International Journal of Education and Research Vol. 6 No.

3 March 2018

Academic Resilience as a Predictor of Academic Burnout among Form Four

Students in Homa-Bay County, Kenya

Syprine Aoko Oyoo, PhD Student

Kenyatta University, Department of Educational Psychology
P.O. Box 43844-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254-725281348
[email protected]

(Corresponding Author)

Dr. Peter Mucheru Mwaura, PhD, Senior Lecturer

Kenyatta University, Department of Educational Psychology
P.O. Box 43844-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254-721425743
[email protected]

Dr. Theresia Kinai, PhD, Senior Lecturer

Kenyatta University, Department of Educational Psychology
P.O. Box 43844-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254-721343236
[email protected]

Abstract
Academic burnout has become one of the most common problems in institutions of learning. It
negatively affects students’ wellbeing, creativity and effectiveness in educational settings. This
study was therefore designed to establish the extent to which academic resilience predicts academic
burnout among form four students in Homa-Bay County, Kenya. The study was guided by
conservation of resource theory. A correlational research design was adopted. A sample of 714 was
selected from thirty one public secondary schools. Data collection was through questionnaires
adapted from Resilience Scale (RS14) and Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS).
Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Data was analyzed using both Pearson
Correlation Moment Coefficient and hierarchical regression techniques. Results revealed a negative
statistical correlation between academic resilience and academic burnout (r (712) = -.24, p <. 05)
and academic burnout was negatively and significantly predicted by academic resilience (β = -.21, p
< .05). These findings have implications for teachers and school administrators in enhancing and
enforcing programs that train students on resilience skills.

Keywords: Academic Resilience; Academic Burnout; High school students

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1.1 Introduction
Education is progressively driven by measurable goals and objectives. As such, learners are made to
meet standards already set for them by the institutions where they learn, or by the high entry
requirements set by higher institutions of learning. In view of this, learners spend a significant
amount of time of their school life on demanding academic activities that they hope would make
them accomplish their academic goals. In the process, they may get emotionally and physically
exhausted. According to Schaufeli, Pinto, Salanova and Bakker (2002) when learners are exposed
to long term situations that seem to be physically and emotionally demanding, their mental and
physical energy tend to get depleted, leading to academic burnout. Academic burnout can be
defined in variety of ways, but the most widely used definition is that by Schaufeli, Pinto, Salanova
and Bakker (2002) describing it as a kind of feeling of exhaustion arising from academic
requirements and demands accompanied by disinterested attitudes and pessimistic feelings about
assignments. Academic burnout has been viewed as comprising of three main sub-categories such
as; emotional exhaustion, cynicism and academic inefficiency. Emotional exhaustion arises from
the academic pressure exerted upon the students due to competitive nature of academics and the
need to excel. Cynicism on the other hand emerges when learners are either disappointed or
frustrated by failure to excel as expected. Indeed academic burnout has become one of the most
common problems in institutions of learning in Kenya (Kay & Wanjohi n.d.; Winga, Agak & Ayere
2016). It has been brought about by fear of failure, competition and pride that has pushed parents
and teachers to put in place coercive activities that exert enormous pressure on the learners to excel
in the academic field. For instance, various high schools have resorted to remedial teaching that is
carried out after normal teaching hours, holiday tuition and rigorous weekly tests aimed at helping
learners pass their examinations (Maithya & Mutua, 2015). Under these conditions, students
become suscepible to academic burnout which is manifested in the form of absenteeism, high drop
out rate and low academic achievement (Rahmati 2015; Salmela-Aro & Upadyaya, 2014).

Homa-Bay County, which is the study location of this work, experiences declining academic pass
rates in the national examinations. Over the last three years there has been an increase in
candidature in KCSE examinations from 13,700 in 2014 to 16,470 in 2016. This increase in
candidature has not translated into an increase in the number of students who obtain the minimum
grade of C+ required for university entry, with the highest drop registered in 2016. Candidates who
obtained between grades A to C+ dropped from 39.3% in 2014 to 16.9% in 2016. Over the same
period, the county has posted an average of 26 % of students who obtained grade D and below in
the national examinations. This average is slightly lower than the national average of 36%. Many
factors have been attributed to low academic grades in the region over the years, amongst them;
principals' leadership styles (Obama, Akinyi, & Orodho, 2015), student characteristics (Ogweno,
Kathuri, & Obara, 2014) and interpersonal conflicts (Ayoma, 2013).

