Morales (2008) researched academic resilience despite the fact of risk factors that would contribute to low academic performance. Some of the risk factors are environmental issues that place students in danger (Morales, 2008). Risk factors include; inferior schools, a culture of violence, and/or lack of parental attention (Morales, 2008). He found that students have vulnerability areas that may create problems in a specific situation. Some vulnerability areas can be gender, class, and race/ethnicity. Statistics have indicated that females have surpassed men in terms of degree attainment at the baccalaureate and master’s level (Morales, 2008). One of the biggest obstacles for females is the familial and social obligations which create stressful situations. Morales conducted a qualitative research on a sample size of 50 persons. Of the 50 participants 31 were female and 19 were male, with 30 self identifying as African American and 20 as Hispanic (Morales, 2008). All of the study participants were attending predominantly White higher education institutions (Morales, 2008). The students were chosen because they were the individuals who could best help understand a given phenomenon—in this case the process of academic resilience (Morales, 2008). The findings of the research concluded that females face more resistance than males.
Borman and Overman (2004) investigated whether the allotment of an individual and school characteristics were associated with academic resilience differed due to race/ethnicity. They tested four models of risk factors in order to have a
References: Borman, G.D., Overman, L.T. (2004). Academic Resilience in Mathematics among Poor and Minority Students: The Elementary School Journal. The University of Chicago Press. Vol. 104, No. 3, pp. 177-195. Gayles, J. (2005). Playing the Game and Paying the Price: Academic Resilience among Three High-Achieving African American Males. Anthropology and Education Quarterly. Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 250–264. Martin, A.J., Marsh H.W., (2008). Academic Buoyancy: Towards an Understanding of Students ' Everyday Academic Resilience. Journal of School Psychology. Vol. 46 Issue 1, p53-83, 31p Mc Tigue, E.M., Washburn, E. K., Liew, J. (2009). Academic Resilience and Reading: Building Successful Readers. Reading Teacher. Vol. 62 Issue 5, p 422-432, 11p, 6 charts Morales, E.E. (2008). Exceptional Female Students of Color: Academic Resilience and Gender in Higher Education. Innovative High Education, 33:197–213.