and maintained with each child.

Standard 5.2 Each child is supported to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships with other children and adults.

QA7. Leadership and Service Management

Standard 7.1 Effective leadership promotes a positive organizational culture and builds a professional learning community.

Managing emotions

Enhancing emotional awareness

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

• EYMP101 Early Childhood Contexts (B)• EYPD102 Observing Children (20 days

Professional Experience) (R)

• EYHS202 Children’s Health, Safety and Wellbeing(I)

• EYPD201 Curriculum Content and Programming (20 days Professional Experience) (T)

• EYEP201 Effective Partnerships for Early Childhood Professionals (E)

• EYCC302 Contexts of Developmental Interconnections Between Child, Family and Community (B Review)

• EYFE301 Early Intervention: A Broad Approach (R Review)

• EYMP302 Early Childhood Education and Care Services – Managements and Admin (T Review)

Ref

lect

ion

Bachelor of Education: The Early Years (4 years)

Year 4 • EYPD401 Early Years Project (I Review)• EYTS401 Transition to School (E Review)

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“We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.”

~ John Dewey

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Staying BRiTE @ Federation University

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Staying BRiTE @ Charles Darwin University

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Staying BRiTE @ QUT

Focusing on specific contextually

responsive approaches to

building professional resilience for

career changers

Staying BRiTE @ UTAS

Contextualisation of teacher

resilience in rural and remote

schools

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• Caroline Mansfield’s work also has interdisciplinary application and she is currently working with veterinarians in the project:VetSet2Go: Building Veterinary Employability(https://www.vetset2go.edu.au/) (funded OLT, 2015-2017)

Cake, M., Bell, M., Schull, D., McArthur, M.,

Hamood, W., Feakes, A., Rind, S., Mossop,

L., Matthews, S., Mansfield, C.F. & Zaki, S.

(2015). VetSetGO: A collaborative outcomes

and assessment framework building

employability, resilience and veterinary

graduate success (Vol. $349, 000).

Australia: Office of Learning and Teaching.

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With acknowledgements to my BRiTE colleagues:

Assoc. Prof. Caroline Mansfield (Murdoch)*Assoc. Prof. Susan Beltman (Curtin)Professor Tania Broadley (QUT)*

And Staying BRiTE colleagues:Dr Susan Ledger (Murdoch)

Dr Sharon McDonough (Federation)DrAmanda McGraw (Federation)

Assoc. Prof. Denise Beutel (QUT)Dr Leanne Crosswell (QUT)

DrAl Strangeways (CDU)Dr Lisa Papatraianou (CDU)

Dr Chad Morrison (UTas)Assoc. Prof. Karen Swabey (UTas)

Where will the next journey take us?

Thank you for your attention, may each day be filled with BRiTE moments!