RESCUR Surfing the Waves: an evaluation of a resilience programme in the early years |
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| Authors: | Carmel Cefai Astrid Arlove Madeline Duca Natalie Galea Marilyn Muscat Valeria Cavioni |
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| Institution: | 1. Centre for Resilience and Socio-Emotional Health, University of Malta, Maltacarmel.cefai@um.edu.mt;3. Centre for Resilience and Socio-Emotional Health, University of Malta, Malta;4. Secretariat for Catholic Education, Malta;5. Education Directorates, Malta;6. Department of Human Sciences for Education, University of Milan Bicocca, Italy |
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| Abstract: | ABSTRACTRESCUR Surfing the Waves is a recently developed resilience curriculum for early years and primary schools in Europe. It seeks to develop in marginalized young learners the requisite competences needed to overcome the various challenges in their lives to achieve academic success and social and emotional wellbeing. The competences include developing a growth mindset, making use of one’s strengths, self-determination, effective communication skills and healthy relationships, and overcoming challenges and obstacles. This paper presents the findings of a study on the implementation of the programme in five kindergarten centres in Malta over a 1-year period. A pre- and post-intervention study in 20 classrooms (97 children) showed an improvement in resilience skills, prosocial behavior and learning engagement, but not in internalized and externalized problem behaviors. A small scale study in two nurture classes at two of the schools found similar findings. The findings suggest that there are indications that the programme as a proportionate universal intervention for early years leads to an improvement in social and academic behaviours, but more rigorous research is needed to substantiate these findings. |
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| Keywords: | Resilience programme early years evaluation universal intervention |
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