Keywords

1 Introduction

It is no secret that many teacher education graduates find the first few years of teaching particularly demanding. The literature frequently cites challenges of early career teachers in many countries and affirms reports of teacher stress and burnout (e.g. Harmsen et al. 2018; Schlichte et al. 2005). Common issues emerge, including excessive workloads, time demands, student behaviour, catering for diverse student needs and limited support (e.g. Fantilli and McDougall 2009; Kelly et al. 2018). Studies often make recommendations for teacher education programmes to better prepare graduates for the realities of the classroom, particularly with regard to managing stress, coping behaviours and resilience-building activities (see Beltman et al. 2011).

Related to these issues, there has also been concern about teacher attrition, particularly in the early career years. Although there are differing reports of attrition rates (Weldon 2018), employers still note concern about the number of early career teachers leaving the profession. Amongst contributing factors are teacher stress and burnout (Schlichte et al. 2005), high non-teaching workload (McGrath-Champ et al. 2018) and lack of administrative support (Peters and Pearce 2012). Earlier reviews (Beltman et al. 2011) and more recent studies (Schuck et al. 2017) indicate that there are ongoing multiple factors contributing to poor rates of early career teacher retention in many countries.

In Australia, concern about early career teacher attrition and teacher quality has led to a raft of reform measures in the teaching profession. Development of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) 2011) as a national framework for teacher development at graduate, proficient, highly accomplished and lead teachers has led to further improvements in professional learning and career progression supports. Simultaneously teacher education programmes have been under increasing pressure to produce “classroom ready teachers” (Teacher Education Ministerial Advisory Group (TEMAG) 2014) and to show the impact of their programmes on graduate outcomes. Rigorous programme accreditation requirements have also been mandated, including the need for teacher education providers to demonstrate transparent and sophisticated selection processes for academic skills and non-academic qualities for teaching, including interpersonal and communication skills, motivation, self-efficacy and resilience (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) 2015).

Increasingly, the concept of resilience is noted as being important for teachers, and the research in this field has grown exponentially over the past 10 years (see Chap. 2). Individual and contextual risk and protective factors that influence teacher resilience have been explored (e.g. Fantilli and McDougall 2009; Mansfield et al. 2014) and recommendations made for improvements at the individual, school and system levels (e.g. Johnson et al. 2014). More systemic approaches also recognise the importance of individual capacities and skills as well as the nature of the various contexts in which individuals live and work (Mansfield et al. 2016c). Broader systemic supports for early career teachers are recommended such as rigorous pre-service preparation, transition to the profession initiatives, and fair and responsive employment practices (Johnson et al. 2014).

Our early work in the field (Mansfield et al. 2012b) highlighted the need for specific resources to support teacher resilience and in response we developed five online learning modules, known as the BRiTE (Building Resilience in Teacher Education) modules (Mansfield et al. 2016a). This chapter overviews the journey of developing the BRiTE modules and how this body of work has developed since.

2 Preparing Resilient Pre-service Teachers for the Classroom

In the context of teaching, early definitions of resilience focused on identifying the risk and protective factors that constrained or enabled resilience (Beltman et al. 2011). However, more recently, researchers such as Ungar (2012) have begun to conceptualise resilience from a socio-ecological perspective, whereby it is “defined as a set of behaviours over time that reflect the interactions between individuals and their environments, in particular the opportunities for personal growth that are available and accessible” (p. 14). The literature reviewed in 2011 (Beltman et al.) highlighted a range of suggestions that could be implemented to enhance teacher resilience in pre-service programmes, many of which have been incorporated into the BRiTE modules. A key theme is that relationships of various kinds need to be supported. Peers in the pre-service course can become supportive future colleagues (Castro et al. 2010; Le Cornu 2009; Schlichte et al. 2005; Tait 2008). Discussions about professional workplace issues such as communicating with other staff and parents can be beneficial (Castro et al. 2010; Fantilli and McDougall 2009). Activities in pre-service (and induction programmes) should include systematically teaching social skills, assertiveness training, self-regulation, empathy and motivation (Tait 2008). In addition, pre-service teachers need to be prepared for the reality of school micro politics (Freedman and Appleman 2008). Hirschkorn (2009) stressed the importance of relationships with students in schools and suggested that pre-service teachers need to be reminded that they already possess many successful relationship skills and experiences that can transfer to the teaching situation. As reduced support occurs for new teachers compared with their pre-service situations in schools, Woolfolk Hoy and Burke Spero (2005) suggested that teacher educators prepare their students “to seek and create support for themselves in the early years of teaching” (p. 353).

