Abstract

School climate is a critical component in education, affecting children’s mood, social relationships, academic functioning, and mental state (Berkowitz, Mor & Astor, 2014). Research shows that positive school climate contributes to improved achievements, reduced risk behaviors, and increased satisfaction, and may serve as a resilience resource that enables coping with difficulties (Taskin & Canli, 2021). Exposure to war has severe effects on children, ranging from trauma and depression to injuries and loss of family members (Celik & Ozpinar, 2017; Burgin et al., 2022). Following the attack on Simchat Torah and the ongoing security situation, the Israeli education system faced an unprecedented crisis that created new challenges. Optimal school climate has the potential to help students during wartime by providing a sense of normalcy, offering a safe environment for processing emotions, and providing social support (Hopkins, 2022; Starkey, Aber, & Crossman, 2019). The purpose of this study is to explore the potential of school climate to serve as a resilience resource among Israeli children during the current multi-front war. The study will examine through semi-structured interviews with teachers how resilience can be built during wartime through school climate.

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