Exploring the relationship between resilience, perceived stress and academic achievement

Understanding the factors that relate to academic achievement is important for improving the performance of university students. Research suggests that an individual’s resilience and their perception of stress have a relationship with academic achievement and that these two variables have a relationship with each other. The current research project explores the nature of these relationships. Previous research has not explored the relationship these two variables have with academic achievement, when used in combination; this relationship will be explored. A sample of 162 Manchester Metropolitan University Psychology students, in years one, two and three of study, completed an internet based questionnaire, which measured the participants’ resilience, perceived stress and academic achievement. The use of Pearson’s correlation found a negative correlation between perceived stress and academic achievement and perceived stress and resilience. A positive correlation was found between resilience and academic achievement. The use of multiple regression found that these two variables, considered together, predicted academic achievement more accurately rather than individually. This suggests low stress perception and high resilience can lead to high academic achievement. This study illustrates the importance of resilience and perceptions of stress in relation to academic achievement. Encouraging these two variables in education could improve academic performance.