Exploring the Measurement of

Academic Resilience
S. Mitchell Colp, MSc
David W. Nordstokke, PhD

Resilience and Psychometrics Research Lab

RESILIENCE
Throughout the majority of this symposium, resilience has
been described as a construct that is composed of numerous
traits which help individuals manage adversity.
As visual example, resilience could be depicted as a shield
which helps cushion the impact of negative life events.

SHIELD ANALOGY
If we continue with the resilience shield analogy, there are
many materials or factors that have been empirically
demonstrated to compose it.

External Factors
Interactions

Internal Factors

SHIELD ANALOGY
The funny thing about shields is that there are many dif ferent
styles to suit a variety of needs.

Kite

Heater

Buckler

Pavise

SHIELD ANALOGY
Common Themes

SHIELD ANALOGY

Protection

RESILIENCE
Could resilience be similar in this fashion?

Resilience

RESILIENCE

Academic Resilience

Social
Resilience

Resilience

Emotional Resilience

Behavioral
Resilience

RESILIENCE

Academic Resilience

Resilience

ACADEMIC RESILIENCE
The ability to overcome situational adversity and achieve
academically (Wang, Haertel & Walberg, 1994).

MEASURING ACADEMIC RESILIENCE

Defining Resilient Outcomes
Conventional Approaches
Limited Research
Sampling
Theory Development
Instrument Construction

ACADEMIC RESILIENCE SCALE (ARS)

Martin and Marsh (2006) created a theoretical model of
academic resilience and believed it could predict of school
enjoyment, class participation, and general self -esteem
outcomes.
5-C Model of Academic Resilience

Confidence (i.e., self-efficacy)

Coordination (i.e., planning)
Control (i.e., locus of control)
Composure (i.e., anxiety)
Commitment (i.e., persistence)

Academic Resilience Scale (ARS)

ACADEMIC RESILIENCE SCALE (ARS)

The ARS contains six questions and was validated within an
Australian high school sample of 402 students.
Promising Psychometric Properties
Items
1. I believe Im mentally tough when it comes to exams
2. I dont let study stress get on top of me.
3. Im good at bouncing back from a poor mark in my schoolwork.
4. I think Im good at dealing with schoolwork pressures.
5. I dont let a bad mark affect my confidence.
6. Im good at dealing with setbacks at school.

PRESENT STUDY
Can the ARS maintain its psychometric integrity within a
sample of first-year undergraduate students from a Canadian
institution?

ARS RESULTS
Administered to 163 first-year undergraduate students from a
Canadian institution.
Instrument was found to be generally reliable ( = .90).
Confirmatory Factor Analysis demonstrated poor model fit.
Academic Resilience
.65

Item 1

.70

Item 2

.82

Item 3

.80

Item 4

.84

Item 5

Fit Indices
CFI = .91; NNFI = .85; SRMR = .07; RMSEA = .26
(Browne & Cudeck, 1993; Hu & Bentler, 1999)

.88

Item 6

DISCUSSION
New measurement models.
Exploration of additional factors.
Recognition of diversity within dif fering populations.

Academic
Resilience

Academic
Self-Efficacy

Locus of
Control

Optimism

Self-Regulation

Emotional
Regulation

REFERENCE
Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutof f criteria for fit indexes
in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus
new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A
Multidisciplinar y Journal, 6, 1-55.
Martin, A . J (2006). Academic resilience and its psychological
and educational correlates: A construct validity approach.
Psychology in the Schools, 43(3), 267-281.
Wang, M. C., Haertel, G. D., & Walberg, H. J. (1994).
Educational resilience in inner cities. In M. C. Wang & E. W.
Gordon (Eds.), Educational resilience in inner-city America:
Challenges and prospects (pp. 45-72). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum.