Promoting Resilience of Children: Voices from the Caregivers in Myanmar

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Teaching, Learning and Education

Year: 2026

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Promoting Resilience of Children: Voices from the Caregivers in Myanmar

Dr. Susannah Chunrong Sun

ABSTRACT:

Resilience in the early years lays the foundation for healthy emotional regulation, adaptability, and lifelong learning. It is especially vital for marginalized children, helping them overcome systemic barriers, build self-efficacy, and access equitable opportunities for learning and well-being. Caregivers’ involvement significantly contributes to the development of resilience in children. This study adopts a qualitative approach and interviewed eight caregivers (four teachers and four parents) in Myanmar to explore how they define resilience, the risk factors affecting children’s well-being from their perspectives, and the coping strategies they used to foster children’s resilience. Caregivers largely define resilience as the ability to stay strong, persevere, and maintain hope despite immense hardship, often linking it to continued engagement in education and the capacity to adapt. Key risk factors include fear of airstrikes and gunfire, food insecurity, limited access to healthcare, and disrupted education. Caregivers employ a range of everyday practices, such as providing emotional support, maintaining routines, encouraging education, leveraging community networks, and using storytelling, other activities, and religious support to help children cope and thrive. The findings highlight how caregivers’ emotional support, routines, education, encouragement, and community networks collectively support children’s resilience, with implications for policy, practice, and future research.

Keywords: Early Years (0-8 years old); Resilience; Well-being; Teachers and Parents