Strong motivations, identity and self-efficacy are needed for beginning teachers and several authors emphasise the need for pre-service programmes to help prospective teachers build these, so they have the ability to handle new situations confidently, believing that they will make a difference (Day 2008). Coping and problem-solving skills need to be developed (Castro et al. 2010) and Chong and Low (2009) recommended extensive reflection relating to the complexity of the work of teachers and ways of coping with this. Reflective and problem-solving processes learnt during pre-service programmes can assist pre-service teachers in resolving challenges encountered in their teaching (Yost 2006). The practicum experience is significant as a window into the work of a teacher, and Kaldi (2009) pointed to research indicating that pre-service teachers see their practicum as the most significant aspect of their course in terms of affecting their personal and professional development. Watt and Richardson (2008) suggested that pre-service programmes needed to pay attention to difficult practicum experiences and provide an earlier understanding of the complex realities of teacher work. In addition, working on case studies and illustrating the rewards of teaching may assist those who were considering leaving.

Chan (2008) suggested that, as emotional intelligence involves the ability to identify, manage and regulate one’s own emotions and to appraise others’ emotions, enhancing emotional intelligence could be used in a preventive way in teacher education programmes. When challenges arise within classroom situations, teachers need to realise that they are not alone the cause of these, they need not shoulder unnecessary responsibilities (such as being allocated extremely difficult classes), they need to balance school and home life and be reflective but not over-reflective to the detriment of their personal lives (Demetriou et al. 2009). The reality of teaching may be very different to what they expect and need to be emotionally equipped for this. Assisting pre-service teachers with self-regulation and coping behaviours could enhance their job satisfaction and resilience as well as the quality of their classroom instruction. As Tait (2008) recommended, opportunities to learn about the social nature of teaching and to recognise their own resilient responses should be given. “Working with scenarios, videos, or actual classroom observations of the kinds of challenging situations teachers encounter, teacher candidates could identify and practice coping strategies, emotional competence, reframing skills, and other resilient behaviors and ways of thinking” (p. 71). The BRiTE modules drew on the above literature to determine the key themes and learning experiences.

3 The BRiTE Project: 2013–2016

The BRiTE project was underpinned by our previous work in the field of teacher resilience (Beltman et al. 2011; Mansfield et al. 2012a, b) and our work as teacher educators. We were acutely aware of the socio-emotional challenges faced by pre-service teachers (often when on professional experience) and the increasingly limited space in teacher education programmes to provide specific learning focused on resilience skills and strategies for the profession. At the time this project was developed, we also noted a considerable gap in available resilience resources for teachers, despite the need expressed by the literature, teacher educators, pre-service teacher mentors and pre-service teachers themselves. The aim of the BRiTE project therefore was to develop an online learning resource to assist pre-service teachers build the personal and social capabilities associated with professional resilience. The project was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education.

3.1 Building the BRiTE Framework

As an initial step we conducted a 15-year review of the literature and based on those findings developed the conceptual framework for the modules, the BRiTE framework (Mansfield et al. 2016b). The review of the literature identified 51 concepts and constructs that were associated with teacher resilience. In line with our conceptualisation of resilience as the capacity of a teacher to draw on personal and contextual resources, and use adaptive strategies to navigate through challenges, resulting in positive outcomes (Beltman 2015; Mansfield et al. 2016b), these were grouped according to personal resources (e.g. efficacy; initiative); contextual resources (e.g. support networks, positive relationships); strategies (e.g. problem-solving, reflection); and outcomes (e.g. wellbeing, job satisfaction). Next, we grouped the factors thematically, which resulted in groups of themes focused on social, emotional, motivational and professional aspects of resilience. These themes determined the focus of each module, with an additional first module to explain how we conceptualise resilience in the teaching profession. Table 3.1 shows the theme of each module and the topics within.

