Resilience in higher education: A conceptual model and its empirical analysis

Abstract

This research analyzes how the resilience of higher education students is shaped during the undergraduate program by personal and contextual factors. In this research, the resilient student is one who faces a high burden of stress and/or adversity during their undergraduate course but manages to reach the end of the program satisfied and/or committed to the chosen career. Based on the literature review, we developed the Academic Resilience Model (ARM), which explains the sources of stress and/or adversity, as well as the protective mechanisms and/or factors that affect students throughout the program. We empirically test this model by conducting a phenomenology-based qualitative study at a public university in Brazil. The results of ARM validation indicate that the main sources of stress and/or adversity and protective mechanisms and/or factors come from individual, academic and external systems. Examples of sources of stress/adversity were the low initial motivation for the program, personal health problems, faculty didactic-pedagogical deficiency, difficulties in relationships with peers, and competing professional demands. On the other hand, the main protective mechanisms/factors identified were the capacity of adaptability, self-control, personal organization, good relationships with the faculty, integration with peers, and support of family. The research enabled identification of how resilience helps students to overcome barriers in higher education, generating important results for future education policies.

Pathways of Black immigrant youth in Québec from secondary school to university: Cumulative racial disadvantage and compensatory advantage of resilience

“…As illustrated by the analytical model proposed by De Oliveira Durso et al. (2021) regarding post‐secondary education, vulnerable students in resilient situations are distinguished by their capacity for adaptability, self‐control, personal organization, good relationships with the faculty, integration with peers, and support of family. However, our results also bring to light the limits of the rational choice theory.…”

“…Finally, the results refer to success, that is, the achievement of the expected objectives. In education, resilience refers to students who persevere and succeed in their schooling despite difficult conditions associated with their personal characteristics or those of the social and school environment in which they evolve (Anaut, 2006; De Oliveira Durso et al., 2021). Risk factors can be personal difficulties related to social adaptation and school learning caused by an event or a personal organic condition whose effects are permanent or long‐lasting.…”

“…In other cases, the risk factors may be associated with the school environment, for example, discrimination and segregation by peers or teachers, or geographical distance of the school from the place of residence. Whatever the nature of the risk factors, resilient students are distinguished by their ability to invest themselves, to mobilize and to combine different protective factors to succeed in their studies, and to derive satisfaction and a sense of self‐accomplishment (De Oliveira Durso et al., 2021). Protective factors can be individual (motivation, feeling of competence, perseverance, etc.)…”

Nurturing the scientific mind: resilience and job satisfaction among Saudi faculty

“…However, a dichotomy emerges between individual and systemic resilience, suggesting a need for integrative models that combine both aspects, particularly in academic settings where they are equally crucial. Moreover, recent studies by Mead et al (2021) , Gull et al (2023) , and Durso et al (2021) emphasize adaptability and flexibility as key resilience components, especially significant in adapting to rapid changes like digital transformation in higher education. This emphasis on adaptability seamlessly connects to the importance of robust support systems, as highlighted by Shaik et al (2022) and Moore et al (2023) , who point out the role of communities of practice, mentorship, and faculty support in bolstering personal resilience during crises.…”

A Wake-up Call: Covid-19 and Its Impact on Reforming Biosciences Education Towards Resiliency and Sustainability

“…A conceptual model of students' Academic Resilience Model (ARM) was also developed (52). It describes the origins of stress and/or adversity, as well as the protective mechanisms and/or factors that have an impact on students throughout the curriculum.…”