Resilience process in Bidikmisi students: understanding risk, protective and promotive factor, and resilient outcome

Abstract

University students have to face academic and non-academic challenges. These challenges are especially crucial for Bidikmisi students that possibly face financial, social, and psychological risks, affecting their ability to flourish in the university. Therefore, they need to overcome different adversities than other students. This study aimed to examine the pathways to resilient educational outcomes by investigating protective factors buffering the Bidikmisi students’ risks. A collective case study approach was used which consisted of two phases. Online survey data were collected from 178 students that started university for Phase 1 in 2018. After that, we used in-depth interviews with 16 students who met the inclusion criteria for Phase 2 in 2020. Furthermore, the thematic analysis with Ungar’s socio-ecological resilience framework was used with a deductive and inductive approach. The results showed seven themes in the risk exposure component, such as culture shock. There were fourteen themes in the Protective and Promotive Factors Process (PPFP), including positive mindset and spirituality. The desired outcomes had four themes, including academic achievement. The socio-ecological resilience framework effectively characterizes the resilience process of students during education. Moreover, the findings assist in further research to design a resilience intervention program for students at risk.

Keywords:

• Bidikmisi student
• qualitative research
• resilience
• socio-ecological resilience framework
• student at-risk

Public Interest Statements

The Fourth Sustainable Development Goal is Quality Education, which aims to educate all, including student-at-risk. One of the efforts made by the Indonesian government to give quality education to students at-risk is giving scholarships called Bidikmisi. Bidikmisi students are Indonesia’s higher education students from disadvantaged social and economic backgrounds, who receive some financial support from the government. Therefore, they are categorized as student-at-risk, and resilience is essential to help them overcome their high-risk condition. Resilience is acknowledged as an important construct that helps individuals flourish. Cultivating resilience requires understanding its process, including the dynamic between risk and protective factors and desired outcomes. It was important to consider the culture and geographic region from a resilience socio-ecological framework because it may have different dynamics between cultures. Therefore, an explorative qualitative study is needed to determine the resilience process in Indonesia’s population.

1. Introduction

University students are challenged to cultivate their potential of becoming future academicians or practitioners. Therefore, they must successfully adapt to any global change using science, technology, and life skills (Bellanca, 2010; Van Laar et al., 2017). These challenges are not always easy to adapt to because the students should attend classes and discussions, research, and finish academic and non-academic projects (Khasanah & Herina, 2019).

In Indonesia, there are several ways to become university students. Firstly, they can compete in the national selection for public universities. Secondly, they can take the exam at each university (both public and private universities). Finally, for the students who have difficulty continuing education, they can participate in the government’s program called Bidikmisi.

1.1. Bidikmisi students as students at risk in Indonesian higher education

Bidikmisi students are funded by the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education, regarding their underprivileged financial condition. Bidikmisi makes higher education accessible for potential candidates to study at a prestigious university and graduate in time. The students are selected based on academic merit and economic inadequacy. They are aided with tuition fees and are supplied with a regular living cost of at least IDR 700,000 per month (Bidikmisi, 2020) for their four study years. Furthermore, besides receiving financial assistance, they are obligated to fulfill the Bidikmisi requirements. For instance, they must maintain their GPA above 2.75, actively participate in non-academic activities, and graduate in four years or less. This ensures they do not lose financial aid, resulting in study discontinuation.

To maintain their merit for financial aid, Bidikmisi students commonly face various obstacles from their unique adversities. Specifically, they are more pressured by the expectation and stress to meet the requirements of Bidikmisi. Moreover, they must be strict with living finances due to costly spending on academic and non-academic necessities and because financial aid from Bidikmisi often comes late (Ainii, 2017; Kustiasih & Kurniawan, 2013). The financial limitation might make them cut expenses on basic needs, such as food, and lack of learning facilities, including gadgets, books, and other relatively expensive materials. Therefore, the students are at higher risk of being distracted and experiencing academic failure (Afrila, 2011; Lestari, 2018; Musabiq et al., 2018). Subsequently, Bidikmisi students are classified as student-at-risk.

