Teaching without a system: resilience and engagement in Myanmar’s non-state schools

Teachers in conflict-affected Myanmar continue to sustain education despite the collapse of formal state systems. This study examines how resilience and work engagement are maintained in non-state, community-led schools where salaries, training, and administrative support are largely absent. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, survey data were collected from 87 teachers and focus group discussions were held with 14 teachers working in high-risk areas. Quantitative analyses showed that both personal resources (self-efficacy, sense of purpose) and external supports (peer collaboration, community engagement) significantly predicted teacher resilience, which in turn mediated their impact on work engagement. Qualitative findings deepened these results, revealing how moral duty, peer solidarity, community support, and student determination sustained teachers’ motivation amid chronic insecurity and trauma. By integrating the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model with Social Capital Theory, the study demonstrates that resilience in fragile, non-state education systems is not simply an individual trait but a socially embedded process shaped by relationships and community networks. The findings extend these frameworks by showing how informal and locally grounded resources can function as critical buffers in the absence of formal structures. Practically, the study suggests that supporting grassroots education in crisis settings requires modest but targeted assistance, such as stipends, basic teaching materials, and psychosocial support delivered through community networks. While these informal systems are vital, they cannot fully replace the stability of formal institutions, highlighting the need for future research on how resilience evolves over time and across diverse fragile contexts.