Helping mixed heritage children develop 'character and resilience' in schools

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Lewis, Kirstin. 2016. Helping mixed heritage children develop 'character and resilience' in schools. Improving Schools, 19(3), pp. 197-211. ISSN 1365-4802 [Article]

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Abstract or Description

Recent UK government policy suggests that all schools have a key role to play in building ‘character and resilience’ in children. This article draws on data from a wider research project, exploring the school experiences of mixed white/ black Caribbean and mixed white/ black African children in two London secondary schools. Because data from this project suggest that many children experienced adversity at school, a theoretical framework previously developed by Ungar et al. (2007) was used to assess how they coped with adversity and to what extent their schools supported them with it. Findings revealed that although positive relationships with adults were essential, teachers could not offer the necessary support and guidance because they were unaware of mixed heritage children’s needs, and any challenges they faced. This article asks whether such a framework might prove useful in supporting teachers to understand what factors develop ‘character and resilience’ and the ways in which they might therefore support children to cope.

Item Type:

Article

Identification Number (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480216650311