A preliminary comparison study of teachers' resilience in Greece and Poland

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the applicability of the Teachers' Resilience Scale (TRS) among Greek and Polish teachers and explore whether nationality and sociodemographic factors influence teachers' engagement with resilience protective factors. A total of 1622 teachers participated, providing TRS responses and sociodemographic information. Greek and Polish teachers exhibited similar assessments of protective factors, except for Social Competence and Peer Support, where Greek teachers scored higher. Greek teachers also reported higher overall resilience scores than Polish teachers. Gender differences were observed, with women scoring higher in Personal Competencies and Persistence than men. Marital status influenced Social Skills and Peer Support and Family Cohesion, favoring those married and/or in relationships. Additionally, teachers in primary and secondary education reported higher scores in Personal Competencies and Persistence compared to kindergarten teachers. These findings contribute to understanding how individuals and social groups, despite facing diverse adversities, tend to employ similar strategies to bolster and safeguard their resilience.