A higher education association as pathway to teacher resilience in high risk rural schools

The purpose of this study was to contribute to knowledge on teacher resilience in terms of protective resources and risk factors in rural schools by exploring the significance of higher education institutions (HEI) with rural school teachers. In the comparative case study, following a constructivist...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Edwards, Maria Margaretha
Other Authors: Ebersohn, L. (Liesel)
Language:en
Published: University of Pretoria 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/2263/60942
Edwards, MM 2016, A higher education association as pathway to teacher resilience in high risk rural schools, PhD Thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/60942>
id ndltd-netd.ac.za-oai-union.ndltd.org-up-oai-repository.up.ac.za-2263-60942
record_format oai_dc
spelling ndltd-netd.ac.za-oai-union.ndltd.org-up-oai-repository.up.ac.za-2263-609422020-06-02T03:18:36Z A higher education association as pathway to teacher resilience in high risk rural schools Edwards, Maria Margaretha Ebersohn, L. (Liesel) marlim@lantic.net UCTD Teacher resilience HEI associations High need high risk schools Rural schools The purpose of this study was to contribute to knowledge on teacher resilience in terms of protective resources and risk factors in rural schools by exploring the significance of higher education institutions (HEI) with rural school teachers. In the comparative case study, following a constructivist meta-theory and Participatory Reflection and Action (PRA) methodology, I used Place-based Social Mobility System theory as lens to compare teacher experiences of purposively sampled teachers (n = 6) in conveniently sampled rural schools (n = 2) with a long-term university-association to those of teachers (n = 12, male = 5, female = 7) in rural schools ( n = 4) in the same school-district without a long-term university-association. Data sources included PRA-interview data and face to face semi-structured teacher-interviews as well as observation data of the rural school context. Following inductive in-case and cross-case thematic analysis, informed by a constructivist grounded theory, it was apparent that, irrespective of a university-association, teachers shared similar experiences of protective resources and risk factors when teaching in a rural context. Feedback from the HEI members rather than parental and student feedback was valued and a lack of knowledge regarding obtaining sponsors and funds to sustain a HE intervention was identified as a constraint. A finding which merits further investigation is that the expectation from teachers in schools without a HEI association to potentially gain from a future association serves as protective resource of hope to promote teacher resilience. In contrast to other studies I found that using instructional resources available in a resource-constrained school setting, a lower student-teacher ratio, low community crime, financial compensation and informal teacher development activities as conducive to teacher resilience. Teachers were silent on the role that teacher illness and personal difficulties play in the development of teacher resilience; how teachers utilise student relationships as a protective resource; the role of hobbies and extracurricular activities in teacher resilience; and, lastly, how the effect of the unstable education system and policy demands on rural education advances/not teacher resilience. Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. Educational Psychology PhD Unrestricted 2017-06-08T13:06:59Z 2017-06-08T13:06:59Z 2017-04-25 2016 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/2263/60942 Edwards, MM 2016, A higher education association as pathway to teacher resilience in high risk rural schools, PhD Thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/60942> A2017 4426320 en © 2017 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. University of Pretoria
collection NDLTD
language en
sources NDLTD
topic UCTD
Teacher resilience
HEI associations
High need high risk schools
Rural schools
spellingShingle UCTD
Teacher resilience
HEI associations
High need high risk schools
Rural schools
Edwards, Maria Margaretha
A higher education association as pathway to teacher resilience in high risk rural schools
description The purpose of this study was to contribute to knowledge on teacher resilience in terms of protective resources and risk factors in rural schools by exploring the significance of higher education institutions (HEI) with rural school teachers. In the comparative case study, following a constructivist meta-theory and Participatory Reflection and Action (PRA) methodology, I used Place-based Social Mobility System theory as lens to compare teacher experiences of purposively sampled teachers (n = 6) in conveniently sampled rural schools (n = 2) with a long-term university-association to those of teachers (n = 12, male = 5, female = 7) in rural schools ( n = 4) in the same school-district without a long-term university-association. Data sources included PRA-interview data and face to face semi-structured teacher-interviews as well as observation data of the rural school context. Following inductive in-case and cross-case thematic analysis, informed by a constructivist grounded theory, it was apparent that, irrespective of a university-association, teachers shared similar experiences of protective resources and risk factors when teaching in a rural context. Feedback from the HEI members rather than parental and student feedback was valued and a lack of knowledge regarding obtaining sponsors and funds to sustain a HE intervention was identified as a constraint. A finding which merits further investigation is that the expectation from teachers in schools without a HEI association to potentially gain from a future association serves as protective resource of hope to promote teacher resilience. In contrast to other studies I found that using instructional resources available in a resource-constrained school setting, a lower student-teacher ratio, low community crime, financial compensation and informal teacher development activities as conducive to teacher resilience. Teachers were silent on the role that teacher illness and personal difficulties play in the development of teacher resilience; how teachers utilise student relationships as a protective resource; the role of hobbies and extracurricular activities in teacher resilience; and, lastly, how the effect of the unstable education system and policy demands on rural education advances/not teacher resilience. === Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. === Educational Psychology === PhD === Unrestricted
author2 Ebersohn, L. (Liesel)
author_facet Ebersohn, L. (Liesel)
Edwards, Maria Margaretha
author Edwards, Maria Margaretha
author_sort Edwards, Maria Margaretha
title A higher education association as pathway to teacher resilience in high risk rural schools
title_short A higher education association as pathway to teacher resilience in high risk rural schools
title_full A higher education association as pathway to teacher resilience in high risk rural schools
title_fullStr A higher education association as pathway to teacher resilience in high risk rural schools
title_full_unstemmed A higher education association as pathway to teacher resilience in high risk rural schools
title_sort higher education association as pathway to teacher resilience in high risk rural schools
publisher University of Pretoria
publishDate 2017
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/60942
Edwards, MM 2016, A higher education association as pathway to teacher resilience in high risk rural schools, PhD Thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/60942>
work_keys_str_mv AT edwardsmariamargaretha ahighereducationassociationaspathwaytoteacherresilienceinhighriskruralschools
AT edwardsmariamargaretha highereducationassociationaspathwaytoteacherresilienceinhighriskruralschools
_version_ 1719316877073711104