Classroom ready?: Building resilience in teacher

Classroom ready?: Building resilience in teacher education

Dr Caroline Mansfield (Corresponding author) Murdoch Universitya 90 South Street, Murdoch Western Australia 6150 Australia [email protected] +61 8 9360 2467 Dr Susan Beltman Curtin Universityb GPO Box U1987, Perth Western Australia 6845 Australia [email protected] Dr Noelene Weatherby-Fell University of Wollongongc Northfields Avenue, Wollongong New South Wales 2522 Australia [email protected] Dr Tania Broadley Curtin Universityb GPO Box U1987, Perth Western Australia 6845 Australia [email protected] This is a pre-publication copy of: Mansfield, C. F., Beltman, S., Weatherby-Fell, N., & Broadley, T. (2016). Classroom ready? Building resilience in teacher education. In R. Brandenberg, S. McDonough, J. Burke, & S. White (Eds.), Teacher Education: Innovation, intervention and impact (pp. 211-229). Singapore: Springer. Please cite as above.

This is a pre-publication copy. Please cite as – Mansfield, C. F., Beltman, S., Weatherby-Fell, N., & Broadley, T. (2016). Classroom ready? Building resilience in teacher education. In R. Brandenberg, S. McDonough, J. Burke, & S. White (Eds.), Teacher Education: Innovation, intervention and impact (pp. 211-229). Singapore: Springer.

Abstract This chapter discusses how an innovative online learning resource designed to support pre-service teachers in building capacity for professional resilience can also support the development of ‘classroom ready teachers’. The process of developing the Building Resilience in Teacher Education (BRiTE) resource is explained and results from an evaluation with key stakeholders presented. Findings regarding the content and online design of the resource were positive and confirmed the usefulness and relevance of the resource for pre-service teachers and in teacher education programs. It is argued that a resilience-focused approach to developing non-academic key capabilities is efficacious. Through the development of a resource that is personalised, interactive, connected to the profession and grounded in the literature, the BRiTE resource may complement teacher education experiences and have the potential to support teacher educators and practising teachers in their practice.

1. Introduction An ongoing concern for teacher educators, teacher employers and more recently policy makers, is the extent to which graduating teachers are ‘classroom ready’. National and international research has shown that teachers face numerous challenges, especially in the early career years, and difficulties managing challenges may lead to distress, burnout and a decision to leave the profession. Early career teachers often experience ‘reality shock’ (Friedman, 2004) and report feeling under prepared as they transition from university to the profession, despite having had extended periods of professional experience during their degree. In Australia, teacher education providers are now charged with the challenge to prepare ‘classroom-ready teachers’ (Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group, 2015) and a raft of recommendations has been made regarding particular teacher education experiences and assessment to ensure classroom readiness. Furthermore, suitable candidates for teacher education should be selected according to the balance of ‘academic skills and personal characteristics’ (p. vii) that are required for the profession. The non-academic key capabilities that are deemed important for teacher education students include motivation, strong interpersonal and communication skills, and resilience (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2015). In the context of preparing ‘classroom-ready’ teachers who will manage the everyday challenges of the profession, grow and thrive throughout their career, we argue that a resilience-focused approach to developing such non-academic key capabilities, or personal resources is beneficial. Personal resources such as motivation, efficacy and social and emotional competence are important both for success and enabling resilience (Beltman, Mansfield & Price, 2011). Furthermore, research evidence shows that teacher resilience is associated with positive outcomes such as professional commitment, engagement, enthusiasm and job fulfillment (Day & Gu, 2014). Teacher resilience has been positively associated with student achievement and teacher quality (Gu & Li, 2015), which also feature strongly in current conversations about the profession.

