Presenting a Model of Resilient Schools based on Grounded Theory

Improving the quality of education and empowering students are important issues in educational systems, and it is necessary to identify influential factors for them. One of the factors that can help improve the educational system is enhancing resilience in schools. Resilient schools are those that create conditions for students and teachers to be able to respond to the challenges of school and community and help them achieve educational goals in difficult conditions, by providing necessary space and educational facilities. Therefore, the present article aims in identifying the dimensions and components of resilient schools to present a related model. In this regard, a qualitative method based on the grounded theory approach is used. The statistical population of this research includes faculty members, psychology specialists, and school principals in Kurdistan province. A purposeful sampling method is used to select the sample based on the saturation rule by using sixteen interviews, and for more assurance, it is continued up to twenty interviews. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews and data analysis was done through open, axial, and selective coding methods. The findings indicate that causal conditions (development of student’s abilities, establishing proper communication with students, learning life skills, and improving the status of teachers) through the central phenomenon (resilient schools) influence the strategies for achieving resilient schools. These strategies include making the educational environment happy, developing parents’ participation, providing extra-curricular activities, appropriateness of curriculum content, supporting teachers, making the curriculum content applicable, and instruction. Some intervening conditions (salary and benefits, recruitment and selection of human power, and decentralization) as well as contextual conditions (facilities, leadership, and teaching-learning processes) influence these strategies. Finally, the consequences of these strategies and their impact include mental health, self-awareness, cooperation, participation, and promotion of general health.