A Review of Cultural Background and College Students' Academic Resilience

Masten (2001) described resilience as a class of phenomena that is characterized by positive and good outcomes, despite the presence of negative influence or threats to adaptation. It is individuals’ ability to deal with and overcome difficult circumstances that can undermine their expected progress and development (Masten, 2011). This phenomenon is not a personal trait but a broad dynamic system that can cut across individual’s health, beliefs, skills, nutrition (Masten & Obradovic, 2006), and academics. While resilience is typically beneficial in academic settings, its effect may sometimes not be universally beneficial. For example, in the context of domestic violence, resilience can perpetuate cycles of abuse by encouraging endurance rather than reconfiguring one’s actions through emancipation to promote transformative change (Oliveira, 2024). Its effect may vary widely based on individual background and personal circumstances, nevertheless, resilience is an important aspect of everyday life (Hawken et al., 2020), if managed and channeled properly. Given this foundational understanding of resilience, it is important to examine its application within the academic context because it significantly influences students’ academic performance, wellbeing, and ability to navigate challenges (Rachmawati et al., 2024).