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If resilience is an important capability for pre-service and in-service teachers, how might this be developed? Researchers in the field of resilience posit that resilience may only be demonstrated in times of adversity (Doney, 2013), yet recently teacher resilience researchers have argued that teachers require ‘everyday resilience’ (Gu & Day, 2013; Gu & Li, 2013) to manage uncertainty as well as the ongoing intellectual and emotional challenges of their work. Everyday resilience involves more than bouncing back from particular difficulties, rather it is the capacity to manage ongoing and multiple challenges over time, while continuing to grow and thrive professionally. Particular skills and coping strategies are commonly associated with resilience and empirical research has shown professional, motivational social and emotional dimensions of teacher resilience (Mansfield, Beltman, Price & McConney, 2012). Capacity building in these areas during teacher education is one way of developing teacher resilience. As teacher education curriculum becomes increasingly prescribed and crowded, innovative approaches to developing resilience skills and strategies are needed. In recent years, online learning experiences have been developed in relation to wellbeing and mental health issues. For example, resources such as thedesk (www.thedesk.org.au) focus on assisting university students with mental and physical health and wellbeing (Ryan, Shochet, & Stallman, 2010). Online resources have the advantage of being instantly accessible and enabling self-paced learning and engagement (Bonk & Graham, 2006). This chapter describes the development and evaluation of an innovative online learning resource designed to support pre-service teachers in building capacity for professional resilience. The online modules were developed as part of the Building Resilience in Teacher Education (BRiTE – www.brite.edu.au) (Mansfield, Beltman, Broadley & Weatherby-Fell, 2013a) project, which aimed to help pre-service teachers build awareness of the skills and practices that will help facilitate resilience in their future teaching career. 2. Literature review As a starting point for developing the online modules and to ensure that the modules were underpinned by empirical and conceptual work in the field, we undertook an extensive review of the teacher resilience literature (environmental scan) over the past fifteen years to identify the personal and contextual resources, as well as strategies that contribute to positive resilience outcomes for teachers (Mansfield, Beltman, Broadley & Weatherby-Fell, 2016). The review identified a range of personal and contextual resources that influence teacher resilience, as well as particular strategies that promote resilience, and offered recommendations as to how these could be implemented in teacher education courses. The following paragraphs provide an overview of these. Personal resources that enhance teacher resilience included intrinsic motivation (Kitching, Morgan, & O'Leary, 2009), and self-efficacy for both pre-service (Le Cornu, 2009) and in-service teachers (Howard & Johnson, 2004). Having a sense of moral purpose (Day, 2014), a sense of vocation (Hong, 2012), optimism (Tait, 2008), and social and emotional competence (Ee & Chang, 2010) were also seen as important. Contextual resources could be drawn upon to support teacher resilience and in the literature the key resource was relationships within and outside of the workplace. For example, relationships between teachers and school leaders (Peters & Pearce, 2012), with trusted

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colleagues (O'Sullivan, 2006), with whole school communities (Ebersöhn, 2012), with supporters outside of school or online (Papatraianou & Le Cornu, 2014) and between teachers and their students (Morgan, Ludlow, Kitching, O’Leary, & Clarke, 2010) were all found to support teacher resilience. The literature also indicated that teachers use a variety of strategies to harness the available personal and contextual resources. Problem-solving (Johnson et al., 2014), help-seeking (Sharplin, O’Neill, & Chapman, 2011) and goal-setting were important, as were strategies to achieve a work-life balance (Le Cornu, 2013). Engaging in professional learning had a number of positive outcomes (Patterson, Collins, & Abbott, 2004) as did other activities involving reflection (Leroux & Théorêt, 2014). Using good communication skills was also an important strategy (Schelvis, Zwetsloot, Bos, & Wiezer, 2014) as was the ability to regulate emotions (Morgan, 2011). The literature reviewed also provided suggestions with regard to the types of learning experiences that could occur within teacher education that may help build resilience. There were ideas regarding how to develop personal resources and strategies such as developing reflective skills (Leroux & Théorêt, 2014), enhancing emotional competence (Hong, 2012), managing stress (Curry & O’Brien, 2012) and developing coping strategies (Mansfield, Beltman & Price, 2014). Other suggestions were connected to the importance of building relationships and included assertiveness training (Ee & Chang, 2010), managing relationships (Keogh, 2010) and dealing with parents (Fantilli & McDougall, 2009). Still other strategies were recommended that focused on the broader context such as increasing sociocultural awareness (Ebersöhn, 2014). It was seen as crucial that any strategies used were connected to the profession through being situated around authentic classroom situations using case-studies and realisitic problem-solving (e.g. Huisman, Singer, & Catapano, 2010). Although the review identified a range of existing resilience programs, those involving teachers typically were about supporting student resilience (see for example, KidsMatter, www.kidsmatter.edu.au and ResponseAbility, www.responseability.org). Programs were delivered via a series of workshops or as part of a whole school approach. There was a notable absence of programs for teachers and pre-service teachers, as well as programs that were freely available. The review enabled us to identify the range of factors associated with teacher resilience and the types of learning experiences recommended for pre-service teachers. As a result of the review, we identified developed a BRiTE framework, which determined the content our 5 modules:

