PROMOTING PSYCHOLOGICAL RESILIENCE: PRESCHOOL TEACHERS' PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

The present paper aims to explore preschool teachers’ perspectives on the protective factors of preschool children’s psychological resilience. The sample consisted of 156 preschool teachers. The data collection method was a questionnaire which was based on the theoretical background of psychological resilience. In particular, the perspectives of preschool teachers on the intra-individual, family and school factors that are considered resilience-enhancing were explored. The analysis of the research data shows that the teachers of the sample consider that parents’ involvement in the development of children, parents’ emotion understanding skills, communication within family and support from family members are among the main family factors that contribute to the development of psychological resilience of preschool children. As far as the intra-individual protective factors are concerned, problem solving skills, self-esteem and decisiveness are regarded as the most significant. Teacher support, school safety and positive relationships within the peer group are among the school factors that are considered that can serve as protective factors for promoting psychological resilience of preschool children. The extent to which teachers regard that psychological resilience is a stable characteristic has an effect on their perceptions about the significance of the protective factors.The above findings can contribute to the design and development of psychological resilience-enhancing programs.