1.2. The need for resilience in Bidikmisi students

Despite distraction from learning and improving in university, some Bidikmisi students remain focused and flourish in academic and non-academic tasks. They maintain their GPA above average, participate in non-academic activities, and preserve their well-being and zeal to succeed (Bidikmisiwp, 2019; Formadiksiumrah, 2021; Grid, 2019; Malang, 2021; Tinggi, 2020).

The students’ capacity and process to bounce back from significant adversities are called resilience (Ungar & Liebenberg, 2011; Ungar & Theron, 2020; Yeung & Li, 2019). According to Masten (2001), resilience is identified through good outcomes despite threats to development or adaptation. Moreover, Young (2010) defined resilience as the personal capacity to remain calm and directed during hardship or suffering. Windle (2011) stated that resilience comprises individual or environmental assets to bounce back and adapt amid adversity. Therefore, it is the opportunity to grow more than under common circumstances (Amering & Schmolke, 2009; Kalisch et al., 2015; Onken et al., 2007; Tusaie & Dyer, 2004). There are many resilience definitions, though most have similar components, such as risk factors, promotive and protective factors and processes (PPFP), and resilient outcomes (Ungar & Theron, 2020).

Individuals need resilience to meet their purpose and sustain mental health, positive changes, and development to flourish and succeed (Ungar & Theron, 2020; Yeung & Li, 2019). The same applies to Bidikmisi students. Resilience studies are important to identify the supports needed for health and well-being for people at-risk(Ayed et al., 2019; Masten & Cicchetti, 2016). Previous studies discovered pathways to gain these resilient outcomes through protective factors, such as diligence, endurance, perseverance (Chee, 2019), and financial assistance. Other protective factors include supportive relationships, desirable identity, the experience of control and justice, adherence to culture, social cohesion (Ungar et al., 2019), companion animals, and internet resources (Arat & Wong, 2019). These protective factors show that resilience is cultivated by internal and external factors and various individual considerations. Therefore, this socio-ecological framework concerning contextual realities and cultural norms must be considered to understand students’ resilience (Ungar & Theron, 2020; Wilkinson, 2012; Yeung & Li, 2019).

1.3. Current study

In this study, Bidikmisi students are chosen specifically concerning their unique risks as they should be better targeted for intervention (Yeung & Li, 2019). Yeung and Li (2019) also mentioned that how Asian students perceive risk factors should be evaluated because this differentiates eastern from western studies of educational resilience. Previous studies about Bidikmisi students’ resilience are still limited. There are a few protective factors identified, such as social support, self-efficacy (Mufidah, 2017), and the seven factors by Reivich and Shatte (Zahra et al., 2021). Other studies focus more on some significant factors of Bidikmisi students’ achievement, namely learning facilities, motivation (Arrixavier & Wulanyani, 2020), financial aid, peers, and learning habit (Afrila, 2011), which had not explained the whole dynamics of how Bidikmisi students’ strive from their struggle by understanding their multisystemic risk and protective factors.

This qualitative study took a look into the Bidikmisi students’ perspective on their unique risk factors, also how they perceive protective factors and success as resilient outcomes, which could be influenced by their specific ethnic culture in Indonesia. The dynamic process is better explained with this longitudinal study by choosing those Bidikmisi students who have performed good resilience from their first year until their current condition.

Therefore, the purpose of this study is to look into this dynamic process that happens at the individual level with the interaction with their environment. What are the specific risk and protective factors these resilient Bidikmisi students perceive in their process to achieve their desired outcomes? It is important to understand the dynamic process of resilience in Bidikmisi students. This study is essential in understanding the best protective factors to tackle risks and cultivate desired resilient outcomes in a specific context (i.e. students at risk in higher education). Since the study is conducted in eastern society (i.e. Indonesia), it also may give a different perspective on resilience in western society

2. Methods

2.1. Study design and location

A qualitative research design with a collective case study approach was used to explore and identify the risk exposure, protective and promotive factor process, and desired resilient outcome of Bidikmisi students in Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.

