The Role of Teachers in Building Resilience of Refugee Learners: A Case Study of Primary Schools in Nakivale Settlement, Isingiro District- Western Uganda

The study investigated the role of teachers in building the resilience of refugee primary school learners in the Nakivale settlement in Isingiro, Western Uganda. Specifically, the study sought to assess how the role of teachers affected the building of resilience in terms of classroom teaching, creative arts / extracurricular activities and provision of refugee psychosocial support (collaborative problem-solving activities). This study was conducted using a qualitative case study and its paradigm position was interpretive. Rutter (2013) resilience theory was used as a theoretical basis. Thirty-five participants, including head teachers, teachers, Parent Teacher Associations (PTA), School Management Committee (SMC) members from Kashojwa, Nyarugururu, and Nakivale primary schools. Included in the study were the Development Partners and Education Officials from Isingiro District. The study found that the teachers’ roles that included classroom teaching, creative arts/extracurricular activities and refugee psychosocial support were not adequately contributing to the resilience of refugee learners in primary schools in Nakivale settlement. The study concluded that the role of teachers in building resilience of refugee learners in three primary schools in Nakivale settlement was inadequate as a result of ineffective classroom teaching, lack of creative arts/extracurricular activities and insufficient refugee psychosocial support. The study recommended a need to put in place a teacher management framework that specifies the roles and functions of teachers applicable in refugee contexts, the primary teacher education training refugee curriculum should be reorganized and aligned to cater for the training of specialized teachers in refugee education and lastly the terms and conditions of service for specifically refugee teachers should be developed if their roles are to contribute to the building resilience of refugee primary school learners in Nakivale settlement