Academic Invulnerability Among Mexican-American Students: The Importance of Protective Resources and Appraisals

Abstract

This study examined the characteristics of a cohort of Mexican-American tenth-grade students to determine why some Mexican-American students are academically successful and others are not, despite sharing a similar sociocultural background. Based on current work on invulnerable children, the purpose of this study was to examine the role of protective resources and appraisals in the academic success or invulnerability of some Mexican-American high school students. Generally, the results revealed that students with a positive view of their intellectual ability and a strong sense of responsibility for their academic future were more likely to be academically successful. The findings also suggest that a supportive network of teachers and friends was linked to academic invulnerability. Lastly, students'subjective appraisals were quite powerful in predicting differential levels of achievement. The results of this study underscore the need forfurther research that examines not only the role of sociocultural risk factors, but also the protective resources and subjective appraisals that invulnerable students develop in relation to their educational experiences.

Resilient children are less test anxious and perform better in tests at the end of primary schooling

“…Enhanced recovery potential occurs when a person is able to recover their typical level of functioning more quickly. When studied in an educational context, resilience can refer to how students respond to the adversities resulting from a disadvantaged home or developmental background (Alva, 1991;Wang, Haertal, & Walberg, 1994) as well as more typical, everyday, academic pressures, such as poor performance and evaluative stress (Martin & Marsh, 2006. In this paper we examine the resilience and academic performance of pupils in response to the evaluative pressures arising from statutory tests taken in the final year of primary schooling and whether differences in performance are attributable to test anxiety.…”

The Mediator Role of Academic Resilience in the Relationship of Anxiety Sensitivity, Social and Adaptive Functioning, and School Refusal With School Attachment in High School Students

“…Bernard (1995) stated that social competence, problemsolving skills, and autonomy are related to being future-oriented and high future expectation, and Werner and Smith (1992) and Martin and Marsh (2006) stated that strong communication skills, effective time management, high sense of responsibility, being academically successful, being self-controlled, having high adaptation skills, and a positive self-perception are indicators of psychological resilience. In this context, academic resilience is defined as the tendency to show academic stability and success despite social and psychologically stressful and challenging life events (Alva, 1991;Benard, 1991;Wang et al, 1997;Perez et al, 2009). Students with high academic resilience are expected to show high levels of stability and success despite the presence and adverse effects of risky and stressful events (Alva, 1991;Martin and Marsh, 2006).…”

“…In this context, academic resilience is defined as the tendency to show academic stability and success despite social and psychologically stressful and challenging life events (Alva, 1991;Benard, 1991;Wang et al, 1997;Perez et al, 2009). Students with high academic resilience are expected to show high levels of stability and success despite the presence and adverse effects of risky and stressful events (Alva, 1991;Martin and Marsh, 2006). In the literature, studies on the effects of academic resilience on school attachment and problematic school absenteeism are very limited.…”

The Turkish Adaptation of the Mathematical Resilience Scale: Validity and Reliability Study

“…Also, these individuals with high mathematical resilience usually have high self-respect and are aware of their skills and capacities (Gordon, 1996;Margalit, 2003), have a tough personality (Howard and Johnson, 2000), successfully cope with problems (Jew, Green, and Kroger, 1999), have improved problem-solving skills (Rak and Patterson, 1996;Masten, 2001). Johnston-Wilder and Lee (2010) and Yeager and Dweck (2012) emphasize that mathematical resilience, which ensures students persevere when faced with difficulties in mathematics, is quite important in achievement in mathematics, while Alva (1991) notes that students with high mathematical resilience in spite of possibly challenging situations in school. Efficient teaching and learning applications require the participation of both socially and mentally competent individuals.…”