Competent to cope, worthy of happiness?:How the duality of self-esteem can inform a resilience-based classroom environment

This article considers links between self-esteem and resilience, and suggests implications for teachers and schools. A two-dimensional model of self-esteem is employed as a theoretical framework to revisit a range of factors frequently associated with internal resilience. It is argued that because of the way in which self-referent characteristics have been conceptualized in the past, the links between self-esteem and resilience may have been underestimated. Following discussion of the theoretical issues, suggestions are made about to how this model of self-esteem can provide schools with a conceptual framework to help inform resilience-based approaches to support vulnerable children. © 2007 SAGE Publications