•

Building resilience – what is resilience and why it matters for teachers;

•

Relationships – maintaining support networks, building new relationships in schools;

•

Wellbeing – personal wellbeing, work-life balance, maintaining motivation;

•

Taking initiative – problem solving, ongoing professional learning, communicating effectively; and

•

Emotions – developing optimism, enhancing emotional awareness, managing emotions.

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3. Conceptual framework Based on the review and our previous empirical research in the field (Beltman et al., 2011; Mansfield, et al., 2012; Mansfield et al., 2014) we conceptualise resilience as a capacity, a process and also as an outcome. Figure 1 (based on Biggs & Moore, 1993) shows the process of resilience whereby personal resources related to resilience (e.g. motivation; social and emotional competence), and contextual resources (e.g. relationships, school culture, support networks) interact as individuals harness resources and use particular strategies (e.g. problem solving, time management, maintaining work-life balance) to enable resilience outcomes (e.g. commitment, job satisfaction, wellbeing, engagement). Furthermore, resilience outcomes influence future resources and strategies and so resilience develops with experience and over time. Bi-directional arrows in Figure 1 also illustrate that the resilience process may not necessarily be strictly linear, but that resources and strategies interact with each other in cycles over time, before resulting in adaptive outcomes.

Personal Resources (e.g. motivation, social and emotional competence)

Contextual Resources (e.g. relationships, school culture, support networks)

Strategies (e.g. problem solving, time management, maintaining worklife balance)

Resilience outcomes (e.g. commitment, job satisfaction, wellbeing, engagement)

Figure 1. The teacher resilience process In relation to teacher education, the focus of the modules is on building capacity through development of personal resources and learning ways to harness contextual resources, as well as developing resilience focused strategies for managing challenges. Because the school contexts preservice teachers work in are varied, using this conceptual framework, our aim in developing modules was to assist pre-service teachers build on existing personal resources and strategies and understand how to mobilise contextual resources to manage challenges.

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4. Methodology 4.1 Module development. The module development process was informed by design-based research methodology, ‘a methodology designed by and for educators that seeks to increase the impact, transfer, and translation of education research into improved practice’ (Anderson & Shattuck, 2012, p. 16). Applying this systematic but flexible methodology enabled the researchers to employ a cyclical, iterative process of analysis, design, development and implementation, as illustrated in Figure 2. Within this process, the project team gathered integral feedback from a broad range of trial participants, including users, experts in the field of teacher education and resilience research. An important aspect of the process was to be cognisant of the constructive alignment of the modules, both vertically and horizontally. Learning outcomes, learning activities and feedback mechanisms were considered and planned through a methodical approach that ensured users of the resilience modules were scaffolded in appropriate ways. The modules were developed in a staged approach, and the process involved trials with stakeholder groups (project reference and advisory groups and pre-service teachers) providing feedback to inform module content and design, resulting in the final version. Figure 2 shows the module design process where initially the environmental scan (in this case undertaken through an extensive literature review), input from stakeholder groups and the BRiTE framework provided a basis for the module development. With input from online learning experts and highly qualified, educational web designers, one module was completed to trial with three stakeholder groups. These trial groups included pre-service teachers, reference and advisory groups and teacher educators from around Australia. The first module trialed was focused on Relationships (R) and included the design principles established by the project team (i.e. personalised, interactive, grounded in the literature and connected to the profession) that were considered the foundation of future module design. The release of a single module allowed the stakeholders at each trial to focus on one module specifically within the timeframe available. Further module development was based on the refinement of the previous module trial, and included further refinement based on feedback. Trial One in May 2014 included forty-eight second year pre-service teachers (22 primary; 26 secondary) from an Australian university, who had completed one school placement. Participants were invited to work through the Relationships module in a computer laboratory, at their own pace. A paper-based evaluation process to provide feedback regarding content and online design was employed. The evaluation included 18 questions with a five-point Likert scale (strongly agree to strongly disagree) asking users to evaluate aspects of the module including knowledge and skills, overall design and aesthetic appeal. Two open-ended questions asked for users to identify the time they had taken to participate and any additional comments. In line with design-based research methodology, further module review and refinement were undertaken to incorporate the feedback from this trial. Trial Two in July 2014, included 13 participants who attended the Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) conference. Teacher educators were asked to access the Relationships module and provide feedback on a paper-based survey about usability, technical aspects, layout and contentspecific input from relevant disciplines. Refinements were made to the module prior to the third trial.

