Bengali Translation and Validation of Academic Resilience Scale in Bangladeshi School-going Students

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-4848675/v1

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Bengali Translation and Validation of Academic Resilience Scale in Bangladeshi School-going Students

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4848675/v1

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Introduction:

The study aimed to translate and validate the Academic Resilience Scale (ARS) into Bengali to assess its applicability among Bangladeshi school-going students. The ARS, originally developed by Martin and Marsh, measures students' ability to cope with academic challenges. Given the lack of a validated Bengali version, this study sought to fill this gap and ensure the scale's reliability and validity in a new cultural context.

Materials and Methods

The research employed a cross-sectional design involving 234 students (111 males, 123 females) aged 12–18 years from two schools in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The ARS was translated through a rigorous process involving two forward translations, two back translations, and a comparison of the original and translated versions. Data were collected using both the original and translated ARS, with a one-week interval between administrations. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, Cronbach’s alpha, and independent sample t-tests were used for analysis, employing SPSS 29.0.

Results

Descriptive statistics indicated similar mean scores for the original ARS (M = 23.78, SD = 7.456) and the translated ARS (M = 23.77, SD = 7.516), reflecting comparable levels of academic resilience. Pearson correlations between items on the original and translated scales were high (r = .909 to .941, p < .01), and Cronbach’s alpha was 0.747 for the original and 0.754 for the translated scale, demonstrating acceptable reliability. No significant gender differences were found in resilience scores for either version.

Conclusion

The Bengali-translated ARS is a reliable and valid tool for measuring academic resilience among Bangladeshi students. This study provides a crucial resource for future research and interventions aimed at enhancing academic resilience in this demographic. Future research should address the study's limitations and explore resilience factors in broader contexts.

Academic Resilience

Bengali Translation

Scale Validation

School-going students

Academic resilience, or the capacity to overcome adversity and persevere successfully in the academic context is a relevant dimension of student success [1]. Ultimately, resilient students are able to respond positively to adversity and perform well academically under adverse circumstances [2]. It is a critical concept in educational psychology as it speaks directly to the well-being and performance success of students [3]. While the literature on academic resilience is replete with theoretical discourse globally, there is a substantial dearth of relevantly validated tools for its measure among school going Bengali students in Bangladesh.

One such instrument, Academic Resilience Scale (ARS) developed by Martin and Marsh (2006), is popularly used to measure academic resilience [1]. It is a type of academic resilience involving the dimensions confidence, motivation and persistence. There was no available validated Bengali version of this scale, which confined its utility on Bangladeshi young patients. Without such a tool, it is difficult to do rigorous research on academic resilience in this population and thereby develop targeted interventions that could improve outcomes for students.

The unique socio-cultural context and educational challenges in Bangladesh necessitate the creation of a valid Bangla version to be used amongst young school children. Furthermore, the academic structure in Bangladesh includes larger classroom sizes, inadequate resources as well as high-stakes examinations all of which can place added stress on young students [4]. Socio-cultural factors are also significant to students' academic experience and resiliency [5]. Thus, a culturally appropriate instrument is needed to measure academic resilience in this group.

The process of translating and validating a psychological scale must be rigorous so that the assessment is linguistically accurate as well as culturally relevant to the target population. This process involves forward and backward translation according to Pan & Puente (2012), expert review, panel assessment, before pilot testing is conducted in order for the translated version to be above average [6]. All these steps are essential to ensure stability of construct validity and reliability property if the scale is adapted for different context. The adaptation of the Academic Resilience Scale into Bengali for now on will enable its application in educational research and practices, that ultimately will lead to an overview of resilience level among Bangladeshi students.

The importance of academic resilience in promoting student well-being and academic success is well-documented. Studies have consistently demonstrated that resilient students are able to cope with academic stressors, retain high levels of motivation and demonstrate greater success in their educational pursuits [7, 8]. Another example is the research done be Cassidy et al. In this vein, recent findings among pharmacy students showed academic resilience to be a protective factor for well-being as it was positively related with the stress deriving from academics [9]. Likewise, a cross-sectional study of Amoadu et al. [10].

Additionally, Academic resilience is reportedly linked to different underlying psychological factors like emotional intelligence and self-compassion that support better students' wellness [3, 11–14]. This understanding of the relationship empathy, perspective control and connectedness have with academic resilience can be used to design comprehensive support programs for students. For instance, interventions structured to increase EI (emotional intelligence) or self-compassion may also work on developing AR, with positive results later in terms of academic success as well [3].

However, empirical research on academic resilience is scarce within the Bangladeshi context despite known to be pivotal for student accomplishment. While earlier work on resilience in Bangladesh focused broadly under the rubric of higher education and COVID-19 [4]. Very little is known about academic resilience and this has not been explored as an area of risk among students attending schools who are facing their own specific challenges and stressors. A validated Bengali version of the Academic Resilience Scale can be a vital step to bridge this gap and help identify factors that propagate or challenge academic success in this population.