Table 3.1 BRiTE module themes, topics and sub-topics
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3.2 Designing the Online Learning Experience

Following development of the BRiTE framework, the next phase was to conceptualise the learning environment that would deliver well-designed modules in an actively engaging online learning experience. While a design-based research methodology (Anderson and Shattuck 2012) provided the catalyst for translating our research into improving practice, the key components of online learning were applied to inform the design of the modules. Consideration of the pedagogical model, instructional and learning strategies and online learning technologies were key to the overall design of the online learning environment (Dabbagh and Bannan-Ritland 2005). To increase accessibility and globalisation of the modules, the goal was to provide a flexible, asynchronous experience that provided opportunities for learner engagement with the research and meaningful reflection.

3.2.1 Designing the Learning Pathway

Taking into account our design principles and knowledge of online learning, we then developed an overview of learning pathway that would be consistent in each module, as shown in Fig. 3.1. A strengths-based approach was important as well, so that users would first identify their existing strengths and this would form a basis with which to engage in the rest of the module.

Fig. 3.1
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BRiTE modules learning pathway

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The process of module development was iterative and collaborative, and involved stakeholder groups at various design and implementation stages as well as innovative web design (see Mansfield et al. 2016c for a more detailed discussion of the design process).

3.2.2 Module Design Principles

An important aspect of this project was the critical role the web design team played in delivering the desired outcomes. The team was regularly engaged in collaboration with the researchers and as a result this produced a high-quality product for the project. We agreed upon four main design principles that would guide us in the module design. Modules should be (1) personalised, (2) interactive, (3) authentically connected to the profession and (4) informed by the literature. Working with our web designer, we determined the particular online experiences that would support each principle. In our trial, participants indicated it took around one hour to complete each module. Each principle is explained below with examples of how it was operationalised in the work–life balance topic of the Wellbeing module.

Personalisation

In essence, personalised learning affords the learner a degree of choice about what is learned and at what pace that occurs (Chen 2008). Our aim was that users should be able to reflect on their existing strengths, note their learning and make plans for the future. The online experiences to support this principle included:

  • Self-quiz at the start of each module. The quiz items are validated by scales related to each topic. Users respond on a 7-point Likert scale (from disagree strongly to agree strongly). Based on their responses, users are provided with a personal skill building plan, which shows the order of topics they should engage with as they progress through the module.

  • Reflection questions focused on existing skills and strategies. For example, “What strategies do you have for maintaining your work–life balance?” as shown in Fig. 3.2. Previous responses are included, so users can add to their list of strategies when revisiting a module. Once the user submits a response, the text circled appears in order to provide some additional ideas.

    Fig. 3.2
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    Illustration of reflection questions from the Wellbeing module

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  • Notepad for summarising ideas and noting thoughts for future reference. The notepad appears with a question as a prompt and often accompanies specific learning activities. Figure 3.3 shows how the notepad “make a note to self” section is used to record thoughts about what can be learnt from Deanna’s story (Constantine 2017).

    Fig. 3.3
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    Illustration of notepad from the Wellbeing module

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  • Personal resilience toolkit. An important output for users is the creation of their own BRiTE toolkit. The toolkit contains user responses to reflection questions, notes taken (in the notepad) throughout the modules and items pinned. Figure 3.4 shows an example of the toolkit for the first sub-topic in Module i—Wellbeing. The text in “My Strategies” is the text that has been submitted in response to reflection questions in the module, including strategies for maintaining work–life balance, a response to a scenario (“All I seem to do is work”) and top time management strategies. The “My Notepad”, note to self, is a response to “Deanna’s story”, a vignette of a graduate teacher. “My pinned items” contains tips that have been pinned and a “what do the experts say” section. Each entry also is “stamped” with a month and year. The icons above the heading work–life balance, give the user options to return to the i module, download the toolkit to PDF, redo the module (this will clear all entries) and reveal everything since the beginning (will show entries submitted prior to re-doing the module). The toolkit is also interactive and can be updated and edited as users see appropriate. For example, pinned items can be unpinned and strategies can be edited by returning to the module and adding or deleting at the relevant section.

    Fig. 3.4
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    Illustration of the BRiTE toolkit from the Wellbeing module

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An additional feature of the toolkit is that a date (month and year) is added to each item appearing in the toolkit, so that the users can see the progression in their thinking and ideas over time.

Interactivity

The goal of interactivity in online learning is predominantly to create a specific method of supporting the learner to interact with the subject-matter and achieve the learning goals through that interaction (Unneberg 2008). We wanted the learning experience to be highly interactive, varied and engaging. In part, this was supported by the strategies for personalisation; however, there were other features we added to support the interactivity.