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The Reference and Advisory Group members were invited to engage with the Relationship module, in the third and final trial in August 2014. This stakeholder group included consultant psychologists, exercise physiologists, teacher educators (national and international), international experts in the field of teacher resilience, and online learning / instructional design experts who provided feedback on all key design features of the modules prior to release.

Figure 2: The module design process

4.3 Final design and online design features Following the iterative design process described above, results from the trials were used to develop a Beta version of all five modules. The module design was informed by four key principles: personalisation, interactivity, grounded in the literature and connected to the teaching profession. Personalised learning is defined as the provision to each user ‘of content or an experience which has been tailored to suit their specific needs based on implicit or explicit information about that user’ (O’Donnell, Lawless, Sharp, & Wade, 2015, p. 23). In order to provide a personalised experience, the modules began with a self-reflection quiz that provided information about the user and then automatically prioritised their learning path through the topics in the module. The requirement for users to input their own thoughts on key themes, added to the personalised learning experience, as did the opportunity to build a personal toolkit (which could be downloaded) throughout the modules.

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The personal toolkit also aligned with the focus on interactivity. The toolkit is developed throughout the learning journey and allows users to ‘pin’ and save information (including inspirational quotes, tips, strategies) to their toolkit to support their journey toward resilience. Learning activities such as responding to questions (multiple choice, true/false responses) with feedback specifically designed for each response were developed to enhance engagement. The interactivity of modules was further exemplified through authentic teaching scenarios designed to allow users to apply their resilience related skills, have opportunities for reflection, and contribute ideas regarding useful additional strategies. The comprehensive review of the literature enabled writing of ‘what do the experts say?’ sections to highlight that topics addressed were grounded in the literature. These sections summarised key research related to aspects of resilience and offered further references for users to follow if interested. The modules were connected to the teaching profession with teacher voices frequently ‘heard’ through videos, direct quotes from research featuring pre-service and early career teachers (Mansfield, et al., 2012; Mansfield, et al., 2014) and explicit connection to teaching standards (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2011), the Australian Curriculum (http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/), Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF, 2013) and further resources from related professional organisations.

4.4 Beta version evaluation 4.4.1 Participants Once the Beta version of the modules was developed and live, users were invited to evaluate modules to inform the final design. Two cohorts of participants evaluated the modules with Cohort A comprising pre-service teachers (n=144) and Cohort B non-pre-service teachers (n=37). Participants accessed and completed some, or all, modules during an eight-week period and provided feedback regarding content and online design. All participants were volunteers and university ethics approval was obtained for the study. As shown in Table 1, the majority of the 144 Cohort A pre-service teacher participants were studying a Graduate Diploma of Education (85%). In addition, 79% of the overall cohort was female with most of these aged between 20 and 30 years. The average age of all participants in Cohort A was 32 years, with 31.5 for females and 33.6 for males. The spread of age ranges is also shown in Table 1.

