Date of Award

2025

Degree Type

Open Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Education, PhD

Program

School of Educational Studies

Advisor/Supervisor/Committee Chair

Gwen Garrison

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

Rebecca Hatkoff

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

Thomas Luschei

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2025 Joy McCreary

Keywords

COVID-19

Subject Categories

Education

Abstract

The teaching force faces significant challenges, including high attrition rates and an aging workforce, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior research highlights teacher resilience as a critical factor in addressing these challenges, emphasizing its multi-dimensional and contextual nature. While several international scales have been developed to measure teacher resilience, none exist tailored to the unique educational landscape of the United States. This study developed and validated a U.S.-specific Teacher Resilience Scale (USMTRS), confirming its strong reliability and multidimensional structure. Findings showed that teacher resilience is widespread and most strongly tied to job satisfaction, while only weakly related to burnout. Results suggest that resilience is especially robust among mid-career teachers in high-need schools, highlighting its potential as a lever for supporting educator well-being and workforce stability. Future research should replicate and refine the U.S. Teacher Resilience Scale (USMTRS) across broader, more representative samples, using longitudinal and mixed-methods designs to capture causal dynamics and lived experiences. Applied studies are also needed to examine how resilience influences retention, professional development, and student outcomes, ensuring the scale informs both policy and practice.

ISBN

9798270204655

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