×
Home Current Archive Editorial board
Instructions for papers
For Authors Aim & Scope Contact
Original scientific article

AN ECOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK OF STUDENT RESILIENCE IN THE POST-PANDEMIC CONTEXT

By
Bobby Pudukaden Orcid logo ,
Bobby Pudukaden

Research scholar, Department of Management, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education , Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu , India

A. Martin Jayaraj Orcid logo
A. Martin Jayaraj

Professor, Department of Management, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education , Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu , India

Abstract

The paper examines the impact of online communities, learning environment, family harmony, and health habits, and their effects on student resilience and work-life balance in post-pandemic Kerala. It also studies the mediation effect of resilience between these factors and academic adaptability, as well as well-being. A mixed-method sequential design was used. The quantitative data were sampled through 5-point Likert structured surveys on 510 students (15-17 years) in 229 schools of Thrissur District under higher secondary stratified by gender, place, and school type. Online engagement, learning environment, family harmony, and health habits were used as independent variables, resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), and work-life balance (SWLB) were used as dependent variables. The analysis of data was done using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and structural equation modeling (SEM). Semi-structured interviews were used to collect qualitative information that helps to put survey findings into perspective. There were moderate and significant positive relationships between online communities, learning, family, and health (r = 0.607 -0.691, p < 0.001). Learning (r = 0.723), online communities (r = 0.714), health habits (r = 0.694), and family harmony (r = 0.643) had a strong correlation with resilience. There was a moderate correlation between work-life balance and online engagement (r = 0.397), learning (r = 0.375), health (r = 0.314), and family (r = 0.310). SEM established the good fit of the model in all the hypothesized relationships (CFI > 0.98, RMSEA < 0.025, SRMR < 0.03), which confirms the postulated four-factor resilience framework. There are many multidimensional outcomes of student resilience and work-life balance, which depend on the synergistic effect of digital engagement, learning environment, family support, and health habits. Holistic interventions of these domains can be used to boost adaptive and well-being in post-pandemic education settings.