Many studies have revealed that academic achievement is determined by many factors, but little has
been done on how academic burnout relates to students' academic achievement in the region. It is
evident from empirical studies that students who experience academic burnout perform poorly in
academic activities (Akbay and Akbay, 2016; Salanova, Schaufeli, Martinez, & Breso, 2010; Winga
et al., 2016). Kay and Wanjohi (n.d) observed that students who experience academic burnout
exhibit characteristics such as; negative perceptions of the learning environment, high levels of
perceived workload, lack of enthusiasm in what they are studying, inability to constantly attend
classes, lack of participation in class activities and meaninglessness in academic activities, resulting
in poor academic performance. It is based on the aforementioned literature that the current study

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investigated resilience as a predictor of academic burnout among high school students. Studies have
revealed that students who have high academic resilience are able to withstand stressful academic
activities (García-Izquierdo et al. 2015; Kamalpour, Azizzadeh-Forouzi & Tirgary, 2017; Kotzé &
Kleynhans, 2014).

Academic resilience is a concept that focuses on strengths and optimal functioning of learners.
Jensen, Trollope, Waters and Everson (2008) defined resilience as a positive attitude and effective
strategy that one employs in response to stressors. Although learners experience the same
challenging or threatening circumstances, academically resilient learners are able to turn stressful
events into opportunities for personal growth and benefit (Santhosh & James, 2013). Accordingly,
they possess the capacity for successful adaptation, and their responses to the demands do not
impair their abilities, instead they bounce back with enhanced competencies (Santhosh & James,
2013). This implies that academically resilient students are likely to sustain high level of academic
motivation and performance in spite of the challenging conditions that put them at risk of doing
poorly in academics. Emperical research has also shown that academic resilience plays a
moderating role in academic burnout (García-Izquierdo et al., 2015), and it can significantly predict
students’ academic achievement (Abolmaali & Mahmudi, 2013; Mwangi, Okatcha, Kinai, & Ireri,
2015). Resilience may be one of the important resources that help students minimize the effects of
academic burnout.
Although academic burnout is a well-documented phenomenon, there have been few attempts to
examine academic resilience as its predictor among high school students in the Kenyan context.
Few educational researchers have investigated the relationship between academic resilience,
academic motivation and academic achievement in Kenya (Mwangi et al., 2015; Mutweleli, 2014).
However, these studies were conducted in different geographical regions and the variables were not
studied in relation to academic burnout. Other researchers have also made great effort to unravel the
causes of high dropout rate, absenteeism and poor academic achievement in Homa-Bay County
(Ogweno et al., 2014; Ojwang, 2012; Ololtua, 2012) but the findings have not been conclusive.
Winga et al. (2016) for instance, explored academic burnout in relation to gender and academic
achievement, but the study did not focus on academic resilience as an antecedent of academic
burnout among high school students.

1.2 The Statement of the Problem

Over the past three years, the county has registered relatively large number of students who sit for
national examinations but obtain grades that are below the minimum requirement for post-
secondary education. Poor performance of students in any educational endeavor is a matter of
concern. This is because success in education is the springboard to the attainment of Sustainable
Development Goals (SDG), as well as social mobility. Local studies (Mwangi et al., 2015;
Mutweleli, 2014). Ogweno et al., 2014; Ojwang, 2012; Ololtua, 2012; Winga et al. 2016) have
explored various factors that affect learners’ academic achievement. However, little attention has
been paid to other factors such as academic burnout that may also influence academic achievement
in the County. The central problem of this study was to explore academic resilience as a predictor of
academic burnout. Research has revealed that academic resilience is a resource that can be nurtured
to enable students cope in the face of academic challenges and avoid the negative effects of
academic burnout. Although extant literature has revealed a relationship between academic
resilience and academic burnout, much of the available research has been conducted in other
countries such as Spain, China, South Africa, and Nigeria among others. The extent to which such
results can be generalized considering the differences in cultural settings cannot be ascertained

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without conducting proper investigations. Moreover, available studies in Kenya have focused on
how academic resilience predicts academic achievement. Little attention has been paid to how
academic resilience predicts academic burnout. Therefore this study attempts to fill this gap.

1.3 Purpose and Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this study was to establish whether academic resilience predict academic
burnout of form four students in Homa-Bay County.

Objectives of the Study

i. To determine the relationship between academic resilience and academic burnout
ii. Establish the extent to which academic resilience predicts academic burnout.

