As researchers in educational psychology, we have a strong interest in understanding how students cope with obstacles and difficulties during their education.
Research
has found
Students who exhibit resilience often achieve more favorable educational results. This encompasses putting in extra effort into their assignments, possessing superior study techniques, and deriving greater enjoyment from schooling compared to those who display lower levels of resilience.
We gauge this resilience via what is known as ”
academic buoyancy
. This individual quality assists students in surmounting typical challenges encountered at school, including an overwhelming amount of work, unsatisfactory exam scores, or juggling multiple assignment due dates.
Over the last twenty years of study into resilience or academic buoyancy, there
has emerged as an alarming pattern
indicating that girls report lower levels of academic resilience compared to boys.
To better understand this,
we analysed
All current research aimed at definitively determining whether this gender disparity exists, and if it does, to quantify its extent.
Read more:
According to our findings, what assists students in dealing with academic setbacks is primarily a strong sense of connection to their school.
Our research
Meta-analysis is a study method designed to determine the overall impact of an occurrence from numerous individual investigations. When examining gender differences in academic resilience, meta-analysis helps quantify the typical disparity observed between female and male students.
A meta-analysis generates an “effect size” which can be classified as small, medium, or large. In this instance, a larger effect size indicates a more significant disparity between girls and boys regarding academic resilience.
We scoured all available academic buoyancy studies from prominent databases. Additionally, we reached out to key researchers in this area seeking any unpublished work they might have done on academic buoyancy.
Through this procedure, our meta-analysis incorporated 53 studies released between 2008 and 2024 that examined the connection between gender and academic resilience. The analysis encompassed data from 173,665 pupils ranging from primary school to higher education levels. These studies were conducted across various countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Jamaica, Finland, China, Singapore, and the Philippines.
What we found
The average impact of gender on academic buoyancy proved to be both statistically significant and moderately sized. This indicates a clear and identifiable distinction between girls and boys concerning their reported degrees of academic resilience.
To put it differently, girls exhibit lower resilience compared to boys when facing common academic hurdles like receiving a low grade or having an unfavorable encounter with a teacher.
Although our research was not aimed at exploring the reasons behind this phenomenon,
previous research
This might be due to girls experiencing greater academic stress compared to boys, which can make it harder for them to deal with educational challenges. With these meta-analysis insights now available, it’s crucial to conduct further studies that delve deeper into understanding why this gender disparity exists.
Of course, our results represent average observations. However, this doesn’t imply that every girl experiences low academic resilience or that all boys possess high levels of it.
Therefore, efforts should focus on enhancing the resilience of individuals facing academic challenges and maintaining it among those who are coping effectively.
Prior studies indicate that there are two main strategies educators and parents might adopt.
The direct approach
Educators, advisors, and guardians can collaborate to
directly boost
students’ academic resilience via the subsequent stages:
–
instructing pupils to identify scholarly challenges promptly
Before that adversity becomes harder to handle. For instance, when they find themselves taking longer to complete their homework compared to their peers.
–
guiding students on modifying their thinking patterns, actions, and/or feelings
In the wake of such challenges, students could begin considering which available resources they can utilize. In terms of behavior, they might approach a teacher for assistance as an additional form of support, something they typically wouldn’t do. Emotionally, they may also feel the need to reduce their anxiety around seeking help from said teacher.
–
motivating students to draw encouragement from minor advancements
For instance, if seeking assistance from the teacher proves effective, they ought to view this as a “success” (“I am capable of overcoming challenges”).
–
motivating students to continually observe and fine-tune their approach
Their responses, actions, and/or feelings when faced with hardship turn into daily routines for them.
The 6 Cs of an ‘essential’ framework
An alternative method focuses on addressing the elements that contribute to academic resilience.
previous research
Has pinpointed six elements where teachers and mothers/fathers can assist pupils.
1. Confidence:
enhancing students’ confidence in their capability to achieve success.
2. Coordination:
assisting students in academic planning and task organization.
3. Commitment:
developing students’ perseverance; for instance, via setting goals and working towards them.
4. Control:
guiding students’ focus towards aspects they can influence, like how much effort they put in.
5. Composure:
Decreasing students’ anxiety; for instance, by tackling scary thoughts and using relaxation techniques that suit them.
6. Community:
developing robust personal connections with both classmates and educators, ensuring they sense support.
While considering these strategies, educators must account for additional pressures in their students’ lives that might contribute to or worsen a student’s challenges, including social struggles or family problems. Additionally, they should take into consideration any clinical conditions like ADHD.
ADHD
).
When combined, supported by both educators and parents, students can implement practical adjustments to improve their reaction to academic challenges. This, consequently, can aid in narrowing the gender gap concerning academic resilience.
The authors are not employed by, advising, holding stocks in, or receiving financial support from any entity that could gain from this article, and they have declared no additional associations outside of their university positions.
