Academic buoyancy and fear of failure differences among university students: Null findings

Academic buoyancy refers to a student's adaptive response for dealing with academic-related setbacks and challenges that are typical in the ordinary course of school life. Fear of failure, known also as fear avoidance, is the tendency for students to be uncertain about their ability to avoid failures and achieve success. Both constructs have been associated with students' academic outcomes. Herein, we examine whether there were differences in these constructs associated either with students' time in the academic setting (i.e., first generation student or graduate level student) or type of challenges experienced (i.e., as a student of color or primary language other than English). Specifically, in using online surveys, we investigated the relation between academic buoyancy and fear of failure among university students ( N = 122) from a public university in the southwestern United States. Supporting earlier research, when examining the association between academic buoyancy and fear of failure across all participating students, we found academic buoyancy was negatively related to fear of failure. When examining whether there were differences in academic buoyancy or fear of failure across either student experience (i.e., degree level or first-generation student status) or types of challenges related to being a student whose primary language is a language other than English or being a student of color, we found insufficient evidence of differences. This suggests that regardless of college-generational status, degree level, primary language, and racial/ethnic backgrounds, students reported similar levels of academic buoyancy and fear of failure. Findings extend the limited literature on academic buoyancy and fear of failure in higher education. • Students with high fear of failure are more likely report lower academic buoyancy, which is also known as capacity to overcome ordinary academic-related challenges, setbacks, and stress. • Many university students tend to experience comparable levels of academic buoyancy. • Most university students have reported experiencing a similar degree of fear of failure.