1.4 Theoretical Framework

The study used conservation of resource theory by Hobfoll (1989) to explain some of the internal
and external resources that students use to cope with challenging situations within their learning
environment. Conservation of resource theory (COR) rests on the basic tenet that individuals strive
to obtain, retain, foster and protect resources for their well-being and positive sense of self.
Resources are entities that have intrinsic and instrumental value. Hobfoll cites personal resources
such as; self-efficacy, self-esteem, resilience, motivation and optimism. Other resources include,
supportive social networks from parents, teachers, peers and significant others and energy
resources. Personal resources together with supportive social support networks are related to overall
wellbeing of students. Energies are resources valued for their aid in obtaining other resources.
According to Hobfoll, the more resources people have at their disposal, the more the demands are
perceived as less taxing and productive coping strategies are employed in dealing with them.
Accordingly, Hobfoll (2002) asserts that “…the degree to which individuals appraise something as
threatening, and the coping choices they make, are largely determined by the resources they have”
(p.312). Consequently, any persistent threat to valued resources is more likely to culminate into
burnout (Hobfoll, 1989).

On the basis of this theory therefore, academic burnout may be described in terms of resource loss.
Resources could be lost due to high levels of academic demands exerted on students threatening
their ability to maintain academic resilience as a personal resource that may help them cope. If the
rate at which these demands use students’ resources is greater than the rate at which they are
replenished, then there is likelihood that students may experience academic burnout. Hobfoll (2011)
postulated that students with greater resources are less vulnerable to resource loss and more capable
of orchestrating resource gain to guard them against academic burnout. COR theory therefore
provides a comprehensive approach to the concept of academic burnout. The Theory has been used
by other researchers in explaining the concept of burnout and engagement among students. Alarcon
(2011) conducted a meta-analysis on job demands, resources and attitudes and their relation with
burnout in regard to COR theory, and revealed that higher demands, lower resources and lower
adaptive organizational attitudes were associated with burnout. Zhang, Klassen and Wang (2013)
also used COR theory among 730 Chinese middle school student. The results maintained that,
individuals experience burnout when requirements and resources are unbalanced.

2.1 Review of Related Literature

Many studies have been conducted in the area of academic resilience and academic burnout.
Kamalpour, Azizzadeh-Forouzi and Tirgary (2017) conducted a descriptive correlational study on

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academic resilience and academic burnout among nursing students drawn from Kerman University
in Iran. The study involved 161 participants whose ages ranged between 19 to 24 years, with a
sampled population consisting of both male (37.3%) and female (62.7 %). The results revealed a
significant relationship between academic burnout and academic resilience among students.
Students who had higher resilience reported lower burnout. Since this study used university students
taking a nursing course, such students are assumed to be self-determined and goal oriented due to
their age and level of schooling. There was likelihood that these students must have acquired more
skills that help them navigate the challenges within their learning environment. With that in mind,
the current study was necessary to explore the predictive value of academic resilience on academic
burnout to find out if academic resilience varied in terms of level of schooling and age. This was
hoped to expand the scope to which the results can be generalized.

Yaghoobi, Mokhtaran and Mohammadzadeh (2017) found that resilience has an important role in
academic achievement among high school students in Hamadan, in Iran. The study was carried out
with the aim of anticipating academic burnout based on cognitive styles and psychological
resilience. Using multivariate regression analysis to establish the predictive value of cognitive styles
and psychological resilience, results indicated that psychological resilience was a significant
predictor, in determining students’ academic burnout. Yaghoobi et al. (2017) argued that academic
resilience can be seen in terms of self-efficiency that learners use to prevent many problems within
a learning environment, including academic burnout.

García-Izquierdo et al. (2015) conducted a research with the aim of analyzing the role of resilience
in the dimensions of academic burnout syndrome and psychological health. The participants were
drawn from undergraduate nursing students at a university in Spain. The sampled population
included 218 students whose ages ranged between 19 and 50 years. Out of the sampled
population, 75.7% were female and 24.3% were male. Using descriptive statistics and Pearson
correlation coefficients, results revealed that there was a significant negative relationship between
resilience and emotional exhaustion dimension of burnout. The study further revealed a direct
relationship between resilience and academic efficacy. Students having higher level of resilience
obtained higher scores in academic efficacy and lower score in emotional exhaustion. Resilience
was observed to play a moderating role between emotional exhaustion and psychological health.
The study concluded that resilience is an individual skill used to face unfavorable situations and can
be conceived as a modifiable personal feature which can be learnt and developed.

