Assessing the Influence of Demographic Variables on Academic Resilience Among Secondary School Students with Special Needs and Typically Developing Students in San Tan Valley, Arizona

Academic resilience refers to a student’s capacity to respond constructively to academic difficulties, setbacks, and stressful educational experiences while continuing to participate in learning and pursue academic goals. The present study examined academic resilience among secondary school students in San Tan Valley, Arizona, with particular attention to selected demographic characteristics. The study included adolescents aged 14 to 18 and considered age, gender, and educational status as the primary demographic variables. Educational status was examined by comparing students with special educational needs and typically developing students. A quantitative descriptive survey design was employed for the investigation. Data were obtained from 162 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12. The sample consisted of 74 students with special educational needs and 88 typically developing students. Academic resilience was assessed using the Academic Resilience Scale developed by Kaur and Singh. The instrument examined five dimensions: Positive Adaptation, Positivity, Self-Reliance, Persistence, and Psychological Support. Statistical analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings indicated that demographic characteristics did not consistently account for differences in academic resilience. Gender was associated with a statistically significant difference in Psychological Support, while educational status was associated with a significant difference in Self-Reliance. In contrast, age did not produce statistically significant differences across the examined dimensions. The findings suggest that academic resilience may be influenced more strongly by students’ personal resources and the support available within their educational and social environments than by demographic characteristics alone. The study has implications for inclusive educational practices, school-based support systems, and interventions designed to strengthen students' persistence, confidence, adaptive responses, and psychological support.