The validation of the ARS in multiple cultural contexts shows its strength and flexibility [2, 8, 10, 14–19]. For example, the scale was validated by Rachmawati et al. among social science students in Indonesia [15]. In a related study of collective culture, the same scale was adapted and validated by Cui et al. [16]. These sources emphasize the universal application of the scale and a pivotal role of adaptation in the context of culture to guarantee accuracy and relevance. Therefore, validating the Urdu translation by Fatima et al. in Pakistan has also drawn attention to language and cultural considerations during the adaptation [17].

Apart from cultural adaptation, maintaining the original psychometric properties of the translated scale is also important. This helps us examine the scale which we developed to its reliability and validity with tests such as factor analysis, correlation studies [19]. These steps are followed so that the translated scale correctly measures academic resilience and is suitable to be used effectively in studies. This stringent validation process also arises from pilot testing the measure in a sample that is characteristic of the model population so as to note any items not performing well and if it necessary make corrections [6].

The translation and validation of the Academic Resilience Scale into Bangla offers insight for academics working in Bangladesh, as well improves understanding surrounding academic resilience amongst school-going students but such contexts. The study component reported in this article addresses a critical gap by offering such an instrument within the cultural and language context of these survivors. This information will help educators and policymakers to develop interventions targeting the academic resilience of students who can thereby better overcome obstacles to educational success. The validated scale will then enable cross-cultural comparison work and the more comprehensive examination of how academic resilience influences student outcomes worldwide.

Research Design

This study employed a cross-sectional research design to translate and validate the Academic Resilience Scale (ARS) for Bengali-speaking school-going students in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Study Population

The study population comprised 234 school students (111 males, 123 females) aged 12–18 years from two high schools named Hazrat Shah Ali Model High School and Oxford Pre-Cadet High School located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. These schools were selected to ensure a representative sample of students from diverse backgrounds. Participants of the required age, currently enrolled in participating schools, and who provided written informed consent were included in the study. Participants with significant cognitive impairment that affected their ability to participate in the study or those who were unwilling or unable to provide informed consent were excluded to maintain ethical standards and ensure the reliability of the results.

Measures

Demographic Information

Age and gender were recorded for each participant to provide demographic context.

Academic Resilience Scale (ARS)

The Academic Resilience Scale (ARS) developed by Martin and Marsh (2006) was used in this study [1]. The ARS is a six-item instrument designed to measure students' ability to effectively manage challenges, failures, and pressures in their academic lives. The scale uses a 7-point Likert format ranging from “not at all true of me” to “extremely true of me”. The original ARS demonstrated strong reliability with a Cronbach's alpha of 0. 89, indicating high internal consistency.

Translation Process

The translation and validation process for the Bengali version of the ARS adhered to established protocols to ensure both linguistic and cultural appropriateness:

Forward Translation

The ARS was translated from English to Bengali by two independent bilingual experts. This initial translation aimed to retain the semantic and conceptual integrity of the original scale.

Backward Translation

Subsequently, two different bilingual experts translated the Bengali version back into English. This step was designed to identify any discrepancies between the translated and original versions.

Comparison of Versions

The back-translated English version was compared with the original English version to evaluate the accuracy of the Bengali translation. This comparison involved aligning the translated Bengali version with the original and reverse English versions to assess the empirical equivalence and overall quality of the translation.

Data Collection Procedure

Data collection was conducted in two phases:

Phase One

The translated Bengali version of the ARS was administered to the participants. This initial data collection was carried out in a classroom setting under controlled conditions to minimize external influences and ensure consistency.

Phase Two

One week after the initial data collection, participants were asked to complete the original English version of the ARS. This approach enabled a comparative analysis of responses between the translated and original versions, providing insights into the reliability and validity of the Bengali translation.

Data Analysis

Data analysis for this study was performed using SPSS version 29. 0 software. Descriptive statistics were first calculated to summarize sample demographics and overall scores on the original and translated Academic Resilience Scale (ARS). Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the relationship between items in the original and translated versions, providing information about the consistency of responses across both scales. Cronbach's alpha was determined for each version to assess the internal consistency and reliability of the ARS, with higher values indicating higher reliability. Additionally, independent samples t-tests were conducted to explore potential gender differences in academic resilience scores for the original and translated versions, to reveal any significant differences by gender.

Ethical Considerations

The study was conducted in compliance with ethical standards and received approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the Bangladesh Institute of Innovative Health Research (IRB Protocol Number: BIIHR-2024-004). Adherence to the Declaration of Helsinki was ensured throughout the research process. Permissions were obtained from the participating schools, and informed consent was secured from both the students and their guardians. Participants were assured of the confidentiality and anonymity of their responses, and they were informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any time without facing any adverse consequences.