The relationship between academic resilience and academic burnout can also be inferred from a
study by Kotzé and Kleynhans, (2014). The study investigated aspects of psychological well-being
and resilience as predictors of the academic achievement of a group of first year students at a higher
education institution, in South Africa. The sample consisted of 789 students of whom 43% were
female and 57% male. Data was analyzed using stepwise multiple regressions to determine whether
burnout, engagement and resilience were significant predictors of academic achievement. The
results showed that academic resilience, emotional exhaustion and cynicism were significant
predictors of academic achievement. This study did not investigate the direct relationship between
academic resilience and academic burnout, which was the major focus of the current study.
Whereas the sample was drawn from university students, the present study drew its sample
population from high school students to compare results using different age groups.

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Locally, not much has been done on academic resilience as a predictor of academic burnout among
high school students, but the importance of academic resilience can be inferred from a study on
academic resilience and academic achievement. Mwangi et al. (2015) investigated the relationship
between academic resilience and academic achievement among 390 form three students in Kiambu
County. The participants comprised of 192 females and 198 males. The age of the sampled
population ranged between 15 to 26 years. The results revealed a strong and positive correlation
between academic resilience and academic achievement. Further analysis indicated that among the
six sub-scales of academic resilience, sense of meaning and purpose, high expectations, autonomy
and sense of self had a high positive predictive value on academic achievement. Although this study
used a sample drawn from high school students, it did not investigate how academic resilience
predicts academic burnout. This concern was addressed in the current study.

3.1 Research Design and Methodology

The study used a correlational research design.

3.2 Participants
The study involved 714 form four students drawn from 307 public secondary schools, in Homa-Bay
County, Kenya. The participants mean age was 18.11 with a standard deviation of 1.49, ranging
from 15 to 23 years. More than half (66. 7%) of the participants were aged between 18 and 20
years. Those aged between 15 and 17 years accounted for 31.5 % while only 1.8% was in the age
bracket of 21-23 years. A Majority of the participants were drawn from boys’ boarding schools
representing nearly 41.6% of the total participants, followed by participants from co-educational
day schools (34%) and girls’ boarding schools (24.4%). Subsequently, more males (436)
constituting 61.1% than females 278 (38.9%), participated in the study. The choice for form four
was informed by the fact that they were already preparing for national examinations (KCSE) and
they were likely to experience the greatest amount of pressure for good academic performance.
Such pressure may require students to have some aspects of academic resilience to enable them
cope.

3.3 Measures
A researcher-developed questionnaire was used to collect data on the participants’ demographic
information on sex, age and type of school; whether boarding school or day school. Academic
resilience and academic burnout were measured using adapted scales. The Short form RS -14
developed by Wagnild (2009) consisted of 14 items which measured academic resilience in five
sub-scales namely: Confidence/self-reliance, Sense of purpose, Equanimity, Perseverance
(commitment) and Authenticity. The RS-14 items were all positively worded. It was scored at a 6-
point Likert scale ranging from 1 point for completely disagree to 6 points for completely agree.
The reliability of the original instrument was reported to range from 0.72 to 0.94. In this study, the
reliability of the instrument using Cronbach’s Alpha reliabilities was found to be 0.68. The
comparatively low reliability compared to the original instrument could be attributed to cultural and
age differences.

Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS) (Schaufeli, Martinez, Pinto & Bakker 2002),
consisted of fifteen (15) items. The Instrument measures burnout on three subscales; Emotional
exhaustion (5 items), cynical attitude towards academic work (4 items), and academic efficacy (6
items). All the items measuring emotional exhaustion and cynicism are negatively worded where as
those measuring academic efficacy are positively worded, therefore they were reverse coded. MBI-

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SS is scored at 7-point Likert scale ranging from 0 point for never to 6 points for always. Higher
score of 30 on emotional exhaustion, higher score of 24 on cynicism and lower score of 6 on
efficacy was indicative of higher levels of burnout. Schaufeli et al... (2002) reported good internal
consistency reliability of MBI-SS at 0.86 across many samples. In the current study, internal
consistency was measured using Cronbach alpha and it was found to be 0.78.This was found to be
within the acceptable threshold, making it to be adapted by the researcher.

