This case study examines the positive psychology intervention, Finding Silver Linings, a cognitive reappraisal strategy to ameliorate the stress teachers feel in the workplace. Results demonstrated positive effects in-the-moment, but not enduring change. The fit among the individual, context, and specific positive intervention interact to determine its efficacy.
Teachers’ professional well-being influences the quality of instruction and learner success (Woolfolk-Hoy, 2008). This case study examines a specific intervention designed to ameliorate teacher stress. Although teacher stress is well-documented and some argue represents a crisis for the profession (Hiver & Dornyei, 2016), little research on interventions is available. Cultivating resilience against adversity appears to be a precondition to becoming a capable, emotionally and psychologically healthy teacher (Bullough, 2005; Kelchtermans, 2011). The present study explored how a particularly adaptive type of emotion regulation strategy—cognitive reappraisal—can be a protective factor for language teachers. This case study focusses on an international, in-service teacher (Elizabeth) who volunteered for a week-long intervention study. To gather structured background information, Elizabeth completed established measures of dispositional optimism, perceived stress, job satisfaction, and emotion experience. Elizabeth’s answers on the pre-tests suggest that she is generally optimistic but high-stressed, tending to experience more negative than positive emotions, and only moderate job satisfaction at best. She was asked to follow the instructions for documenting stressors and finding silver linings in them for one week. Qualitative data from journals, open-ended interview questions, and follow-up interviews provide information on 10 specific occasions of teacher stress. For all stressors, Elizabeth was able to reframe the stressors and found silver linings, but the effects were short-lived. The outcome of the study points to two major conclusions. First, a strategy of defensive pessimism (preparing for the worst case) when facing uncontrollable events interacts with dispositional optimism in ways that facilitate teacher resiliency. Second, the process-oriented effects of PPIs can be documented in case studies and N-of-1 research is necessary to complement large scale intervention studies. We conclude that Silver Linings can contribute to building teacher resiliency, but has its limits.
