Fostering Resilience in South African Township Primary School Teachers

Abstract

Resilience is needed for township teachers to overcome their stressful classroom and school environment. The main objective of this paper is to examine the role of teacher resilience in enabling them to respond positively to challenges they encounter. To address these challenges, the study explored the fostering of resilience in township primary school teachers in the Lejweleputswa District of the Free State Province in South Africa. A qualitative approach was followed as it allowed the researchers to gather the necessary in-depth data based on the opinions, experiences, and beliefs of the participants. The sample of the study consisted of two principals, two heads of department, and thirty-three teachers from two township primary schools. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and open-ended questionnaires. The study's major findings revealed that the most common challenges adversely affecting teachers’ resilience were a lack of teaching and learning resources, a negative work atmosphere, and overcrowded classes. The study recommends that the fostering of resilience should be brought about by school management teams (SMT) implementing the Resilience Wheel model in support of teachers’ resilience regardless of the challenges they faced.