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Table 1: Demographics of Cohort A: pre-service teacher (PST) participants Course Bachelor of Education

Number % of cohort Gender (n) Age range (n) 20 14% Female (19) 20-30 (8) 31-40 (8) 41-50 (3) Male (1) 51+ (1)

Graduate Diploma of Education 122

85%

Female (94) 20-30 (53) 31-40 (23) 41-50 (17) 51+ (1) Male (28) 20-30 (14) 31-40 (7) 41-50 (5) 50+ (2)

Master of Teaching

2

1%

Totals

144

100%

Female (1) Male (1) F=114 M=30

20-30 (1) 20-30 (1) 20-30=77 31-40=38 41-50=25 51+=4

Cohort B participants (n=37) were also mainly female (76%), and included consultants from educational organisations (n=5), psychologists (n=3), researchers (n=2), teachers (n=9) and teacher educators (n=18). The average age of these participants was 46.7 years (range 25-66). The evaluation for both cohorts was conducted online with a combination of Likert scale response items and open-ended questions. At the completion of each module, users were asked to complete a short evaluation (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree) comprised of a rating scale for 18 items related to module content (e.g. I found the content of this module relevant), and related to module content online design (e.g. The information in the module is well organised) and possible future use (e.g. I will refer to this module again in the future). Users were asked to indicate the time it took to complete the module and an open-ended question was included if they had any further comments. Because the two cohorts were engaging with the modules with a different purpose, the educators had three additional items regarding their potential use with pre-service teachers.

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4. Results and discussion 4.1 Quantitative results Tables 2 and 3 present the quantitative results from the evaluation rating items for each cohort. Table 2. BRiTE module evaluation: Mean scores Cohort A participants Module 1 2 3 4 Question

5

Overall mean

Content Useful

4.2

4.0

4.2

4.2

4.3

4.2

Interesting

4.1

3.9

4.2

4.1

4.3

4.1

Relevant

4.4

4.1

4.3

4.3

4.4

4.3

Appropriate level

4.4

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.3

4.3

Enjoyable

3.9

3.8

4.0

3.9

4.1

3.9

Enabled reflection

4.1

3.9

4.2

4.3

4.3

4.2

Raised awareness

4.1

4.1

4.2

4.2

4.2

4.2

Enabled development of knowledge and skills Consider new ideas

4.0

3.8

4.0

4.1

4.2

4.0

3.8

3.8

3.7

3.8

4.0

3.8

Will use content in Professional Experience Will use content in teaching career Will refer to in future

4.0

3.9

3.9

4.0

4.0

4.0

4.2

4.1

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.2

4.0

3.7

3.9

4.0

4.0

3.9

Will recommend to friends

3.9

3.8

3.8

3.9

3.9

3.9

Content mean

4.1

3.9

4.1

4.1

4.2

4.1

Appealing

4.3

4.2

4.3

4.3

4.4

4.3

Graphics appropriate

4.3

4.3

4.3

4.3

4.3

4.3

Navigable

4.5

4.2

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.3

Organised

4.5

4.3

4.4

4.4

4.4

4.4

Links work

4.6

3.8

3.7

4.3

4.2

4.1

Online design mean

4.4

4.2

4.2

4.3

4.3

4.3

Overall mean

4.2

4.0

4.1

4.2

4.2

4.2

No. (%) participants

117

81

73

71

67

Online design

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completed evaluation

(81%)

(56%)

(51%)

(49%)

(47%)

Table 3. BRiTE module evaluation: Mean scores for Cohort B participants Module 1 2 3 4 Question