  • Text that can be “pinned” to the toolkit for future reference by clicking on the drawing pin icon, as shown in the pin board in Fig. 3.4.

  • “Little wisdoms”—these are quotes that appear when users click on an owl. The owls appear at irregular intervals and the quotes can be pinned to the toolkit. In Fig. 3.4, the owl below the heading “work–life balance” indicates the quote “Remember Parkinson’s Law: work expands to fill the time you make available to it” has been pinned.

  • Real-world scenarios to respond to, with example responses and feedback for each. Figure 3.5 shows an example scenario, the reflection question and how users may respond.

    Fig. 3.5
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    Illustration of scenario from the Wellbeing module

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As well as providing an option for users to consider strategies they might use, we also provided some strategies where users could indicate the degree to which they might adopt them. Figure 3.6 shows some example responses to this scenario. With each idea there are three options—definitely, maybe and not really—and for each of these there is additional feedback given. For example, in the first suggestion “Work out what has to be done and prioritise it. Then you delegate, delete or defer other things on your list”, when users click “definitely”, a pop-up box appears with the text—“This sounds like you are using some effective time management strategies - can you also ask for help or advice from a mentor or colleague?” If the users click “maybe”, the text is “Although this takes some time to do, the long term benefits are worth the time you spend prioritising”. If the users click “not really”, the text is “You might like to try this – once you learn how to prioritise effectively, it will be a useful strategy in lots of situations”.

Fig. 3.6
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Illustration of example responses to scenario from the Wellbeing module

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  • Tips are also provided for users as shown in Fig. 3.7. Users can click through the tips and pin those that they’d like to remember. The numbers appearing under the pin icon show the number of times that tip has been pinned by other users.

    Fig. 3.7
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    Illustration of tips from the Wellbeing module

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As well as pinning tips created by others, users can also add their own tips, and if they wish, submit these to the BRiTE community. Figure 3.8 shows how users can create their own tip and Fig. 3.9 shows an example of tips submitted to the BRiTE community.

Fig. 3.8
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Illustration of creating own tip in the Wellbeing module

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Fig. 3.9
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Illustration of BRiTE community tips for time management

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Connected to the profession

The preparation of beginning teachers has been built on a strong foundation of linking theoretical and professional practice (Korthagen et al. 2001), including an integral component of professional experience based in schools and early learning centres. We wanted the modules to be authentically connected to the profession and to this end included content and resources that were aligned with the teaching profession in Australia. We included, for example:

  • Explicit alignment with standards: The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) 2011), the Personal and Social Capabilities from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority 2012), the Principles from the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) (Australian Government Department of Education and Training 2009) and National Quality Standards (NQS) for Australian Early Childhood Education and Care (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) 2018) at the beginning of each module.

  • Videos where teachers and educational experts talk about resilience-related strategies and skills.

  • Downloadables: Factsheets and further resources developed for the profession.

In addition, the scenarios described above were all derived from our experience as teacher educators, knowing the challenges often experienced by pre-service and early career teachers.

Informed by the literature

Finally, we sought to illustrate how the key ideas in each module were informed by research and to provide opportunity for users to appreciate and engage with that research, if they desired. To this end we developed “What do the experts say?” sections summarising relevant research and with links to references and original articles, as shown in Fig. 3.10.

Fig. 3.10
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Illustration of “What do the experts say” section from the Wellbeing module

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4 Module Evaluation

The modules were evaluated by pre-service teachers and stakeholders (teacher educators, teachers) according to content and online design (as reported in Mansfield et al. 2016c) with the overall mean for all participants across all modules being 4.17 out of 5. Strengths of the content were identified, such as use of practical examples, resources and tips, useful information and videos and well-organised information. In terms of the online design, strengths included use of a variety of different media to present topics, opportunities for reflection, creation of personalised toolbox, ability to “pin” ideas and add to personal toolbox, and ease of navigation. Pre-service teachers also commented that they would refer to the modules in the future. Education professionals noted the importance of the resource for pre-service teachers, the engaging and well-presented learning design, effective use of the AITSL standards and resources, good balance of theory and practice and the many possibilities to use the modules across initial teacher education programmes.

In addition, a small quantitative study was conducted to understand the impact of the modules (Beltman et al. 2018). In this study, 49 Australian pre-service teachers completed questionnaires before and after completing the BRiTE modules and finishing their final professional experience placement. Measures included scales of resilience (general measure as well as separate scales relating to professional, emotional, motivational and social aspects of resilience), teacher self-efficacy, commitment to teaching and coping (appraisal, social, challenge and avoidance sub-scales). Participants who reported using the BRiTE modules during their school placement scored significantly higher (with medium effect sizes) in the post-test measurements on the differentiated resilience scales and teacher commitment. As the BRiTE modules specifically targeted these aspects of resilience, it was promising to see this finding. Coping and self-efficacy measures could have been more affected by specific experiences during the practicum and interviews were also conducted to help understand these experiences and the role of the BRiTE modules.

An exploratory qualitative study (Mansfield et al. 2020) was also conducted to determine how the modules influenced pre-service teachers when on professional experience. The findings showed that the modules reminded and affirmed pre-service teachers of their existing skills and knowledge, enabled reflection and contributed to the feelings of increased confidence. Learning from the modules was applied on professional experience and has influenced future plans.

5 Module Implementation: Options for Teacher Educators

To maximise uptake of the modules by teacher educators, we also developed a series of implementation guidelines, showing how the modules may be used in teacher education. In developing implementation guidelines, we drew on our collective expertise as teacher educators and feedback obtained through discussions with colleagues and at dissemination points. Consideration was given to the range of teacher preparation courses available in Australia and careful thought given to possible approaches. The guidelines are accompanied by suggestions as to when may be the best time to introduce or refer to the modules, how to encourage student engagement and also how to maximise learning outcomes from module engagement. To allow flexibility in implementation, it was decided that four possible approaches to implementation might be suggested, as in Table 3.2.

Table 3.2 Implementation possibilities for BRiTE modules in teacher education programmes
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A section on the website specifically for teacher educators includes: Implementation Guidelines; a BRiTE Quick Reference Guide; FAQs page; a widget for embedding the BRiTE modules in Learning Management Systems, such as Blackboard and Moodle, and instructions showing how to embed the widget.

6 Website Usage 2015–2020

Since the BRiTE modules were launched in 2015, their usage has steadily increased each year. Google Analytics data retrieved on 1 January 2020, showed there had been 59,676 visitors to the site, identified through a unique IP address and visit to one page, and of these visitors, 26.2% were returning visitors. A bounce rate of 28% indicated the percentage of visitors who viewed a single page and did not engage further. The main country visitors came from was Australia (79.83%), followed by the United States (6.93%), the United Kingdom (2.56%) and Canada (1.3%). Other visitors originated from New Zealand, France, India, the Philippines, China and Japan.

The total number of sessions during the same timeframe was 148,137. Although the average session duration was 11.13 min, this average has been calculated including the 69,424 sessions that were between 0 and 10 s, and were from visitors, rather than engaged visitors (from here on referred to as “users”). There were 16,442 sessions lasting from 3.01 to 10 min, 18,728 sessions lasting between 10.01 and 30 min, and 84,292 sessions lasting beyond 30.01 min. These sessions can be considered a more accurate indication of user engagement, as would indicate visits of multiple pages and engagement with the modules. Visits of less than 3 min would include users finding the site and having a reasonably quick look rather than engaging with content.

Although Google Analytics provides some useful overviews of information regarding BRiTE users, we can also draw upon data from the website, to better understand who users are and their behaviour. Up until 1 January 2020, there were 14,407 users who had created an account and completed some or all of the modules. Of these 10,912 identified their role as pre-service teachers or teacher education students, 1,049 as practicing teachers and 652 as teacher educators. Other user roles included psychologists, school leaders, educational consultants, social workers, educational assistants, Ph.D. candidates, teacher programme managers and web designers.

7 Staying BRiTE: 2016–2018

The BRiTE modules have generated much interest from teacher educators in Australia and overseas, prompting discussion about how the modules could be embedded into teacher education programmes in ways that respond to a range of teacher education contexts. Because the modules provide a resource-rich online learning environment, there are many possibilities for supporting and elaborating on this learning through specific teacher education experiences. This extension of the BRiTE project, known as Staying BRiTE, was supported by an Australian Learning and Teaching Fellowship (Mansfield 2016).

