ABSTRACT

This study examines team-based simulations (TBS) as a school-embedded approach to promoting teacher resilience from a socio-ecological perspective. Twenty primary school teachers participated in TBS sessions within an action-research design. Data comprised teacher-generated scenarios and discussions, personal reflections, and textual/visual metaphors. We conducted thematic analysis guided by a socio-ecological framework, with defined units of meaning, iterative coding, and procedures for analytic rigour. Teachers routinely encountered challenges in interactions with parents, pupils and colleagues, alongside substantial pedagogical and organisational demands. Findings indicate the development of resilience skills across personal, interpersonal and organisational layers, underscoring the pivotal role of the school context in fostering capacity. The metaphor analysis added depth, illuminating teachers’ cognitive and emotional experiences; metaphors clustered around growth, connectivity, and perspective shift, mirroring the multi-level development seen in discussions. We conclude that TBS offers a practical pathway for developing resilience in situ, enabling participants to act as both creators and learners of their professional practice. Conceptually, the study advances understanding of teacher resilience as capacity-in-context, situating development within the organisational life of the school rather than as an individual trait alone.

Cite: Shein, J., & Shapira-Lishchinsky, O. (2026). ‏‏Team-based simulation training to cultivate teacher resilience: a socio-ecological perspective.‏‏‏  Journal of Education for Teaching, 1-17.‏