Resilience reflects the ability to bounce back from adversity and unfavorable conditions. Previous studies have shown the importance of resilience to succeed in the workplace, as well as academic career. Being resilient is particularly important in engineering programs; encouraging students to develop resilience may be a key catalyst for academic improvement and subsequent career success.
While the literature pertaining to academic resilience is well-developed, there are not many instruments that measure the construct. With a focus on engineering students. The current study examines the structure validity of the Academic Resilience Scale (ARS -30). Participants included 113 engineering students enrolled in an engineering class who completed an online survey of the concurrent resilience scales. An exploratory factor analysis was performed to examine the latent factors that underlie items on the instrument. The analysis demonstrated adequate reliability among the examined factors. Directions for future study are discussed.
Oje Adurangba Victor is a graduate student at the University of Georgia, focusing on engineering education research. His research focuses on using immersive technology in fostering conceptual understanding. He is currently affiliated with the Engineering Education Transformation Institute (EETI). In fact, his research with the faculty includes the role of learning strategies and student engagement in fostering conceptual understanding. Currently, he is contributing to a research project focusing on academic resilience as a psychological tool for improving student engagement. The ongoing research investigates the concurrent validity of an instrument (ARS-30) with an existing instrument (CD-RISC), an academic resilience instrument posed to measure resilience in an educational context.
Besides his interests in game-based activities around the scholarship of teaching and learning, he is also interested in evidence-based practices through systematic reviews, meta-analysis and empirical research on engineering education issues. In addition, he is interested in measuring inventories development by examining the psychometric properties of instruments in engineering education.
Nathaniel Hunsu is an assistant professor of Engineering Education. He is affiliated with the Engineering Education Transformational Institute and the school of electrical and computer engineering at the university. His interest is at the nexus of the res
Peter Carnell teaches and conducts research at the University of Georgia. He earned a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech. He has been a licensed professional engineer for over 20 years and seeks ways to bring his work experience into the classroom. He has taught at the University of Georgia since 2014 and previously taught at Georgia Tech from 2006 to 2014. His teaching interests include teaching mechanics and design. He seeks to develop professional skills in the classroom to better prepare students for industry.
Dr. Nicola Sochacka is the Associate Director for Research Initiation and Enablement in the Engineering Education Transformations Institute (EETI) in the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia. Her research interests include interpretive research quality, systems thinking, diversity, STEAM (STEM + Art) education, and the role of empathy in engineering education and practice. Her work has been recognized through multiple best paper awards and keynote presentations at international and national conferences and workshops.
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