The aim of the Fellowship was to lead strategic change in teacher education curriculum by embedding contextually responsive approaches to building pre-service teachers’ capacity for resilience. Using a collaborative approach, and working with colleagues at six universities (Murdoch University, Queensland University of Technology, University of Wollongong, Federation University, Charles Darwin University and University of Tasmania) a series of authentic cases were created that illustrate approaches to embedding resilience in teacher education programmes in higher education contexts (https://www.stayingbrite.edu.au/authentic-cases). Two of these authentic cases are presented in Chaps. 4 and 5.

A unique feature of this work lies in the differing approaches taken by colleagues and the way in which they contextualised resilience learning in teacher education, being responsive to university, educational and preservice teacher contexts. For example, Strangeways and Papatraianou (Charles Darwin University) ran workshops where arts-based methodology was used to enable pre-service teachers to reflect on the resilience knowledge and what that means for their career as teachers. Figure 3.11 shows how drawing was used to generate multiple perspectives about what resilience means for teachers.

Fig. 3.11
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Arts-based approaches to generate multiple perspectives

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A further module exploring how mindfulness can support teacher resilience, “BRiTE Mind”, (see Chap. 10) has also been developed.

An ongoing outcome of Staying BRiTE has been the development of a national and international network of researchers, teacher educators and consultants. Work undertaken by members of these networks is reported in Sects. 3.2 and 3.3 of this volume.

8 A BRiTE Future?

As we move forward into 2020 and beyond, the modules are still attracting increasing numbers of users. Not only have BRiTE users increased, there has been increased interest in the BRiTE modules from teacher educators, teachers, pre-service teachers, employers and national accrediting bodies. The modules have been embedded in teacher education programmes across Australia and have influenced other research, as described in the chapters of this volume. The modules have also been used to support professional learning of practicing teachers through whole school initiatives. The Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) has adopted some aspects of the modules in their “My induction” app for early career teachers.

Although the modules were designed specifically for pre-service and beginning teachers, more experienced teachers have also engaged with and completed the modules. Another initiative, informally evaluated as helpful for practising teachers of differing levels of experience, is to run workshops in conjunction with online module completion. Such face-to-face workshops, much like the way teacher educators can use the modules, incorporate research findings and activities into tailored professional learning events lasting for two or three half-day or after work sessions, spaced so that the online modules can be completed in between. Preliminary feedback indicates that participants value, for example, “Interaction with colleagues from education and take away skills to reflect on and use” as well as “Sharing different viewpoints and experiences”.

In addition to the exploration of the information available and analysed through Google Analytics, exploratory studies have examined qualitative data entered by participants as they engage with the modules. For example, one study has examined the strategies teachers report using to manage their heightened emotions (Beltman and Poulton 2019). Further work is underway to analyse further strategies endorsed by practicing teachers as these have the potential to provide useful information not just for in-service but also for pre-service teachers.

We continue to receive unsolicited feedback from module users, most recently:

This is a fantastic program. It is full of practical tips and knowledge grounded in evidence-based research and on the ground teacher tips. I love the way it is so accessible, broken down into clear manageable modules and the variety of interactive methods used. Video, expert text inserts, quiz’s, range of techniques to appeal to a range of personalities made it engaging and enjoyable. I love the way we build a toolkit because in the busy day to day, it allows a refresh of what aspects are important personally. A terrific initiative. Thank you. (August 2019)

A fantastic resource that is almost like a mini counselling session. It really helps to reframe thinking and have a plan of attack ahead of graduate year. (August 2019)

Thank you for designing this course. This is the first resource I believe has comprehensively spoken on how to talk with parents/carers of students and given practical steps for self-care. (August 2018)

What a powerful program! It embraces so many aspects and allows so much personal reflection throughout all the modules. This has been a great experience. (October, 2019)

As the teaching profession in Australia continues to be challenged by increasing societal expectations, the need for building resilience in pre-service teachers, beginning teachers and in-service teachers continues to be a priority for the sector. The programme standards for initial teacher education programmes in Australia do not currently require wellbeing or resilience to be developed in graduate teachers, however, the BRiTE modules are well regarded across Australia and even some international locations with similar contexts. These modules are contributing to the increasing attention on teacher wellbeing and resilience.