Resilience in educational practice and implementation

Resiliency in Education

Education is a basic right of every child in the world and it is the responsibility of the government and academic policy makers to ensure that every child is entitled to quality education. Children coming from adverse and violent family backgrounds invariably suffer in their academic performance that has severe repercussions for their future. However, as the studies discussed below show, even children from these difficult life environments can defy all odds and be successful in their academic pursuit. Simple curriculum modifications will not provide the results. Students need the support implemented in their every day classrooms. A classroom-based approach where all the recommended principles and teaching methodologies are applied on a day-to-day basis is necessary to build educational resilience among children.

Introduction

Education is the basic foundation on which rests the future of the individual and also the future of the nation. Providing optimal educational environment to children is therefore a national priority. However, this crucial period in the life of children is often beset with environmental problems that impair their ability to assimilate information and consequently affects their academic performance. A wide range of factors including, family violence, parental divorce, poverty, physical abuse, racial discrimination and psychological problems have been identified to negatively impact the educational achievement in children. Recent educational research such as (Borman & Overman (2004), frieman 2001, Condly 2006, etc.) have attested to the negative association between these factors and academic performance. [Downey, J. (2008)] However, recent research has also focused upon the qualities of successful academic achievers who come from the above-mentioned disadvantaged backgrounds. For instance, (Wang, Haertel & Walberg, 1997) and (Waxman, Gray & Padron, 2003) have found that adverse environmental backgrounds need not necessarily result in poor academic performance. [Downey, J. (2008)] This quality or trait referred to as 'Educational Resilience' has become the focus point of modern pedagogy research. The two recent articles under study- Downey, J. (2008) and Brackenreed, D. (2010) reflect on this aspect of educational resiliency and recommend solutions for educational providers to foster resilience among children who are particularly at risk. Couple of other articles will also be referenced as we analyze the above-mentioned articles and their recommendations.

Downey, J. (2008)

Downey, J. (2008) is a comprehensive review of academic research in the field of educational resilience. The author of this study suggests that there is a plethora of research in this field and that recommendations have been incorporated into academic curriculum. However, the author feels that though educational resilience is well recognized and the need for academic interventions well appreciated, so far policy measures have been restricted to curriculum modifications without much focus on the everyday practical classroom strategies. The main focus of this review by the author was to develop practical classroom recommendations that could be followed by teachers. Based on the extensive literature survey, the author arrives at 12 such recommendations that are grouped under four different components of educational resilience. These include 1) teacher -- student rapport, 2) classroom climate 3) instructional strategies and 4) student skills. By providing these everyday classroom-based recommendations, the author strives to offset the shortcomings in the currently available school wide programs. The author opines that these generalized programs are not effective enough or adequately organized to provide the level of care, support and stimulating environment necessary to motivate children who come from poverty-stricken families, violent communities, and other environmentally constraining backgrounds. As part of the study the author also gathered the opinion of 32 veteran teachers on the 12 recommendations that he synthesized from the review.

The author concluded that 'Teacher student Rapport' is one of the important factors in developing the educational resilience of at risk students. We can clearly agree with the author that effective communication between the student and teacher is critical for the overall development of the student. Communication develops a sense of understanding and removes insecurity enabling more active participation and a didactic classroom environment, which is key for the learning process. The author identifies 3 distinct recommendations under this construct a) Building healthy interpersonal relationships, b) focus on their strengths and improve their self-esteem and c) Maintaining high realistic expectations or academic performance. [Downey, J. (2008)]

The author cites an overwhelming support for improved student teacher interpersonal relationship as a defining factor in the academic resilience of students from disadvantaged family backgrounds. In particular, it is found that many students who are at risk for poor academic performance due to their circumstances manage to overcome their limitations because one teacher adorns the role of the supportive adult who places faith in their abilities. As one of the teachers involved in the study reported, "the closer a teacher can get to these kids, the better. If they have a positive relationship with you, they will work for you and make a good effort." [Downey, J. (2008)] Also teachers could encourage students and vastly improve their self-esteem by praising them for their strengths. As one of the teachers puts it, "When students know their strengths are appreciated they are more willing to strengthen low areas." [Downey, J. (2008)] Teachers can also motivate the students by setting up higher but achievable goals. By giving them challenges and fostering their 'can do attitude' teachers can help students strive for more and stimulate their aspirations.

