Academic resilience, mental toughness, and academic performance: interrelations and differences by students’ gender and origin (sports vs non-sports)

Authors

  • Ibrahim Ibrahim Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
  • Suharjana Suharjana Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
  • Widiyanto Widiyanto Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
  • Ilham Kamaruddin Universitas Negeri Makassar
  • Ramdan Pelana Universitas Negeri Jakarta
  • Sutoro Sutoro Universitas Cenderawasih
  • Evi Sinaga Universitas Cenderawasih
  • Rodhi Rusdianto Hidayat Universitas Cenderawasih
  • Ermelinda Yersin Putri Larung Universitas Cenderawasih
  • Bayu Budi Prakoso Universitas Negeri Surabaya
  • Rhavy Ferdyan Universitas Negeri Padang
  • Miftah Fariz Prima Putra Universitas Cenderawasih

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v68.116689

Keywords:

Academic performance, academic resilience, educational psychology, mental toughness, sports student

Abstract

Introduction: Not many studies attempt to examine in depth how the role of academic resilience (AR) and mental toughness (MT) on academic performance (AP) is reviewed based on differences in students’ gender and origin (sports and non-sports).

Objective: This study aims to explore in depth the relationship between age, AR, MT, and AP in sports and non-sports students.

Methodology: A total of 175 students participated in this study, but 166 students (male = 64 or 38.55%; female = 102 or 61.45%) were analyzed further. Based on the origin of the study program, 81 (48.80%) students came from sports study programs, while 85 (51.20%) came from non-sports study programs. The average age of respondents was 18.87±0.77 years. The research data was taken using the Academic Resilience Scale (ARS), Mental Toughness Index (MTI), and GPA.

Results: There is a significant relationship between AR and MT (r = 0.691; p < .001), while the age and AP variables are not corelated (p > .05). There is a significant difference in AP based on gender (F = 30.485; p < .001) and origin of study program (F = 50.522; p < .001), but there is no significant difference in the AR and MT variables (p > .05).

Conclusions: This study has presented new evidence related to the interrelation of AP, AR, MT, and age variables. There is a significant correlation only in the AR variable with MT, while there is no significant relationship in the other variables. In addition, significant differences were only found in AP, while there were no differences in AR and MT, either based on students’ gender or origin (sports and non-sports).

References

Almulla, M. O. (2024). Academic Resilience and Its Relationships With Academic Achievement Among Students of King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia. Revista de Gestao Social e Ambiental, 18(9), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.24857/rgsa.v18n9-134

Amoadu, M., Agormedah, E. K., Obeng, P., Srem-Sai, M., Hagan, J. E., & Schack, T. (2024). Gender Differences in Academic Resilience and Well-Being among Senior High School Students in Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Analysis. Children, 11(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/children11050512

Andrews, P., & Chen, M. A. (2014). Gender Differences in Mental Toughness and Coping with Injury in Runners. Journal of Athletic Enhancement, 3(6), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.4172/2324-9080.1000183

Bagdžiūnienė, D., Žukauskaitė, I., Bulotaitė, L., & Sargautytė, R. (2025). Study and personal resources of university students’ academic resilience and the relationship with positive psychological outcomes. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1517359. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1517359

Bonanno, G. A. (2021). The resilience paradox. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1942642

Choo, O. Z. H., & Prihadi, K. (2019). Academic resilience as mediator of multidimensional perfectionism and academic performance among gen-Z undergraduate students. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 8(4), 637–646. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v8i4.20340

Clair-Thompson, H. S., Giles, R., McGeown, S. P., Putwain, D., Clough, P., & Perry, J. (2017). Mental toughness and transitions to high school and to undergraduate study. Educational Psychology, 37(7), 792–809. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2016.1184746

Comeaux, E., & Harrison, K. C. (2011). A conceptual model of academic success for student-athletes. Educational Researcher, 40(5), 235–245. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X11415260

Cowden, R. G. (2017). Mental Toughness and Success in Sport: A Review and Prospect. The Open Sports Sciences Journal, 10(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.2174/1875399x01710010001

Crust, L., Earle, K., Perry, J., Earle, F., Clough, A., & Clough, P. J. (2014). Mental toughness in higher education: Relationships with achievement and progression in first-year university sports students. Personality and Individual Differences, 69, 87–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.05.016

Erdogan, E., Ozdogan, O., & Erdogan, M. (2015). University Students’ Resilience Level: The Effect of Gender and Faculty. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 186, 1262–1267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.047

Evenseth, L. L., Sydnes, M., & Gausdal, A. H. (2022). Building Organizational Resilience Through Organizational Learning: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Communication, 7, 837386. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2022.837386

Fang, G., Chan, P. W. K., & Kalogeropoulos, P. (2020). Social support and academic achievement of Chinese low-income children: A mediation effect of academic resilience. International Journal of Psychological Research, 13(1), 19–28. https://doi.org/10.21500/20112084.4480

Fauzee, M. S. ., Saputra, Y., Samad, N., & Gheimi, Z. (2012). Mental toughness among footballers: A case study. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2(1), 639–658.