This study consists of two phases. In Phase 1, the research was conducted in October 2018 on all Bidikmisi first-year students of Padjadjaran University batch 2018. This phase aimed to determine Bidikmisi students’ perceptions of the resilience process. In Phase 2, data collection was then resumed at the beginning of 2020 (two years after the first phase). We chose this time interval because at the first year most Bidikmisi students focused on adaptation and academic achievement. Meanwhile, by their second year, they started to engage in non-academic activities (e.g., student union and other extracurricular involvement). We assumed that within the two-year time frame and in relation to those various activities the Bidikmisi students would have experienced failures and successes from which to describe their resilience processes. This phase aims to determine an actual description of resilience. In addition, there were also procedural obstacles that we have to resolve from 2018 to 2020, such as participants who are difficult to contact and are not willing to participate in data collection in a later phase.

2.2. Participant and recruitment process

The population in this study was the 2018 Bidikmisi students who studied at Universitas Padjadjaran. Bidikmisi students are students who receive tuition assistance from the government in Indonesia for high school graduates who have good academic potential but have economic limitations. In Phase 1, the population comprised 211 Bidikmisi students batch 2018 from 16 faculties. The convenience sampling method was used to select 178 students who were chosen by the student affairs division.

Phase 2 involved purposive sampling in selecting the resilient Bidikmisi students with GPAs of more than 3.25. Also, the students had to be active participants in the non-academic activity of the faculty or university, such as organizations, associations, extracurricular or other positive activities. Performance Index and Grade Point Average (GPA) data of 16 students that met the inclusion criteria were obtained from the student affairs division of Universitas Padjadjaran.

All participants filled out informed consent before the online survey and interviews, while their confidentiality was ensured by the principal researchers. Furthermore, the participants could choose to proceed or withdraw from the study at any time. This study was approved by Universitas Padjadjaran Ethics Committee (739/UN6.KEP/EC/2020).

2.3. Data collection and analysis

The data collection process in Phase 1 (first phase) was conducted in 2018 through an online survey using Google Form. This online survey was distributed by a researcher to Bidikmisi students batch 2018 during the program provided by the student affairs division at Universitas Padjadjaran. The participants were asked to fill out an online survey consisting of three open questions. The questions asked about the form of success, the aspects that help achieve desired outcomes, and those that interfere with success. The survey results were automatically recorded in Microsoft Excel.

Phase 2 involved an in-depth interview, where data were collected from 16 Bidikmisi students selected from the Phase 1 sample using maximum variation sampling (i.e., purposively choosing sample to increase variation of participants). . The interview question was designed to probe the students’ answers from the previous phase and ask for their experiences related to resilience. The interview guideline could be seen in Table 1. Interviews were conducted by two research assistants that previously attended training for data retrieval through interviews by the principal investigator. The interviews lasted for 2–2.5 hours via Google Meet and were recorded in audio and video. The research assistants then made verbatim transcripts of the interview results for each participant individually.

Table 1. In-depth interview guideline

Probing for Previous Phase	Resilience Related Experience
Why did you perceive XXX as a success?	From this past year, tell me about your most successful experience! (Probing) How can you be successful? What are the challenges which arise during the process?
Could you describe what you mean about YYY? (previous answers from online survey)	From this past year, do you have failure experience(s)? (Probing if YES) Could you tell me more about this experience? What happens? (Probing if NO) From your perspective, what helps you to avoid failure?

Data and transcripts were analyzed by thematic analysis and NVivo version 11.0.0 and Microsoft Excel, respectively. In the first phase, the data were analyzed deductively by the principal investigator. It involved categorizing the participants’ answers to themes from Ungar’s framework into risk exposure, protective and promotive factors, or desired resilient outcomes. Furthermore, the two raters analyzed the data inductively by themselves. We calculated percentage agreement for reliability by dividing the number of agreements with the total number of agreements and disagreements (Miles & Huberman, 1994). The percentage agreement between deductive analysis (by the principal investigator) and inductive analysis (by two raters) was 67%, indicating that 67 out of 100 coding frames (particularly name and definition) were agreed upon by all raters. After that, we further discussed the themes on which the agreement couldn’t be made. The second phase involved deductive analysis by the assistant and inductively by the principal investigator. Thus themes emerged in every category of the socio-ecological resilience framework and to these were cross-checked with themes that emerged in the first phase analyses. The percentage agreement of the second phase was 75%.