3.4 Procedure
The first step of the study involved piloting the study tools among 38 (19 boys and 19 girls)
randomly selected students drawn from a co-educational day school in Homa- Bay County. The
selected school did not participate in the main study. The pilot study was necessary to ensure that
the items were of the right difficulty level, and the time needed to complete the questionnaire was
adequate. The process helped the researcher address ambiguities in the questionnaire. Using
information from the pilot study, some changes were made and incorporated in the instruments to
suit the current study population. Finally, the process helped in enhancing the reliability and the
validity of the research instruments. In order to select the sample, thirty one schools were first
selected and then from each school, simple random sampling technique was employed to get the
sample population required for the study.
Data was collected using a group administered survey on a normal working day, during normal
class hours. After the students were assembled in the school hall, they were briefed about the broad
aims of the study, how their confidentiality was going to be ensured and instructions on how to fill
the questionnaire using paper and pencil method. Enough time was given to the participants to
complete the exercise. The questionnaires were collected on the same day, at the end of the session.

4.1 Results
The following table summarizes the descriptive analysis of academic resilience and academic
burnout showing the mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis.

Table 1
Range Min Max M SD Sk Kur
ARGS 54.00 41.00 95.00 74.48 9.29 -.47 .18
ABGS 73.00 6.00 79.00 31.99 18.79 1.03 -.09
Note. N = 714; Note. N = 714; ARGS = Academic Resilience Global Score; ABGS = Academic
Burnout Global Scores; Min = Minimum; Max = Maximum; M = Mean; SD = Standard Deviation;
Sk = Skewness; Kur = Kurtosis

Table 1 indicates that the mean for academic resilience was high (M = 74.48, SD = 9.29). All the
participants rated themselves highly in the academic resilience scale as indicated by the coefficient
of skewness which was recorded at -.47. The participants experienced low academic burnout as
evidenced by the overall mean (M = 31.99, SD = 18.79). This may imply that many students can
successfully retain and sustain their inner resources that cushion them against academic burnout. To
gain more understanding on how the participants responded to the variables under study, descriptive
analysis of academic resilience and academic burnout by school type, sex and age were also done as
presented Table 2.

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Table 2
Descriptive Statistics for Academic Resilience and Academic Burnout Scores by School Type, Sex
and Age
Academic Resilience Academic Burnout
M SD Sk M SD Sk
GB 76.82 8.84 -.63 25.94 13.50 1.60
Type of School BB 75.24 8.87 -.35 32.45 19.92 .94
CD 71.88 9.52 -.47 35.77 19.59 .77
Boys 74.44 9.38 -.49 33.69 19.93 .86
Sex
Girls 74.55 9.16 -.53 29.32 16.53 1.32
15-17 75.58 9.53 -.66 29.87 17.48 1.22
Age (years) 18-20 74.14 8.95 -.36 32.59 19.09 .98
21-23 68.08 13.51 .08 46.46 22.94 -.05
Note. N = 714; GB = Girls’ Boarding schools; BB = Boys’ Boarding schools; CD = Co-educational
Day schools; M = Mean; SD = Standard Deviation; Sk = Skewness

The participants from girls’ boarding schools had the highest mean of 76.82 (SD = 8.84) in
academic resilience followed by participants from boys’ boarding schools (M = 75.24, SD = 8.87),
and participants from co-educational day schools (M = 71.88, SD = 9.52). When the mean score of
both boys and girls was compared, the study found no significant mean differences between the two
in academic resilience; boys reported a mean of 74.44 (SD = 9.38) while girls had a mean of 74.55
(SD = 9.16). It was also revealed that participants from girls’ boarding schools had a mean of 25.94
(SD = 13.50) in academic burnout, participants from boys’ boarding (M = 32.45, SD = 19.92) and
co-educational day schools (M = 35.77, SD = 19.59). The data obtained was used to categorize the
participants into both a low and high academic resilience and academic burnout group as shown in
Table 3.

Table 3
Levels of Participants Academic Resilience and Academic Burnout
Level of Academic Level of Academic
Resilience Burnout
f % f %
Low 27 3.8 580 81.2
High 687 96.2 134 18.8
Total 714 100.0 714 100.0
Note. N = 714; f = Frequency
The results from Table 3 indicate that a majority of the participants registered high academic
resilience and low academic burnout. However few participants recorded low academic resilience
and high academic burnout. This may have implied that majority of these students had enough
internal or external resources they use to withstand academic pressures.

