Teacher–student relationships which promote resilience at school: a micro-level analysis of students’ views

This paper draws on qualitative data from an Australian longitudinal study begun in 1997 and completed in 2005. It identifies the ordinary, everyday, relational, ‘little things’ that teachers do to nurture and promote their students’ resilience at school. It briefly uses Giddens’ structuration theory to justify the study of micro-level relationships between teachers and students. It uses the voices of students to show how everyday life at school is the source of significant resilience promoting influences. In doing so, this paper demonstrates why local activities and relationships matter – because they have the potential to reinforce traditional school structures and processes, or to transform them to better support student resilience.