Determining Implementation Drivers in Resilience Education is an ARC Linkage Project [Project ID: LP160100428], which examines the implementation of the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) program. RRRR provides a comprehensive, research-informed social and emotional learning and gender education program for students from Foundation to Years 11–12. The program was commissioned by the Department of Education and Training (DET) and developed by Professor Helen Cahill and colleagues, including Babak Dadvand, of the Youth Research Collective, Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE), the University of Melbourne.
The RRRR program promotes resilience and positive mental health along with the skills and attitudes for positive gender relations. It addresses the social and personal capabilities as a platform upon which to work on advancing gender equity and preventing gender-based violence. The program provides teachers with age-appropriate and explicit teaching methods to help them deliver robust prevention education. The learning areas are structured thematically in eight domains of: 1) Emotional Literacy, 2) Personal Strengths, 3) Positive Coping, 4) Problem Solving, 5) Stress Management, 6) Help-Seeking, 7) Gender and Identity, and 8) Positive Gender Relations.
Determining Implementation Drivers in Resilience Education commenced in 2017 to investigate how training and school-related factors influence the uptake, implementation and outcomes of the RRRR program across 40 schools in Victoria. The research project includes provision of face-to-face and online training for teachers, and collection of data from primary and secondary students and teachers across 20 primary and 20 secondary schools. The research is a three-year ARC Linkage Project led by Professor Helen Cahill and a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, DET, and VicHealth.
This project uses a mixed-method research design to collect qualitative and quantitative data from students, teachers and school leaders. It seeks to develop valuable insights to guide education systems in their efforts to advance understanding of how best to support dissemination, uptake, embedding and sustainability of school-based wellbeing and gender education programs.