In order to determine the relationship between academic resilience and academic burnout, it was
hypothesized that there was no significant relationship between academic resilience and academic
burnout. A Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient was used to test this hypothesis. The
results revealed a weak inverse statistical correlation between academic resilience and academic
burnout (r (712) = -.24, p <. 05). This result suggested that students having higher level of academic
resilience are likely to experience low academic burnout. Therefore, the null hypothesis was
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rejected and conclusion was made that academic resilience has a significant relationship with
academic burnout. Further analysis was done to find out the intercorrelations among different
dimensions of academic burnout and academic resilience. The correlation summary revealed that
cynicism had a strong negative correlation with academic resilience (r (712) = -.23, p < .05) and
with academic efficacy (r (712) = -.76, p < .05). Similarly, emotional exhaustion was negatively and
significantly correlated with academic resilience (r (712) = -.15, p < .05) and academic efficacy (r
(712) = -.64, p < .05). Additionally, academic efficacy was positively and significantly correlated
with academic resilience (r (712) = .26, p < .05). To establish whether learners with different levels
of academic resilience had significant mean differences in academic burnout scores, an independent
sample t-test was carried out and the summary of the results presented in Table 4.

Table 4
Mean Differences in Academic Burnout with Low and High Academic Resilience
LAR N M SD t df Sig.
Low 308 36.29 19.69
ABGS 5.44 712 .00
High 406 28.72 17.40
Note. N = 714; ABGS = Academic Burnout Global Score; LAR = Level of Academic Resilience; M
= Mean; SD = Standard Deviation

The independent sample t-test revealed a statistically significant difference between the means of
the two groups (t (712) = 5.44, p < .05); the low academic resilient group (M = 36.29, SD = 19.69)
and the high academic resilient group (M = 28.72, SD = 17.40). The difference was in favor of
those participants in the low academic resilient group. This result confirmed that students who have
low academic resilience experience high academic burnout.

To establish whether academic resilience predicted academic burnout, a null hypothesis was
formulated as: Academic resilience does not significantly predict academic burnout of high school
students. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to test this hypothesis and to determine
the contribution of academic resilience on academic burnout, while controlling for the effects of
school type, sex and age. The analysis was conducted in four stages with academic burnout as the
dependent variable. School type was entered at stage one of the regression. Sex was entered at stage
two, age was entered at stage three and academic resilience which was the predictor variable
entered at stage four as presented in Table 5.

Table 5
Model Summary of Academic Resilience on Academic Burnout
Adjusted
Model R R2 SEE df F Sig.
R2
1 .20a .04 .04 18.45 2,711 14.53 .00
2 .20b .04 .04 18.47 3,710 9.79 .00
c
3 .22 .05 .04 18.41 5,708 7.01 .00
4 .30d .09 .08 18.02 6,707 11.40 .00
Note. N = 714
a. .Predictors: (Constant), School Type
b. Predictors: (Constant), School Type, Sex
c. Predictors: (Constant), School Type, Sex, Age
d. Predictors: (Constant), School type, Sex, Age, Academic Resilience
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The hierarchical regression analysis revealed that school type significantly contributed to the model,
(F (2,711) = 14.53, p < .05, R2 = .04). It was also evidenced that school type had a positive
relationship with academic burnout (r = .20). It accounted for 4 % of the variation of academic
burnout. When sex was added into the model at stage two, no change in the percentage of variability
in academic burnout was noticed though the addition of sex was equally significant (F (3,710) =
9.79, p < .05, R2 =. 04). Introduction of age into the model explained an additional 1% of the
variation in academic burnout. Finally when academic resilience was added into the regression
model at stage four, an additional 4% explained the variation in academic burnout. The change was
significant (F (6,707) = 11.40, p < .05, R2 = .09). In the overall model, all the four predictors
accounted for 9% of variation in academic burnout with academic resilience accounting for 4%.
Results indicated that among the four variables, it was only academic resilience which was a
significant predictor of academic burnout. Meanwhile, the predictive value of school type, sex, age
and resilience on academic burnout is presented in Table 6.

