This thesis addresses the identification of critical incidents in schools, the factors influencing teachers' coping, and the implications for crisis intervention and management. An argument is developed that school communities may be best served by a salutogenic (wellness) perspective for crisis response and recovery, which focuses on the personal and collective resources that contribute to successful coping and mental health. Three aims were addressed. First considered was the potential for commonly occuring events (e.g., the death or injury of a teacher or student, assault, vandalism or damage to school property, professional misconduct on the part of a teacher), to evoke stress, grief, or trauma responses in individuals and organisations. Emphasised was the nature of individual differences in responses to such critical incidents, and ways of dealing effectively with the varying character and intensity of such responses. The second aim was to examine the influence of pre-existing personal wellbeing and resources on individuals' responses, adjustment and growth after an incident. The third aim was to explore the interface between the individual and the organisation following critical incidents, and the nature and impact of intervention and management strategies on an individuals' sense of wellbeing and ongoing investment within the organisation. Two related studies investigated the impact of critical incidents on teachers. In Study 1, 245 teachers completed a self-report questionnaire that gathered quantitative data comprising three measures of personality and positive functioning (Psychological Wellbeing & Sense of Coherence), demographic data, and teachers' previous experience of critical incidents. Teachers also provided an autobiographical account of a personally significant critical incident. Results showed that commonly occuring events, such as the death of a student or teacher, and other issues such as professional misconduct of a colleague, professional conflict, theft and vandalism were regarded as critical incidents by teachers. The four distinct response categories indentified (negative feelings, positive cognitions, negative conditions, & negative impact on functioning) were characteristically grief or stress responses rather than those associated with psychological trauma. Significant relationships were identified among the personality variables and the measures of positive functioning. Extraversion was positively related to positive functioning, and introversion negatively related. The findings point to personal and collective issues that have the potential to facilitate and enhance coping and recovery after a critical incident. In particular, six management strategies (Wellness Factors), comprising both personal and organisational components, emerged as potential contributors to ongoing psychological wellbeing, sense of coherence, and posttraumatic growth outcomes. These Wellness Factors were identified as: (a) emotional and practical support; (b) active involvement; (c) responding according to individual need; (d) access to information; (e) readiness; and (f) leadership. Study 2 involved a more detailed examination of the experience of 30 teachers following a critical incident subsequent to the completion of Study 1. This study examined personality, posttraumatic growth and personal trauma history (gathered through a self-report questionnaire), in conjunction with the pre-event personal characteristics gathered in Study 1. The second component of Study 2 consisted of a semi-structured interview that explored the teachers' personal experiences of the critical incident. Results revealed that PCI Extraversion showed significant positive relationships with Psychological Wellbeing and Sense of Coherence. PCI Emotionality showed a significant positive relationships with Posttraumatic Growth. Interview data showed that 22.5% of teachers reported a high incidence of Acute Stress responses (DSM-IV-TR criteria). In addition, anger directed at the school's leadership, and conflict between disillusionment with authority and the impact of the event. Strong negative relationships were identified among Extraversion and Openness, and the Wellness factors. Results showed that moderate stress responses are associated with Posttraumatic Growth at a personal level. However, the same responses can evoke disillusionment and cynicism at an organisational level. The findings are discussed in terms of the personal and organisational factors that contribute to healing and recovery following critical incidents. Implications for critical incident management planning, intervention and recovery are considered, along with directions for future research.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/216464 |
| Date | January 2003 |
| Creators | Jackson, Colleen Anne, cjackson@outreachdev.com.au |
| Publisher | Swinburne University of Technology. |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://www.swin.edu.au/), Copyright Colleen Anne Jackson |
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