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The effect of culture and belief systems on students’ academic buoyancy

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Abstract

Increasingly, learner motivation is implicated in student failure at universities. This has led to intense research into internal or external variables that might buoy resilience to failure. This research investigates the impact of strong cultural connectedness and strong belief systems on the academic buoyancy of international students studying at an Australian University. For this purpose, we surveyed 102 tertiary students at a Sydney university. Results demonstrate that, in the event of academic failure, students’ academic buoyancy remains high if they have support through strong cultural connections and from their belief systems. We further endeavored to identify if academic buoyancy was fed by intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. This research contributes to the understanding of the sources of strengths available to international students from primarily collective cultures studying overseas. There are implications for educational practice in terms of identifying students ‘at high risk’ if they are unable to draw strengths from cultural connections and belief systems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Study Group Australia, 63, Level 1, Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney, 2010, Australia

    Junu Dahal, P. W. C. Prasad, Angelika Maag & Abeer Alsadoon

  2. Multimedia University, Cyberjaya, Malaysia

    Lau Siong Hoe

Authors
  1. Junu Dahal
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  2. P. W. C. Prasad
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  3. Angelika Maag
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  4. Abeer Alsadoon
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  5. Lau Siong Hoe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. W. C. Prasad.

Appendix: Survey questions (28)

Appendix: Survey questions (28)

1. What is your country of origin?

2. Please indicate your age.

3. What is your Gender?

4. Level of study.

5. My commitment to my belief system is strong.

6. I think ‘fate’ controls my future.

7. Religion is important in my life.

8. I rely on my parents for help.

10. I ask for support from friends who have a similar cultural background.

11. My family is highly supportive of my degree.

12. In general, I am enthusiastic about doing academic tasks.

13. I have strong sense of connection with faculty and staff.

14. I am sure I can deal with the stress of study.

15. I have a strong belief in my own ability to be successful in my academic career.

16. In my culture, the decision is mostly taken by elders.

17. When I don’t succeed, I feel I am not good enough.

18. I feel less competent here than at home.

19. I feel like lecturers are distant and unapproachable.

20. I feel helpless when I don’t understand lecturers.

21. My belief gives me strengths to continue when I fail an assignment

22. I am comfortable asking lecturers for help.

23. I am keen to participate in anything that helps me study.

24. I am willing to speak up to defend my rights as a student.

25. The debt that I owe to my parents obliges me to do better.

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Dahal, J., Prasad, P.W.C., Maag, A. et al. The effect of culture and belief systems on students’ academic buoyancy. Educ Inf Technol 23, 1465–1482 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-017-9672-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-017-9672-4

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