The results of this study provide a comprehensive evaluation of the translated Bengali version of the Academic Resilience Scale (ARS) and its comparison with the original English version. The analysis includes descriptive statistics, reliability assessments, and the examination of gender differences in academic resilience.

Table 1

Demographic characteristics of the participants (N = 234).
Characteristics	Category	Frequency	Percentages
Age	12–14 years	124	53
	15–16 years	96	41
	17–18 years	14	6
Gender	Male	111	47.4
Gender	Female	123	52.6

Table 1 summarizes the demographic characteristics of the 234 participants, showing that 53% were aged 12–14 years, 41% were aged 15–16 years, and 6% were aged 17–18 years. The gender distribution was fairly balanced, with 47.4% male and 52.6% female students (Table 1).

Table 2

Descriptive Statistics for Original and Translated ARS Scores.
Scale	Mean	Standard Deviation	Minimum	Maximum
Original ARS scores	23.78	7.456	11	35
Translated ARS scores	23.77	7.516	9	36

Table 2 provides the mean, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum scores for both the original and translated ARS. The mean score (\(\:\pm\:\)SD) for the original ARS was 23.78 (\(\:\pm\:\)7.456), indicating that, on average, participants reported moderate levels of academic resilience. The mean score for the translated ARS was 23.77 (\(\:\pm\:\)7.516), suggesting comparable levels of resilience as measured by the translated scale (Table 2).

Table 3

Descriptive Statistics for Individual ARS Items (Translated Version).
Item	Mean	Standard Deviation	Minimum	Maximum
Item 1	3.97	2.006	1	7
Item 2	3.97	2.008	1	7
Item 3	3.97	2.006	1	7
Item 4	3.93	1.547	1	7
Item 5	3.99	1.998	1	7
Item 6	3.93	1.594	1	7

Table 3 details the mean, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum scores for each item on the translated ARS. The scores reveal that Item 1, Item 2, Item 3 and Item 5 received slightly higher average ratings compared to other items (Table 3).

Table 4

Pearson Correlation between Original and Translated ARS Scores.
Item	Correlation Coefficient (r)	p-value
Item 1	.929	< .01
Item 2	.927	< .01
Item 3	.929	< .01
Item 4	.941	< .01
Item 5	.909	< .01
Item 6	.941	< .01

Pearson correlation was measured between the items on original and translated ARS (Table 4). Table 4 shows that the correlation coefficients ranged from .909 to .941, all significant at the p < .01 level.

Table 5

Cronbach's Alpha for Original and Translated ARS
Scale	Cronbach’s Alpha
Original ARS	.747
Translated ARS	.754

The internal consistency of the original ARS and the translated ARS was measured by Cronbach’s alpha (Table 5). Table 5 demonstrates that the Cronbach’s alpha for the original ARS was 0.747, indicating acceptable reliability. The translated ARS demonstrated a similar level of reliability with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.754.

Table 6

Independent Sample T-Test for Gender Differences in ARS Scores.
Scale	Gender	Mean	SD	t-value	df	p-value
Original ARS	Male	23.52	7.369	− .497	232	.620
Original ARS	Female	24.01	7.557
Translated ARS	Male	23.58	7.446	− .372	232	.710
Translated ARS	Female	23.94	7.604

The independent sample t-test identifies the significant difference in original ARS and translated ARS due to gender (Table 6). Table 6 illustrates that there is no significant gender difference original ARS (t=-.497, df = 232, p = .620) or translated ARS (t=-.372, df = 232, p = .710).

This study aimed to translate and validate the Academic Resilience Scale (ARS) for secondary school students in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The main objectives were to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the translation and to compare its psychometric properties with the original English version. In achieving these objectives, this study makes a significant contribution to the existing literature on academic resilience, by providing a validated instrument for assessing resilience in a new linguistic and cultural context.

The importance of this study lies in its contribution to the field of educational psychology by providing a reliable and valid tool for assessing academic resilience in a new linguistic and cultural context. By translating and validating the ARS into Bengali, this research enables a broader application of the scale, allowing educators and researchers to better understand and support the resilience of students in Bangladesh. This work aligns with previous studies that have emphasized the need for culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment tools [2, 9, 16, 17].

The results of the study demonstrated that the translated Bengali version of the ARS has psychometric properties comparable to the original English version. Specifically, the internal consistency of the translated ARS, as measured by Cronbach’s alpha, was found to be similar to that of the original scale. Additionally, Pearson correlation coefficients between the items on the original and translated ARS were strong and significant, indicating that the translated version maintains the integrity of the original scale.

