Date

4-7-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Ireremena E. Felix-Otuorimuo

Keywords

cognitive appraisal, coping, burnout, self-efficacy, stress, resilience

Disciplines

Education

Abstract

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of resilient special education teachers in Jamaica. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman's cognitive appraisal theory, also known as the cognitive appraisal theory of stress and coping, as it is related to how special education teachers appraised and coped with stress. What did appraisal and coping look like in the lived experiences of resilient special education teachers from Jamaica? Given the nature of a transcendental phenomenological approach, which focuses on describing a phenomenon, this approach was suitable for this research because the focus was on describing experiences. Data were collected from resilient special education teachers who had experienced burnout, and a composite description of the essence of the experience was developed for all individuals involved. This research used three data collection methods in the following order: interviews, focus groups, and surveys. Data analysis began after consent forms were signed and returned. The NVivo software was used to organize the data, and coding was conducted manually and digitally. All necessary ethical considerations were considered, and any ethical issues that surfaced during the study were addressed. The results were used to develop a textural description of participants' lived experiences and a structural description of the issues that arose, and the report reflected answers to the research questions.

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