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Teachers’ perceptions of academic resilience in students
Author
Quek, Nanthani Lee Cheng
Supervisor
Ee, Jessie
Abstract
Great academic pressure has driven many students to mental and emotional breakdown, resulting in increasing cases of psychological damage and suicides among the young today. This has been the case especially in Singapore, where the drive to excel has been weaved into the very fibre of the education system. It is imperative, therefore, that academic resilience is fostered and developed in the youth of today, equipping students with the ability to manage and overcome their difficulties to achieve their educational potential.
Educators are vital in guiding students towards the development of their resilience. It is crucial that teachers be aware of the factors that can contribute to academic resilience. Proper knowledge of what it constitutes will enable teachers to accurately identify and develop academic resilience in students, furnishing them with the capacity for success despite adversity.
Current research indicates that teachers have yet to understand the characteristics of academic resilience, revealing misperceptions that lead to erroneous beliefs, which in turn adversely affect teachers’ efforts to foster resilience in students. These studies are very few, however, with none to date exploring teachers’ perceptions in Singapore. This exploratory study therefore aims to examine current teacher perceptions of academic resilience, and hopes to shed light on any differences in teacher perceptions as a result of the teachers’ own personal and career background.
Participants were 155 teachers, ranging from primary to junior college teachers, from 5 secular schools in Singapore. The questionnaire administered consisted of items adapted from several sources and showed sound item reliability and validity. Data were analysed using Pearson product-moment correlations to identify relationships between subject variables and perceptions, and multiple regression techniques were used to determine teachers’ perceptions of factors contributing to academic resilience.
Results showed that teachers had satisfactory knowledge of the importance of the different factors in academic resilience in general. Ethnic Chinese teachers perceived self-efficacy and an internal locus of control as significantly more important than ethnic Malay or Indian teachers did. Teachers also perceived self-efficacy, self-esteem, optimism and persistence to directly influence academic resilience, while an internal locus of control, metacognition and flexible thinking were mediated by self-efficacy to contribute towards academic resilience. No significant differences were found in perceptions as a result of gender, age, years of experience, number of career changes and highest qualification.
Implications of these results are evident in future teacher training. Teachers need to be aware of personal differences and perceptions that may hinder their efforts to foster resilience in students. Proper training and support need to be provided to enable teachers to impart the proper skills necessary for academic resilience-building, securing the holistic well-being of students of today.
Educators are vital in guiding students towards the development of their resilience. It is crucial that teachers be aware of the factors that can contribute to academic resilience. Proper knowledge of what it constitutes will enable teachers to accurately identify and develop academic resilience in students, furnishing them with the capacity for success despite adversity.
Current research indicates that teachers have yet to understand the characteristics of academic resilience, revealing misperceptions that lead to erroneous beliefs, which in turn adversely affect teachers’ efforts to foster resilience in students. These studies are very few, however, with none to date exploring teachers’ perceptions in Singapore. This exploratory study therefore aims to examine current teacher perceptions of academic resilience, and hopes to shed light on any differences in teacher perceptions as a result of the teachers’ own personal and career background.
Participants were 155 teachers, ranging from primary to junior college teachers, from 5 secular schools in Singapore. The questionnaire administered consisted of items adapted from several sources and showed sound item reliability and validity. Data were analysed using Pearson product-moment correlations to identify relationships between subject variables and perceptions, and multiple regression techniques were used to determine teachers’ perceptions of factors contributing to academic resilience.
Results showed that teachers had satisfactory knowledge of the importance of the different factors in academic resilience in general. Ethnic Chinese teachers perceived self-efficacy and an internal locus of control as significantly more important than ethnic Malay or Indian teachers did. Teachers also perceived self-efficacy, self-esteem, optimism and persistence to directly influence academic resilience, while an internal locus of control, metacognition and flexible thinking were mediated by self-efficacy to contribute towards academic resilience. No significant differences were found in perceptions as a result of gender, age, years of experience, number of career changes and highest qualification.
Implications of these results are evident in future teacher training. Teachers need to be aware of personal differences and perceptions that may hinder their efforts to foster resilience in students. Proper training and support need to be provided to enable teachers to impart the proper skills necessary for academic resilience-building, securing the holistic well-being of students of today.
Date Issued
2011
Call Number
BF698.35.R47 Que
Date Submitted
2011