5

Overall mean

Content Useful for PSTs

4.3

4.3

4.1

4.4

4.3

4.3

Interesting for PSTs

4.0

4.3

3.9

4.3

4.6

4.2

Relevant for PSTs

4.3

4.3

4.2

4.6

4.4

4.4

Appropriate level for PSTs

3.9

4.4

4.0

4.4

4.3

4.2

Enable reflection for PSTs

3.9

4.3

3.9

4.0

4.0

4.0

Enable development of knowledge and skills Will refer PSTs to module

3.7

4.3

3.9

4.0

4.0

4.0

4.1

4.2

4.0

4.3

4.0

4.1

Will refer to content of module in teaching

3.8

4.1

4.0

4.1

4.1

4.0

Content mean

4.0

4.3

4.0

4.3

4.2

4.2

Appealing

4.1

4.5

4.0

4.1

4.3

4.2

Graphics appropriate

4.2

4.5

4.2

4.1

4.1

4.2

Navigable

4.2

4.6

4.1

4.4

4.2

4.3

Organised

4.1

4.6

4.1

4.3

4.4

4.3

Online design mean

4.2

4.6

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.3

Overall mean

4.1

4.4

4.0

4.3

4.2

4.2

No. (%) participants completed evaluation

26

10

9

8

9

Online design

(70%) (27%) (24%) (22%) (24%) Tables 2 and 3 show highly positive evaluations for both cohorts trialing the Beta version of the modules with all ratings above 3.5. Not all participants completed all module evaluations and module evaluations declined over modules 1 to 5. Even so, it is worth noting that the mean scores for those who completed all evaluations were fairly consistent, indicating that users engaging with later modules rated these equally useful and engaging. As Cohort B participants were asked to provide feedback about use of the modules in teacher education and for pre-service teachers, this may have contributed to the decline in evaluations across the modules. Cohort B participants may also have

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been more familiar with the content and may also have been more ‘time poor’, juggling other end of year work demands. The findings also showed alignment of feedback on the relevance and the usefulness of the BRiTE modules for teacher education from both cohorts. 4.2 Qualitative results Qualitative data were also gathered via open-ended questions at the end of each module evaluation. Cohort A participants were asked: “Are there any comments you’d like to make about this module?” In response, participants identified strengths of the modules and made suggestions for improvement. General comments about the content and design were given: “Interesting information, interactive design and visually appealing” (P78). Organisation and usefulness of the module content was a strength: “The module was well organised and the content useful, in particular the provision of practical examples” (P14). Comment was also made about use of different media and activities maintained engagement. “The information is all relevant and useful. Breaking up the reading with questions was an effective way to maintain engagement. The use of different media, including the YouTube video was also good for providing different ways to access the content” (P26). True-false response questions were also used in a number of modules and participants liked these “because it gave me the opportunity to revise knowledge I had learnt previously (P33) and interactive activities made it easier to understand” (P34). Additional resources were appreciated: “I also appreciated the links to the resources if I would like to follow up on any points” (P38), and the strategies and tips were noted as “simple but very practical and useful” (P33). One participant wrote “I have saved some of the links to look over again a later date. Thank You” (P96). The capacity for users to ‘pin’ items to their personal toolbox was also praised: “I really enjoined that the tips and pages were able to pinned to my personal toolbox” (P38). Specific comments were made about each module. For example, referring to the Relationships module, a participant noted: “This module gave me some great suggestions on how to build and maintain relationships in a new school environment” (P95). Participants also noted how the information aligned with their previous experiences. “The content in this module is of great value and from my personal experience, the value of relationships and mentors cannot be understated. Students perform at their best when they respect/ have a connection with the person who is passing on knowledge. This may also be said for working relationships - a positive team oriented mindset promotes a positive environment for others” (P62). Similarly, referring to the Wellbeing module: “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” (P24). Particular activities in the module were beneficial: “I think the section about reflecting on a situation, whether it's permanent or pervasive etc. really useful, it's a really positive strategy to employ” (P11).

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This participant also “appreciated the factual content” of the Emotions module. One user noted, “we need more around this at uni” (P35). Participants described the benefits of reflection throughout the modules: “I enjoyed the process of reflecting on what I knew about resilience before and after accessing information” (P38). “It allowed me to reflect on my own teaching practice, I will definitely be using this during my next PEX [Professional Experience] and also in my future teaching career” (P15). Module content also “made me think of things I wouldn't have usually. Provided me with some excellent suggestions!” (P56), and was “very helpful for professional development!” (P59). “This Module was very well thought out and provided me with some new ways to approach teaching but also it was able to reinforce some of my own personal and professional goals and qualities” (P64). Participants also noted how their understanding of resilience had developed. For example, “I had a fairly good understanding about resilience (or so I thought) I can see now how well developed my current protective factors are and how some of these will assist in my future wellbeing- BUT - I also have some work to do in building another set of protective factors in each school that I will casual teach in” (P43). “The information on this website has been interesting and extremely useful and helpful. Resilience is definitely much clearer to me now, and I now know a few helpful strategies and ideas to help build the resilience/confidence with my students. I would definitely recommend this website to others” (P15). Some participants also noted the applicability of their learning for future teaching. “I will be teaching at a challenging high school in Western Sydney and will incorporate a lesson on resilience for all of my classes - thank you!” (P55). Participants also engaged with modules, based on how they viewed their immediate employment prospects and their prior experiences. For example, with regard to the Relationships module a participant noted: “I struggled to stay attentive in this module- probably because I felt that it was more useful for pre service teachers that expect to get a permanent position - during my life I have had to move a lot and change work a fair bit so many of the bits of advice were practical in nature and something I do almost automatically- I will think more about my personal learning network and support network though” (P16). Other users, perhaps also with more life experiences noted, “I was already aware of most of the content in this module. Good to refresh” (P67) and “it was common sense but good to read and review” (P79).

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Even though the majority of comments noted positive aspects of the modules, users also noted technical glitches that needed attention and made suggestions for how the modules may be improved. These included having more case studies, a better balance between secondary and primary schooling examples, downloadable tips, motivating quotes from famous people, strategies for dealing with negative colleagues and conflict resolution. These comments were taken into account when reviewing the modules and developing the final version. Cohort B participants were asked: “How do you think this module could be used in teacher education programs?” These participants noted the importance of the resource for pre-service teachers, the engaging and well-presented learning design, effective use of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2011) and a good balance of theory and practice. For example: “This is an excellent resource for teachers and teacher educators to help stimulate discussion, reflection and training on all areas related to resilience” (P8). “This module provides some great strategies for pre-service teachers to learn to cope with the stressors of the profession, and hopefully these strategies will be carried forward well into their careers. The importance of this cannot be underestimated, as burnout is not necessarily sudden; it can be a very drawn-out and painful process” (P2). “A good balance of theory, videos of personal experiences and practical advice. It is easy to navigate and the tips and advice is given in a supportive non-judgemental way” (P22). Suggestions were also made regarding how the modules could be used in initial teacher education programs. “Students could complete the module right before a practicum placement as they will likely see much of the examples given in schools as well go through their own challenges as they cope with the pressure of these learning experiences. Perhaps it could be used in a professional practice unit, where students all complete the module as a group with opportunity to ask questions, discuss and complete the activities together” (P20). “This module could be incorporated into the Professional Practice unit to equip pre-service teachers with mental strengths before being placed in a school for their practicum. The knowledge in the module will be necessary for pre-service teachers to deal with various levels of stress and adversity in the classroom” (P10). Suggestions were also given for how the modules may be improved through adding in-depth scenarios, connections to research and challenging some of the assumptions made. These comments were used to refine specific aspects of the modules and to inform decisions about the final version of the modules.

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5. Discussion The BRiTE project provided an opportunity to explore how resilience related skills for teachers may be promoted through the development of an online learning resource that is personalised, interactive, connected to the profession and grounded in the literature. In summary, the findings of the evaluation were highly positive in terms of content and online design for the pre-service teachers and education experts trialling the modules. The findings also showed that both cohorts of participants were closely aligned in their evaluative feedback on the relevance and the usefulness of the BRiTE modules for teacher education. This unique resource is shows how innovative online resources may be used to complement teacher education experiences. On a conceptual level, one strength of the modules was the comprehensive literature review on which the BRiTE framework was developed (Mansfield, et al., 2016). Conceptualising resilience as a capacity, process and outcome that is multidimensional, dynamic and developing over time allows for a more nuanced understanding of resilience processes and a positive view of the concept. Often pre-service teachers describe resilience as the capacity to ‘bounce back’, however equally, if not more important, is the capacity to ‘bounce forward’ (Walsh, 2002), which not only has a restorative function, but promotes ongoing growth, development and learning through the lifespan. Data showing that users developed their understanding of ‘resilience’ by engaging with the modules reinforces the importance of conceptually (rather than popularly) driven understandings of the construct. It is important that trait views of resilience are challenged and teachers understand the broader social ecologies (Ungar, 2012) in the teaching profession that enable resilience. The development of this resource raises the issue of the extent to which an online self-paced accessible resource focused on non-academic key capabilities (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2015) may be a valuable addition to pre-service teacher education for both preservice teachers and teacher educators. As higher education programs continue to embrace online and blended learning and look towards MOOCS as a source of future students and revenue (Burd, Smith & Reisman, 2015; Educause, 2012), these modules show how an engaging online resource can be developed to raise awareness of resilience strategies in a particular professional context (see also, Mansfield, et al., 2013b). In recent years, online resources for mental health and wellbeing have become more prevalent with research suggesting that individuals are more likely to seek online help than traditional or face to face help (Crisp & Griffith, 2014; Ryan et al., 2010) even with increasing levels of distress. Online resources have the advantage of being instantly accessible and can be visited and revisited when needed. How BRiTE users engage with the resource and their site visiting (and revisiting) behavior is an important avenue for future research. Likewise, the extent to which engagement with such a resource may influence teacher resilience in the short term and long term requires future longitudinal research. Although both groups in the reported evaluation were positive about the value of the modules, there remains the challenge of developing content that meets the needs of the diverse group of pre-service teachers in Australia (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2013). Teacher education courses at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate level attract students with a range of life experiences, motivations and aspirations. Some participants described some of the content within the modules (knowledge and skills) as ‘common sense’ even though there was an

