Exploring the Dimensions of Academic Resilience in Underprivileged Students
Keywords:
Academic resilience, underprivileged students, social support, educational coping, thematic analysis, equity in educationAbstract
This study aimed to identify and explore the dimensions of academic resilience among underprivileged urban students, focusing on personal, social, and coping factors. This qualitative study employed an interpretative phenomenological approach. Participants included 28 underprivileged secondary school students from Tehran, selected through purposive sampling with maximum variation. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis with NVivo software. The data collection process continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. The results revealed three major dimensions of academic resilience: internal resources (achievement motivation, self-efficacy, hope, and meaning-making in education), external support (family, teachers, peers, and social organizations), and coping strategies (resource management, learning gap recovery, cognitive coping, and emotional regulation). The interplay between these dimensions was found to play a crucial role in sustaining educational engagement and overcoming learning barriers. Academic resilience among underprivileged students is a multilayered, contextual, and dynamic construct shaped by the integration of psychological resources, social support, and adaptive coping skills. The findings provide a foundation for designing educational and psychological interventions in deprived schools and support equity-based educational policy-making.
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