These findings are consistent with those of Martin and Marsh (2006), who developed the ARS and established its validity and reliability in different educational settings [1]. The high correlation coefficients observed in this study are comparable to those reported by Shen, Feng, and Li (2024) in their concept analysis of academic resilience in nursing students [12]. Similarly, the reliability of the translated ARS, as indicated by Cronbach’s alpha, is in line with the findings of Fatima et al. (2022) and Chisholm-Burns et al. (2019), who reported robust reliability for their academic resilience instrument among pharmacy students [8, 17].

The lack of significant gender differences in academic resilience scores observed in this study is consistent with some research findings [3, 11], but contrasts with other studies that report gender differences in resilience [10]. The lack of significant gender differences may be explained by the fact that the educational environments and social expectations of students of both genders in the studied schools were similar. In addition, the balanced gender distribution in the sample may have contributed to the non-significant differences. Previous research, such as that of Gabrielli et al. (2022), highlights that academic resilience can be influenced by many factors, including cultural, family, and individual differences, which may explain the trends observed in this study [20].

Limitations of the study include potential biases related to the regional and socioeconomic characteristics of the sample. Participants came from two schools in Dhaka, which may not be fully representative of the diversity of educational contexts in Bangladesh. This geographic concentration may limit the ability to generalize the results to other regions with different educational and cultural contexts. Additionally, the study relied on self-reported data, which may be subject to response bias, affecting the accuracy of the resilience measures.

Future research could extend this study by including a more diverse sample from different regions of Bangladesh to improve the generalizability of the results. It would also be useful to study the impact of different educational contexts, such as rural or urban schools, on academic resilience. Longitudinal studies could further explore how academic resilience develops over time and how it correlates with academic achievement and psychological well-being.

Moreover, exploring the relationship between academic resilience and other psychological constructs, such as emotional intelligence and self-compassion could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors that contribute to academic success [3, 11]. Integrating qualitative methods to capture students' personal experiences and perceptions of resilience could offer deeper insights into the contextual factors influencing academic resilience.

This study successfully translated and validated the Academic Resilience Scale for use among Bengali-speaking students in Bangladesh, contributing a valuable tool for researchers and educators. The findings affirm the scale's reliability and validity, supporting its application in assessing academic resilience in diverse educational contexts. Future research should address the study's limitations and explore additional factors influencing academic resilience to further enhance our understanding of this critical construct.

This study successfully translated and validated the Academic Resilience Scale (ARS) into Bengali, thereby making a significant contribution to the assessment of academic resilience among Bangladeshi school-going students. The results confirmed that the translated ARS into Bengali retained the psychometric properties of the original English version, demonstrating high internal consistency and strong correlations with the original scale. This validation ensures that the translated instrument is a reliable measure of academic resilience in the Bangladeshi context, thereby filling an important gap in the literature. The results showed that the original and translated ARS yielded similar scores, indicating that the translated scale effectively captures the concept of academic resilience as the original. Furthermore, the lack of significant gender differences in resilience scores is consistent with some existing research, but highlights the need to further explore resilience in different educational and demographic contexts. Despite its strengths, this study has limitations, including its limited geographic scope and reliance on self-reported data, which may affect the generalizability and validity of its results. Future research should aim to include a more diverse sample and investigate other factors that influence academic resilience. Overall, the Bengali-translated ARS provides a valuable tool for researchers and educators in Bangladesh to assess and support school resilience. This study lays the foundation for additional research and interventions to enhance students’ ability to meet learning challenges and succeed academically.

Acknowledgements

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the entire translator team for their meticulous work in translating the Academic Resilience Scale into Bengali. Your dedication and expertise have been invaluable in ensuring the accuracy and cultural relevance of the translated instrument.

I am also deeply grateful to the data collection team for their unwavering commitment and efficiency in gathering data for this study. Your efforts were crucial in the successful completion of this research.

Special appreciation goes to Hazrat Shah Ali Model High School and Oxford Pre-Cadet High School for their support and cooperation throughout the study. Their willingness to participate and facilitate the data collection process was essential in making this research possible.

Your collective contributions have been instrumental in advancing the field of academic resilience measurement and supporting educational research in Bangladesh. Thank you for your unwavering support and collaboration.

Declaration

Author(s) declared there is no conflict of interest.

Funding Statement

This study received no external funding from any organization(s).

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No competing interests reported.

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You are reading this latest preprint version

Bengali Translation and Validation of Academic Resilience Scale in Bangladeshi School-going Students

Status:

Version 1

Abstract

Introduction:

Materials and Methods

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Materials and Methods

Research Design

Study Population

Measures

Demographic Information

Academic Resilience Scale (ARS)

Translation Process

Forward Translation

Backward Translation

Comparison of Versions

Data Collection Procedure

Phase One

Phase Two

Data Analysis

Ethical Considerations

Results

Discussion

Conclusion

Declarations

Acknowledgements

Declaration

Funding Statement

References

Additional Declarations

Status:

Version 1