Finn, J. D., & Rock, D. A. (1997). Academic success among students at risk for school failure. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82(2), 221–234. https://doi.org/10.1037//0021-9010.82.2.221

Gabrielli, G., Longobardi, S., & Strozza, S. (2022). The academic resilience of native and immigrant-origin students in selected European countries. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 48(10), 2347–2368. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2021.1935657

Gaston-Gayles, J. L. (2005). The factor structure and reliability of the Student Athletes’ Motivation toward Sports and Academics Questionnaire (SAMSAQ). Journal of College Student Development, 46(3), 317–327. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2005.0025

Gerber, M., Brand, S., Feldmeth, A. K., Lang, C., Elliot, C., Holsboer-Trachsler, E., & Pühse, U. (2013). Adolescents with high mental toughness adapt better to perceived stress: A longitudinal study with Swiss vocational students. Personality and Individual Differences, 54(7), 808–814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.12.003

Gil, S. V. (2024). The Influence of Gender on Academic Performance and Psychological Resilience, and the Relationship Between Both: Understanding the Differences Through Gender Stereotypes. Trends in Psychology, 1, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43076-024-00370-7

Global Education Monitoring Team. (2018). Meeting our commitments to gender equality in education: Global Education Monitoring Report 2018. In Unesco. Paris: UNCESCO.

Gucciardi, D. F. (2017). Mental toughness: progress and prospects. Current Opinion in Psychology, 16(16), 17–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.03.010

Gucciardi, D. F., Hanton, S., Gordon, S., Mallett, C. J., & Temby, P. (2014). The Concept of Mental Toughness: Tests of Dimensionality, Nomological Network, and Traitness. Journal of Personality, 83(1), 26–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12079

Guntoro, T. S., & Putra, M. F. P. (2022). Athletes’ religiosity: How it plays a role in athletes’ anxiety and life satisfaction. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 78(1), a7802. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v78i1.7802

Guntoro, T. S., Sutoro, Pahabol, N., Nopiyanto, Y. E., Numberi, G. K. I., Zainuri, A., … Putro, M. F. P. (2025). Indonesian Version of the Short Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ): Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance. Pamukkale Journal of Sport Sciences, 16(1), 1–21.

Guntoro, T. S., Wandik, Y., Sutoro, Kristiyandaru, A., Kamaruddin, I., Mashud, … Putra, M. F. P. (2024). Online Lectures for Sports and Non-Sports Study Program Students: Interrelation of Attitudes, Involvement, Satisfaction, Happiness, and Learning Achievement. Retos, 57(2020), 371–378. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v57.107222

Hartmann, S., Weiss, M., Newman, A., & Hoegl, M. (2020). Resilience in the Workplace: A Multilevel Review and Synthesis. Applied Psychology, 69(3), 913–959. https://doi.org/10.1111/apps.12191

Herdi, H., & Ristianingsih, F. (2022). Perbedaan Resiliensi Mahasiswa Rantau Ditinjau Berdasarkan Gegar Budaya. INSIGHT: Jurnal Bimbingan Konseling, 10(1), 30–40. https://doi.org/10.21009/insight.101.05

Iddekinge, C. H. V., Arnold, J. D., Krivacek, S. J., Frieder, R. E., & Roth, P. L. (2024). Making the grade? A meta-analysis of academic performance as a predictor of work performance and turnover. Journal of Applied Psychology, 109(12), 1972– 1993. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001212

Jones, G., Hanton, S., & Connaughton, D. (2007). A framework of mental toughness in the world’s best performers. Sport Psychologist, 21(2), 243–264. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.21.2.243

Katsantonis, I. (2020). Factors Associated with Psychological Well-Being and Stress: A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Psychological Well-Being and Gender Differences in a Population of Teachers. Pedagogical Research, 5(4), em0066. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/8235

Kumalasari, D. (2023). Academic Resilience among Indonesian College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Future Orientation and Peer Support. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, 21(61), 541–558. https://doi.org/10.25115/EJREP.V21I61.7945

Lin, Y., Mutz, J., Clough, P. J., & Papageorgiou, K. A. (2017). Mental toughness and individual differences in learning, educational and work performance, psychological well-being, and personality: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01345

Luthar, S. S., Cicchetti, D., & Becker, B. (2000). The construct of resilience: a critical evaluation and guidelines for future work. Child Development, 71(3), 543–562. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00164

Martin, A. (2002). Motivation and academic resilience: Developing a model for student enhancement. Australian Journal OfEducation, 46(1), 34–49. https://doi.org/10.1177/000494410204600104

Martin, A. J., & Marsh, H. W. (2006). Academic resilience and its psychological and educational correlates: A construct validity approach. Psychology in the Schools, 43(3), 267–281. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20149

Martin, A. J., & Marsh, H. W. (2008). Academic buoyancy: Towards an understanding of students’ everyday academic resilience. Journal of School Psychology, 46(1), 53–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2007.01.002

Meneghel, I., Martínez, I. M., Salanova, M., & de Witte, H. (2019). Promoting academic satisfaction and performance: Building academic resilience through coping strategies. Psychology in the Schools, 56(6), 875–890. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22253