Table 6
Beta Coefficients for School Type, Sex, Age and Academic Resilience on Academic Burnout
Unstandardized Standardized Collinearity
Model Coefficients Coefficients t Sig. Statistics
B Std. Error Beta Tolerance VIF
(Constant) 64.12 6.29 10.18 .00
GB -4.17 2.93 -.10 -1.42 .16 .29 3.48
CD 2.13 1.92 .05 1.11 .27 .55 1.81
4 Male 1.66 2.37 .04 .70 .48 .34 2.93
15-17 -.38 1.53 -.01 -.25 .80 .90 1.11
21-23 9.86 5.14 .07 1.92 .06 .96 1.04
ARGS -.52 .09 -.21 -5.64 .00 .94 1.06
Note. GB = Girls Boarding schools; CD = Co-educational Day schools; ARGS = Academic
Resilience Global Score
a. Dependent Variable: Academic Burnout

Table 6 revealed that participants attending girls’ boarding schools (β = -.10, p > .05) were less
likely to experience academic burnout as compared to the participants in boys’ boarding schools.
Meanwhile, participants from co-educational day schools were more likely to experience academic
burnout (β = .05, p > .05). Participants in the age bracket of 15-17 years showed negative
correlation with academic burnout, while those in the age bracket of 21-23 showed positive
correlation with academic burnout. This implied that older students were more likely to experience
academic burnout than younger students.

In regard to sex differences, male participants showed positive correlation with academic burnout,
meaning that they were more likely to experience academic burnout than the female participants.
More importantly, academic resilience was found to be a significant predictor of academic burnout
(β = -.21, p < .05). The negative β value was an indication that academic resilience negatively
predicted academic burnout. This implied that one standard deviation increase in students’
academic resilience score would lead to a 0.21 standard deviation decrease in students’ academic
burnout score. This suggested that academic burnout occurred when students experienced low

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academic resilience. These results therefore led to the rejection of the null hypothesis and drawing
of the conclusion that academic resilience significantly predicted academic burnout.

4.2 Discussion
The results indicated that there was a negative relationship between academic resilience and
academic burnout. An independent sample t-test confirmed the existence of a statistically significant
difference between the means of the low academic resilient group, and the high academic resilient
group. Additionally, academic resilience negatively and significantly predicted academic burnout.
These results suggested that students with high academic resilience skills experience low academic
burnout. Although students who possess this internal resource may also encounter stressful
circumstances, they may be able to face the challenges with confidence and bounce back with
minimal negative effects on their psychological well-being (King et al., as cited in Hobfoll 2002).
These results are consistent with prior research conducted by Kamalpour et al.,(2017) that
revealed a relationship between academic resilience and academic burnout. Basically, resilient
students are able to turn challenging environments into opportunities for personal growth and
benefit. This is because of the confidence and the composure they embrace to enable them bounce
back and achieve their educational goal. Such students are less likely to experience academic
burnout.

These findings are also in agreement with the study by García-Izquierdo et al. (2015) who found a
significant negative relationship between academic resilience and emotional exhaustion of burnout.
The study further revealed a direct relationship between resilience and academic efficacy. This was
to the extent that students who had higher levels of academic resilience obtained higher scores in
academic efficacy and lower scores in emotional exhaustion. Congruent to these findings was the
study done by Kotzé and Kleynhans, (2014). The study concluded that resilience, emotional
exhaustion and cynicism were significant predictors of academic burnout.

Notably, the earlier studies drew their sample population from different countries; Iran, Spain, West
Indies and South Africa respectively. The population consisted of university students. In the current
study, the sample population was drawn from high school students. Despite the differences in terms
of age, location of the study and level of schooling, consistent results were revealed. This may mean
that academic resilience has been conceptualized in similar ways across all cultures and cuts across
all ages. This argument is also in line with the assertion by Hobfoll (2002) that academic resilience
can be learnt and developed at any level of schooling enabling students to develop the core
characteristic of perseverance and confidence which help them avoid the negative effects of
academic burnout.

4.3 Conclusion
Based on the results of the present study, a conclusion may be made that academic resilience is at
the background of every academic activity that students undertake and it is an internal resource that
may guard students against academic burnout. The quality of academic resilience signifies students’
ability to face academic pressure. Hobfoll (2002) described resilience as a personal resource that
learners strive to obtain and protect for their well-being. Based on these results therefore, it was
recommended that teachers and school administrators put in place certain programs that may train
students in resilience skills. They may strengthen resilience skills by developing social competence
and increasing students’ interactive sessions especially during extra curricula activities. This is the

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time when students learn about realistic goal setting, problem solving, perseverance, and
confidence. However, the results in the present study are not conclusive. This is informed by the
fact that academic burnout is a factor of many internal and situational variables. It is therefore
recommended that other studies be done in the same area to examine other internal factors other
than academic resilience that predicts academic burnout.

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