Bengali Translation and Validation of Academic Resilience Scale in Bangladeshi School-going Students

Abstract

Introduction: The study aimed to translate and validate the Academic Resilience Scale (ARS) into Bengali to assess its applicability among Bangladeshi school-going students. The ARS, originally developed by Martin and Marsh, measures students' ability to cope with academic challenges. Given the lack of a validated Bengali version, this study sought to fill this gap and ensure the scale's reliability and validity in a new cultural context. Materials and Methods The research employed a cross-sectional design involving 234 students (111 males, 123 females) aged 12–18 years from two schools in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The ARS was translated through a rigorous process involving two forward translations, two back translations, and a comparison of the original and translated versions. Data were collected using both the original and translated ARS, with a one-week interval between administrations. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, Cronbach’s alpha, and independent sample t-tests were used for analysis, employing SPSS 29.0. Results Descriptive statistics indicated similar mean scores for the original ARS (M = 23.78, SD = 7.456) and the translated ARS (M = 23.77, SD = 7.516), reflecting comparable levels of academic resilience. Pearson correlations between items on the original and translated scales were high (r = .909 to .941, p < .01), and Cronbach’s alpha was 0.747 for the original and 0.754 for the translated scale, demonstrating acceptable reliability. No significant gender differences were found in resilience scores for either version. Conclusion The Bengali-translated ARS is a reliable and valid tool for measuring academic resilience among Bangladeshi students. This study provides a crucial resource for future research and interventions aimed at enhancing academic resilience in this demographic. Future research should address the study's limitations and explore resilience factors in broader contexts.