Lesotho's highly credentialed teachers: Emergent forms of teacher social becoming

This is a qualitative study examining the phenomenon of large numbers of secondary teachers with graduate-level degrees in Lesotho. This article draws upon the concepts of social becoming and resiliency to explore how teachers navigate their social structural environment, which fits the definition of a crisis. This article argues that teachers show high levels of resiliency - even thriving - along with positive and negative coping skills. Coping skills include self-enhancement, negative coping skills such as dissociation, and persistence. Obtaining an advanced degree involves an interplay of positive and negative coping skills, depending on the individual and circumstances. Policy is advocated that recognises and supports teachers as both traditional educators and frontline disaster responders, by drawing upon emergent forms of teacher becoming.