The classroom climate should also be conducive for improving the academic performance of at risk children. The author infers that a classroom environment that stresses on the effects of personal efforts on success and promotes autonomy is important for their self-development. Furthermore, developing a classroom community where the students are not subjected to feelings of anxiety, bullying and other negative influences, while at the same time provided with an atmosphere of tolerance and cooperation brings out the best in them. The classroom is also the place to inculcate discipline in the students by enforcing behavioral norms. Also as the author suggests, it is important to formulate instructional strategies in such ways so as to promote group working that would be useful in the future in the workplace environment. For instance teachers can encourage group learning and peer learning methods. Particularly, 'cross age tutoring' as suggested by the author is a well-recognized methodology. It also encourages a sense of social responsibility in the young minds. Last but not the least, is the importance of developing skills in students by way of classroom activities, extra curricular activities, and other class-based programs to promote communication, problem solving and decision making skills. [Downey, J. (2008)]

This exhaustive review by Downey and his conclusions are very relevant for academic institutions that are striving to improve the educational outcome of students. These recommendations are in effect the essence of the countless research studies that examined resilience among disadvantaged children. These classroom-based recommendations if energetically implemented would definitely reduce the gap between the socially and economically privileged and the underprivileged children in terms of their academic achievement. There are however a few omissions or limitations to this review. For instance, the study would have been more comprehensive had it also gathered input from the students. A student perspective of the problem would definitely add to the quality of the solutions. Also, the author did not make any mention of including the UN convention on the rights of child as a unit of study. This would greatly help vulnerable children to seek help as most often they struggle in silence.

Darlene Brackenreed (2010)

The article by Darlene Brackenreed titled 'Resilience and Risk' discusses the risk factors and the factors that promote resilience alongside a discussion of the family, school and community-based practices that promote resiliency among at risk children. The author reports that at risk children are more vulnerable to a variety of negative outcomes such as 'dropping out of school', 'school failure', 'drug use', delinquency, 'poor health' and 'early death'. Unlike the previous article by Downey, the author of this article stresses the clear connection between the risk factors to the health, economic, educational and social outcome of the vulnerable students. However, Downey's article was more focused on the solutions to improve the situation for the vulnerable student population while Darlene's work is more of a social ranting that continues to almost half of the article. It is more of a social outcry for most of the part with the real problem being discussed only at the later half of the article. The author discusses the different factors of resilience such as 'social support', ' competence', self-esteem, family, caring teachers, etc. [Darlene Brackenreed, (2010)] the importance of teachers being more compassionate, listening, and kind to the students and the use of group learning programs to stimulate team working and a collective social sense is also highlighted by the author.

In particular, the author points out the futility of the 'deficit model' approach "where we try to change children to make them fit into the structures of our institutions and programs rather than attempting to make the institutions and programs fit the needs of students ." With such a practice teachers lower their expectations of students and have a tendency to blame poor academic performance to factors extraneous to the school setting that cannot be controlled. Unlike Downey's article which is a thorough review of the relevant literature that concludes with the author's synthesis of appropriate recommendations that could be implemented in a classroom-based setting, this article by Darlene is mostly a plain review rather than an analysis of the literature. One confounding aspect is the discussion of studies that report that resilient children have, "traits in common such as higher intelligence, lower thrill seeking, lower associations with delinquent peers, and an absence of anti-social behaviours, substance abuse and juvenile delinquency" [Darlene Brackenreed (2010), pg 4] Does this mean that personal traits are as important as providing caring adult support?

The article however, does point out some valid points as mentioned above. The article concludes with a discussion of personal life experiences of the author, which though stated with a view to provide an example of the hardships that a student from a disadvantaged family experiences, makes the article more of a life story and a general social discussion of the disadvantaged children. The one point the author stresses much in this article however, is the important role of the teacher as a model citizen, sensitive to the needs of the pupil. In her own life she stresses how she was fortunate to have understanding teachers and how it helped her to succeed in her academic pursuits in spite of her troubled family environment and personal life. A positive interventional model as opposed to a deficit model involving a proactive approach from the teachers and the academic community is stressed. [Darlene Brackenreed, (2010)]