نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Purpose: Education is a fundamental pillar of development, responsible for cultivating skilled human resources. Primary school teachers play a uniquely critical role in transmitting knowledge and shaping children's personalities during the most formative years. However, the teaching profession faces numerous challenges, including overcrowded classrooms, limited resources, high expectations, financial constraints, and psychological pressures, which can gradually lead to burnout, emotional exhaustion, and diminished performance. In this context, resilience—the dynamic capacity to adapt positively to stressful circumstances—has emerged as a crucial psychological resource that protects teachers against occupational stress and helps maintain professional engagement and effectiveness. Despite growing research on teacher resilience, the lived experiences of primary school teachers, especially in specific cultural and regional settings, have received limited empirical attention. This qualitative study aimed to explore and identify the core characteristics of resilient primary school teachers and extract practical strategies for strengthening their resilience.
Design/Methodology/Approach: This research employed a qualitative approach with a phenomenological design, suited for investigating lived experiences and subjective meanings. The study was conducted during the academic year 2024–2025 in Kermanshah, Iran. The target population consisted of primary school teachers in District 1 of Kermanshah, from whom 15 participants were selected through purposive sampling. Inclusion criteria included: (a) a minimum of five years of teaching experience; (b) a positive professional performance record; (c) a history of successfully coping with educational adversities; and (d) willingness to participate. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews lasting 20 to 30 minutes, conducted at mutually agreed times and locations. All interviews were audio-recorded with participant consent, and key points were simultaneously noted. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a three-stage coding process: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. To enhance trustworthiness, member checking was conducted by presenting preliminary results to participants for confirmation, and expert consultation was utilized to review the coding process, ensuring analytical consistency and reducing potential bias.
Findings: Analysis yielded 93 open codes, refined into 6 axial codes and 2 selective codes. Resilient teachers' characteristics fell into four dimensions: (1) behavioral-emotional regulation (e.g., anger control, active listening, patience); (2) professional identity and job attachment (e.g., sense of mission, love for students, motivation from student progress); (3) cognitive-perceptual traits (e.g., positive thinking, realistic acceptance, humor, self-care, cognitive reappraisal); and (4) professional knowledge and skills (e.g., content mastery, modern methods, classroom management). Strategies for strengthening resilience were identified at two levels: teacher-centered (e.g., dialogue, participatory rules, variety in teaching, self-rewarding) and organization-centered (e.g., supportive environment, welfare support, recognition, counseling access, resilience councils).
Discussion and Conclusion: Education, as a fundamental pillar of development, is responsible for cultivating human resources, with primary school teachers playing a crucial role in knowledge transmission and shaping children's personalities. However, challenges such as overcrowded classrooms, lack of resources, and psychological pressures can lead to teacher burnout. Resilience, defined as the ability to adapt to difficult circumstances, plays a vital role in maintaining teachers' professional performance. This qualitative study, employing a phenomenological approach, was conducted during the academic year 2024–2025 to identify the characteristics of resilient teachers and extract strategies to strengthen their resilience. The results indicated that teacher resilience can be explained across four dimensions: behavioral, professional identity, cognitive-personality, and knowledge-skills, and strengthening strategies were categorized into two levels: practical-field and structural-managerial. In conclusion, teacher resilience is a dynamic and multi-dimensional process resulting from the interaction between individual characteristics and environmental supports. Enhancing it requires an integrated approach comprising individual empowerment and structural reforms. These findings can be useful for educational policy-making and teacher training programs. Although the focus on a specific geographic area limits generalizability, adherence to validation principles ensures the authenticity of the data.
کلیدواژهها English