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acknowledgement that a review and reinforcement of the learnings and wisdoms was both timely and valuable. Similarly, user engagement was influenced by the view they had of their future teaching, which included working in a casual capacity. Consideration of the range of work profiles beginning teachers may have and including targeted support for the unique challenges of casual teaching would be a valuable avenue for future module development. Another further development may involve the option to engage with content at different levels, further personalising the learning experience. It may also be appropriate to consider that at times pre-service and practicing teachers require a reminder to be aware of the knowledge each bring to the teaching profession, to classrooms, schools and the broader community. How the modules may be used in teacher education programs was also considered as part of this project. Guidelines have been developed to assist teacher educators to use the modules in various ways. For example, in a flipped learning environment (Bergman & Sams, 2012) students could engage with a module scenario and bring their responses and further ideas to class for a discussion. Modules may also be embedded into Learning Management Systems via a Widget and connected to particular unit content. For individuals, engagement with the modules provides opportunity for professional growth, with opportunity to revisit responses, thereby providing evidence of reflective practice which may be used in a portfolio. As the modules are aligned with the Australian National Professional Standards for Teachers (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2011) they may be also used to provide part of the body of evidence illustrating achievement of standards. As the modules have been designed to support development of resilience skills and strategies, we wish to caution against use of the resource in a remedial manner, as a ‘go to’ package for students in crisis. On a broader level, a resource such as BRiTE may have application beyond the teacher education experience. The modules may complement teacher induction programs, provide resources for mentor teachers and be adapted for use in professional learning settings for more experienced teachers. The opportunity to engage with current resources regarding resilience may also be beneficial for teachers and their students particularly in the face of ongoing professional challenges. Although the modules are specifically developed for the Australian context (which may also be a limitation) the content and online design of modules is readily adaptable for other countries and other ‘caring’ professions.

6. Conclusion and future directions In Australia, teacher education providers are under pressure to “identify and admit only those candidates who can demonstrate they have the necessary academic as well as non-academic capabilities that will enable them to successfully graduate as classroom ready teachers from a rigorous initial teacher education program.” (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2015, p. 1) Such non-academic capabilities include “motivation to teach, strong interpersonal and communication skills, willingness to learn, resilience, self-efficacy, conscientiousness, organisational

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and planning skills” (p. 8). Although nearly all these capabilities are addressed in the BRiTE modules, what the literature shows, as illustrated in the introduction to this chapter and in Figure 1, is that resilience is a complex, multidimensional construct which incorporates factors such as motivation and relationship skills. We also know that these are developed in an ongoing way over time, not only through individual capacities, but also with support from various contexts and as a result of personal experiences. Responsibility for the development of an effective, committed teacher is a shared one. Individuals, workplaces, employers and professional development providers all have a role to play. Pre-service programs clearly have a key role to play in the very early stages of a career and the BRiTE modules, as indicated by their evidence-informed nature and positive evaluations of their role in teacher education, indicate that skills and capacities related to resilience can be developed during a pre-service program. Rather than being a fixed quality that can be measured at one point, resilience is “the culmination of collective and collaborative endeavours” (Gu & Li, 2013, p. 300) and should be viewed as an ongoing process occurring as a result of interactions in particular contexts. Acknowledgement Support for this research has been provided by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching, grant number ID13-2924. The views expressed in the publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching.

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