Coping and Resilience Resources among School Principals in the Arab-Bedouin Education System in the Shadow of the Iron Swords War

The study analyzed the experiences of school principals in the Arab-Bedouin society during the Iron Swords War, utilizing Antonovsky’s salutogenic approach to understand coping mechanisms in stressful situations. The qualitative research involved interviews with ten Bedouin school principals, predominantly male, with an equal split between high school and middle school principals. The principals expressed concerns about personal safety and professional security, highlighting challenges like distance learning, technological issues, and lack of infrastructure. They also noted difficulties in maintaining communication with students and staff. Despite these challenges, the principals identified three main coping resources: personal resilience, school support, and external support. Personal resilience included leveraging leadership skills and past experiences, while school support involved emotional support, social inclusion, and training for teachers on technology use. External support featured significant aid from educational authorities and psychological services. A notable outcome was enhanced parent–school interaction and the promotion of emotional discourse, transforming schools into support centers and emotional safe havens, thereby enriching the educational culture within their community.