This publication was originally published 9 June 2022.

Summary

About everyday resilience

Everyday resilience at school relates to a student’s ability to overcome setbacks and challenges that are typical of day-to-day school life, such as receiving isolated poor grades or negative feedback. In the literature, everyday resilience is called academic buoyancy. It focuses on proactive rather than reactive approaches to overcoming academic adversity.

Key findings

• Research shows that everyday resilience is associated with higher engagement at school.
• Students who have everyday resilience are better protected against school stress and anxiety.
• Everyday resilience thrives in a school climate of belonging and effective classroom management.
• Focus on developing the ‘5Cs’: confidence, coordination and planning, control in learning, composure to negative emotions and commitment and persistence.

Strategies for supporting everyday resilience

• Address fear of failure by showing how mistakes and poor performance are part of the learning process and future improvement.
• Emphasise growth and communicate high expectations.
• Provide relevant learning activities with specific and consistent feedback.
• Create a collaborative classroom environment.
• Foster students’ sense of belonging.