References

1.
Tan WY, Chen JN, Lu SH, Liu CQ, Luo Q, Ma Y, Zhou Y, Wong TK, Chen HF, Song LQ, Miao CY. Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the Academic Resilience Scale-30 (C-ARS-30) in college students. Frontiers in  Psychology. 2024 Aug 7;15:1276618.
2.
Hards E, Loades ME, Higson‐Sweeney N, Shafran R, Serafimova T, Brigden A, Reynolds S, Crawley E,  Chatburn E, Linney C, McManus M. Loneliness and mental health in children and adolescents with pre existing mental health problems: A rapid systematic review. British Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2022 Jun;61(2):313-34.
3.
Deng J, Zhou F, Hou W, Heybati K, Lohit S, Abbas U, Silver Z, Wong CY, Chang O, Huang E, Zuo QK.  Prevalence of mental health symptoms in children and adolescents during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A  meta‐analysis. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2023 Feb;1520(1):53-73.
4.
Zoellner F, Erhart M, Napp AK, Reiss F, Devine J, Kaman A, Ravens-Sieberer U. Risk and protective  factors for mental health problems in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: results of  the longitudinal COPSY study. European child & adolescent psychiatry. 2025 Jun;34(6):1849-59.
5.
Pietrobelli A, Fearnbach N, Ferruzzi A, Vrech M, Heo M, Faith M, Pecoraro L, Zoller T, Antoniazzi F,  Piacentini G, Heymsfield SB. Effects of COVID‐19 lockdown on lifestyle behaviors in children with  obesity:  longitudinal  study update. Obesity Science & Practice. 2022 Aug;8(4):525-8.
6.
Grigorenko EL. The extraordinary “ordinary magic” of resilience. Development and Psychopathology.  2024 Dec;36(5):2481-98.
7.
Błaszczyk M, Kovalisko N, Pieńkowski P, Pachkovskyy Y, Ryniejska-Kiełdanowicz M. Coping with  adversity: mechanisms of resilience in Ukrainian universities during the Russian-Ukrainian War—a  perspective  from Lviv University students. Higher education. 2025 Jul 25:1-20.
8.
Sari OD, Rangkuti AA, Deasyanti D. A Systematic Review of Academic Buoyancy in Adolescents:  Psychological and Environmental Predictors of Educational Resilience. AL-ISHLAH: Jurnal Pendidikan.  2025 Dec 27;17(4).
9.
Diab A, Green E. Cultivating resilience and success: Support systems for novice teachers in diverse contexts. Education Sciences. 2024 Jun 30;14(7):711.
10.
Faghy MA, Tatler A, Chidley C, Fryer S, Stoner L, Laddu D, Arena R, Ashton RE. The physiologic benefits  of optimizing cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity–from the cell to systems level in a post pandemic  world.  Progress  in  cardiovascular  diseases.  2024  Mar  1;83:49-54.
11.
Sheng J, Ng DT, Tian P, Zheng Z. University students’ resilience in post-pandemic period: a socio ecological  perspective.  Frontiers  in  Psychology.  2025  May  9;16:1574153.
12.
Rossetto KR, Martin EM. “It’s always about challenging and supporting”: communicative processes of  resilience  in  higher  education.  Communication Education. 2022 Oct 2;71(4):305-26.
13.
Ranschaert R, Hughes H, Murphy A, Benson K. Creating virtual third spaces that foster students’ well being. Middle Grades Research Journal. 2024 Oct 24;13(3):29-43.
14.
Roest JJ, Welmers-Van de Poll MJ, Peer Van der Helm GH, Stams GJ, Hoeve M. A three-level meta analysis on the alliance-outcome association in child and adolescent psychotherapy. Research on Child and  Adolescent Psychopathology. 2023 Mar;51(3):275-93.
15.
Kim LE, Dundas S, Asbury K. ‘I think it’s been difficult for the ones that haven’t got as many resources in  their homes’: teacher concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on pupil learning and wellbeing. Teachers  and Teaching. 2024 Oct 2;30(7-8):884-99.
16.
Chen M, Yin W, Sung-Chan P, Wang Z, Shi J. The interactive role of family functioning among BMI status,  physical activity, and high-fat food in adolescents: evidence from Shanghai, China. Nutrients. 2022 Sep  29;14(19):4053.
17.
Ershadi M, Davis P, Newaz MT. Systematic review of resilience measures: construction management  graduates’ perspective. International journal of construction management. 2022 Aug 18;22(11):2037-50.
18.
Oroni CZ, Xianping F. Modelling the mediation role of digital learning platforms on social media capability  and students’ academic performance. Education and Information Technologies. 2024 Jul;29(10):11979 2000.
19.
Eichberger C, Derks D, Zacher H. A daily diary study on technology-assisted supplemental work,  unfinished tasks, and sleep: The role of problem-solving pondering. International Journal of Stress  Management. 2022 Feb;29(1):61.
20.
Cingel DP, Lauricella AR, Taylor LB, Stevens HR, Coyne SM, Wartella E. US adolescents’ attitudes  toward school, social connection, media use, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic:  Differences as a function of gender identity and school context. PLoS One. 2022 Oct 27;17(10):e0276737.
21.
Beratto L, Bressy L, Agostino S, Malandrone F, Brichetto G, Ponzano M. The effect of exercise on mental  health and health-related quality of life in individuals with multiple sclerosis: A Systematic review and  meta-analysis.  Multiple  Sclerosis  and  Related  Disorders.  2024  Mar 1;83:105473.
22.
Gayatri M, Irawaty DK. Family resilience during COVID-19 pandemic: A literature review. The Family  Journal. 2022 Apr;30(2):132-8.
23.
Ribeiro-Silva E, Amorim C, Aparicio-Herguedas JL, Batista P. Trends of active learning in higher  education and students’ well-being: A literature review. Frontiers in Psychology. 2022 Apr 18;13:844236.
24.
Subramaniam PR, Wuest DA. Moving from detachment to connectedness: Student trauma and relationship  building.  International  Journal  of  Physical  Education.  2022  Mar 10;59(1):30-6.
25.
Zaitouni M, Hewapathirana G, Mostafa M, Al Hajj R, ElMelegy AR. Work-life balance: A landscape  mapping of two decades of scholarly research. Heliyon. 2024 Jul 30;10(14). .

Citation

This is an open access article distributed under the  Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (CC BY-NC) License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. 

Article metrics

Google scholar: See link

The statements, opinions and data contained in the journal are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publisher and the editor(s). We stay neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.