Abstract:

Context: Many factors have an influence on academic success, and much has been published on institutional factors, learning styles, teaching styles, and various cognitive and non-cognitive factors. We took a different approach and investigated the influence of brain-body system drivers related to resilience, as measured by the the Neurozone® Brain Performance Diagnostic [1], on academic performance.

The brain actively and continuously adapts at a molecular and neuronal level in the presence of a stressor. This adaptive capability determines resiliency. Effectively enhanced resilience, defined in the brain-body context as the capacity to withstand challenges that threatens stability, prevents implosion of the brain-body system and enables a person to perform optimally in all conditions, including in learning [2-4]. Since students must be able withstand a variety of stressors, resilience can therefore be seen as a pre-requisite for academic performance.

Purpose: This study aimed at understanding the relationship between academic performance and resilience within a sample of TUT Engineering students (n = 744). The primary goal was to gauge whether students with high resilience also exhibited higher academic success. Establishing a link between these concepts within a South African sample, will not lead to suggestions of changes in teaching in its own, but will shed light on the multi-dimensional backdrop that make up a student’s resilience and therefore academic performance.

Approach: A total sample of 744 Engineering students from the Tshwane University of Technology completed the Neurozone® Brain Performance Diagnostic in the beginning of the second semester of 2018. The sample included students from various departments across the Engineering faculty. Each student received a personal report after the assessment which gave behavioural suggestion proven through neuroscience to enhance resilience.

Results: A significant positive correlation was found between academic performance and resilience as measured by the Neurozone® Brain Performance Diagnostic.

Conclusion: Although it is accepted that the teaching styles etc. has an impact on student academic success, the precursors to academic efficacy, specifically resilience of the mind-body system, is often overlooked. Even more interesting, is the fact that resilience can be cultivated through various behavioural changes, often unrelated to academic activities. Exercise, sleep, silencing the mind (meditation), social safety and collective creativity as defined by Neurozone®, have all been shown to enhance resilience. It becomes essential then for academic institutions to facilitate the cultivation of these behaviours in order to increase the probability of academic success.

References:
[1] Neurozone® (2017). White Paper: Validation of the Neurozone® Brain Performance Diagnostic, https://fourcore.neurozone.com/wpcontent/uploads/2017/09/Neurozone_
White_Paper_Validation_of_BPD2_Aug2017.pdf (Accessed 11 March 2019).
[2] Russo, S. J., Murrough, J. W., Han, M. H., Charney, D. S., & Nestler, E. J. (2012). Neurobiology of resilience. Nature neuroscience, 15(11), 1475-1484.
[3] Feder, A., Nestler, E. J., & Charney, D. S. (2009). Psychobiology and molecular genetics of resilience. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10(6), 446-457.
[4] Davidson, R. J. (2000). Affective style, psychopathology, and resilience: brain mechanisms and plasticity. American Psychologist, 55(11), 1196.

Keywords:

Neuroscience in education, academic performance, brain-body system, resilience.