Mwangi, C. N., Okatcha, F. M., Kinai, T. K., & Ireri, A. M. (2015). Relationship between Academic Resilience and Academic Achievement among Secondary School Students in Kiambu County, Kenya. International Journal of School and Cognitive Psychology, 1(2), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.4172/2469-9837.s2-003

Nasir, F., Almuraikhi, A., Alkusayer, A., Saeed, F., Alkushi, A., Alowfi, A. S., … Nasir, F. (2025). Assessing Gender Differences in the Students’ Academic Performance, Aptitude, Emotional Intelligence and Grit. Health Professions Education, 11(1), 55–63. https://doi.org/10.55890/2452-3011.1318

Ogunmakin, A. ., & Akomolafe, M. . (2013). Academic Self-Efficacy, Locus of Control and Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Ondo State, Nigeria. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 4(11), 570–576. https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n11p570

Panadero, E. (2017). A review of self-regulated learning: Six models and four directions for research. Frontiers in Psychology, 8(APR), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00422

Putra, M. F. P., Sutoro, Guntoro, T. S., Sinaga, E., Wanena, T., Rahayuni, K., … Wandik, Y. (2024). Cross-cultural adaptation of the psychological performance inventory-alternative (PPI-A) for the Indonesian context. Retos, 56, 990–997. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v56.103765

Putra, M. F. P., Sutoro, S., Zainuri, A., Numberi, G. K. I., Nurhidayah, D., & Kadir, A. (2025). Mental toughness training circle (MTTC): What is its impact on the mental toughness, anxiety, and academic performance of college-level athletes and non-athletes. Retos, 64, 866–876. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v64.109694

Putra, M. F. P., Sutoro, Wanena, T., Wandik, Y., Womsiwor, D., Dike, I. M., … Pahabol, N. (2024). Mental toughness: are there differences between athletes and non-athletes, education levels, and gender? Retos, 58, 516–521. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v58.107330

Richardson, M., Abraham, C., & Bond, R. (2012). Psychological correlates of university students’ academic performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 138(2), 353–387. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026838

Roth, P. L., BeVier, C. A., Switzer, F. S., & Schippmann, J. S. (1996). Meta-analyzing the relationship between grades and job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(5), 548–556. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.81.5.548

Simsek, B., Kartal, A., & Aktas, S. (2023). Mental Toughness Levels of Male and Female Football Players. Turkish Journal of Sport and Exercise, 25(1), 92–100. https://doi.org/10.15314/tsed.1245313

Southwick, S. M., Bonanno, G. A., Masten, A. S., Panter-Brick, C., & Yehuda, R. (2014). Resilience definitions, theory, and challenges: Interdisciplinary perspectives. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 5, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v5.25338

Sutoro, Guntoro, T. S., & Putra, M. F. P. (2023). Development and validation mental training model: Mental Toughness Training Circle (MTTC). F1000Reserach, 12(169), 1–36. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.129010.1

Wandik, Y., Sutoro, Putra, M. F. P., Dina, Guntoro, T. S., Wambrauw, O. O. O., … Hariadi, I. (2024). Interrelation of mental toughness, religiosity, and happiness of elite adolescent athletes based on gender, type of sport, and level of education. Retos, 56, 981–989. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v56.103469

Wieser, R., & Thiel, H. (2014). A survey of “ mental hardiness” and “ mental toughness” in professional male football players. Chiropractic and Manual Therapies, 22(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1186/2045-709X-22-17

Yoon, Y., Eisenstadt, M., Lereya, S. T., & Deighton, J. (2023). Gender difference in the change of adolescents’ mental health and subjective wellbeing trajectories. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 32(9), 1569–1578. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-022-01961-4

Downloads

Published

2025-06-21

How to Cite

Ibrahim, I., Suharjana, S., Widiyanto, W., Kamaruddin, I., Pelana, R., Sutoro, S., … Putra, M. F. P. (2025). Academic resilience, mental toughness, and academic performance: interrelations and differences by students’ gender and origin (sports vs non-sports). Retos, 68, 1775–1783. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v68.116689

Issue

Vol. 68 (2025)

Section

Original Research Article

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Ibrahim Ibrahim, Suharjana Suharjana, Widiyanto Widiyanto, Ilham Kamaruddin, Ramdan Pelana, Sutoro Sutoro, Evi Sinaga, Rodhi Rusdianto Hidayat, Ermelinda Yersin Putri Larung, Bayu Budi Prakoso, Rhavy Ferdyan, Miftah Fariz Prima Putra

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and ensure the magazine the right to be the first publication of the work as licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of authorship of the work and the initial publication in this magazine.
  2. Authors can establish separate additional agreements for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal (eg, to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Is allowed and authors are encouraged to disseminate their work electronically (eg, in institutional repositories or on their own website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as to a subpoena more Early and more of published work (See The Effect of Open Access) (in English).

This journal provides immediate open access to its content (BOAI, http://legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/boaifaq.htm#openaccess) on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. The authors may download the papers from the journal website, or will be provided with the PDF version of the article via e-mail.