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Effectiveness of resiliency training and its impact on life quality and academic performance
Author
Ng, Eng Poh
Supervisor
Hawkins, Russell (Russell Martin Francis)
Abstract
Various studies have found resilient individuals to be people with optimistic, zestful, and energetic approaches to life. These individuals have the capability to recover from adversities, and adapt well to changing demands of stressful experiences. As the interest to improve resilience grows, training programmes that endeavour to enhance participants’ resiliency levels are starting to gain popularity. One such programme is the Adaptiv Resiliency Training (ART) programme delivered in Singapore by the Centre for Cognitive Technologies Pte Ltd. The purposes of the current study are to address the concern about effectiveness of the ART programme in the Singapore context, and how useful this programme is at enhancing students’ life quality and academic performance.
There are four aims to the current study. The first aim is to assess whether a student who is not performing well academically could still be a happy and resilient student, while the second aim is to evaluate whether there is a correlation between locus of control and resilience level. The third aim is to evaluate whether the ART programme delivered in Singapore is effective in enhancing participants’ resiliency levels, and the fourth aim is to assess whether the US-based norms established for instruments used in the current study are applicable to the Singapore context.
Participants in the current study comprised of 139 Diploma in Accountancy students from a local Singaporean polytechnic, and 59 teachers from a local secondary school. Through self-report questionnaires, resilience levels of the students were correlated with their academic results and life quality indices, and changes in resiliency and life quality indices of the teachers were tracked as they went through the ART programme. As such, a mixed design is used for this study, with a between-subject design adopted for the students group, and a within-subject repeated-measure design adopted for the teachers group. Based on responses from the students group, a factor analysis was performed and a revised resiliency measuring scale was proposed.
Findings from the current study showed that although resiliency may not be a good gauge for academic performance, and that academically stronger students may not be more satisfied with life than academically weaker students, high-resilient students were found to be more satisfied and hopeful about life. Assessment of the locus of control showed that although Asians are high in internal locus of control, an indication of low-ego protection and a “vulnerable factor” for the development of depression, they are not plagued with depression but are, on the contrary, able to be resilient when faced with adversities. Subject to the limiting factors identified, results from evaluating the ART programme revealed increases in hopefulness and life satisfaction indices, reductions in burnout level, and enhancement in resiliency level of participants after attending the training session. Finally, analysis of the norms of instruments used in the current study showed that the US-based norms are not culturally biased, and could be adopted for local usage.
In conclusion, based on findings from the current study after due consideration of the limitations identified, it was suggested that schools keen on enhancing life quality of students could consider adopting a formal resiliency training programme.
There are four aims to the current study. The first aim is to assess whether a student who is not performing well academically could still be a happy and resilient student, while the second aim is to evaluate whether there is a correlation between locus of control and resilience level. The third aim is to evaluate whether the ART programme delivered in Singapore is effective in enhancing participants’ resiliency levels, and the fourth aim is to assess whether the US-based norms established for instruments used in the current study are applicable to the Singapore context.
Participants in the current study comprised of 139 Diploma in Accountancy students from a local Singaporean polytechnic, and 59 teachers from a local secondary school. Through self-report questionnaires, resilience levels of the students were correlated with their academic results and life quality indices, and changes in resiliency and life quality indices of the teachers were tracked as they went through the ART programme. As such, a mixed design is used for this study, with a between-subject design adopted for the students group, and a within-subject repeated-measure design adopted for the teachers group. Based on responses from the students group, a factor analysis was performed and a revised resiliency measuring scale was proposed.
Findings from the current study showed that although resiliency may not be a good gauge for academic performance, and that academically stronger students may not be more satisfied with life than academically weaker students, high-resilient students were found to be more satisfied and hopeful about life. Assessment of the locus of control showed that although Asians are high in internal locus of control, an indication of low-ego protection and a “vulnerable factor” for the development of depression, they are not plagued with depression but are, on the contrary, able to be resilient when faced with adversities. Subject to the limiting factors identified, results from evaluating the ART programme revealed increases in hopefulness and life satisfaction indices, reductions in burnout level, and enhancement in resiliency level of participants after attending the training session. Finally, analysis of the norms of instruments used in the current study showed that the US-based norms are not culturally biased, and could be adopted for local usage.
In conclusion, based on findings from the current study after due consideration of the limitations identified, it was suggested that schools keen on enhancing life quality of students could consider adopting a formal resiliency training programme.
Date Issued
2006
Call Number
BF698.35.R47 Ng
Date Submitted
2006