2.4. Credibility and trustworthiness

The researcher used interpreter triangulation to check the findings’ accuracy. According to Creswell , different data sources are triangulated by examining evidence and building a coherent justification for themes (Creswell, 2009). Each researcher and the assistant read the evidence (i.e. interview manuscripts) and develop themes individually. To ensure credibility, we discussed how to emerge the themes inductively before the analysis (i.e. case study protocol). After that, we had a key informant review our analysis report. The reviews by key informants may improve the accuracy of the analysis as well as clarify several competing perspectives (Baskarada, 2014). The key informant, he/she confirmed our findings and help us to identify a more precise name for several themes.

3. Findings

3.1. Characteristics of participants

Phase 1 has 178 Bidikmisi students that participated in the 2018s study. Based on Table 1, most of the participants were female (65.7%). Moreover, most participants come from the Sundanese ethnic group (56.7%). The other ethnicities consist of the Betawi, Padang, Malay, Minangkabau, Lampung, Chinese, Bangka-Tionghoa, Batak-Sundanese, and Betawi-Sundanese tribes. Most participants “fathers” jobs are laborers (29.2%), while others include security officers, rump seekers, clerics, parking attendants, honorary, ice depot and factory employees, and insurance agents. Also, there are cleaners, P3N (Marriage Registration Assistants), hamlet heads, bettor, construction workers, and those separated. Most participants’ mothers are housewives (69.7%). The average family income is Rp1,198,256.74/month (81 USD/month), while the average number of siblings is two.

Phase 2 involved 16 Bidikmisi students that participated in the 2020s’ study. They had similar characteristics to phase 1s participants (Table 2).

Table 2. Demographic Data (n1 = 178; n2 = 16)

Variable	Phase 1 (n)	Phase 2 (n)
Gender
Male	61	5
Female	117	11
Ethnic
Java	37	3
Sunda	101	10
Java-Sunda	22	-
Batak	5	-
Others	13	3
Father’s Job
Laborer	52	-
Farmer	15	1
Entrepreneur	30	3
Unemployment	36	3
Merchant	15	4
Mechanic	4	-
Driver	6	1
Others	20	4
Mothers’ Job
Housewife	124	9
Laborer	6	-
Merchant	12	5
Tailor	5	-
Farmer	8	1
Unemployment	11	-
Others	12	1

3.2. Emerging categories

Table 3 shows emerging categories from deductive and inductive thematic analyses. The term “category” was used to represent every component of Ungar’s Socioecological Resilience Framework, while “theme” represents nodes developed from data. Phase 1s’ themes emerge from students’ imagination of what might happen in their university life. Conversely, Phase 2s’ themes emerge from their actual experiences in their university life.

Table 3. Emerging Categories in Phase 1 & Phase 2

Category	Phase 1 Theme	Phase 2 (Final) Theme
(1) Risk Exposure	Financial Condition Availability of Facilities New Environment Culture shock Homesickness Personal trait Lack of Skill Lack of Motivation Low Physical Endurance	Financial Condition Family Background Social Expectation Social Exclusion Culture Shock Personal Trait Low Physical Endurance
(2) Promotive and Protective Factors and Process (PPFP)
2a. Internal PPFP Systems	Helpful Mindset Self-Regulation Hard work Life Goal	Helpful Mindset Self-Regulation Adaptive Coping Strategy Reflective Thinking Clear Goal & Priority Flexibility Taking Action Reaching Out
2b. External PPFP Systems	Financial & Facility Support Social Support	Social Support Role Model
2c. Considerations	Spirituality	Spirituality Family Value Ethnic Value
(3) Desired Resilient Outcome	The happiness of Significant Other(s) Achieving Life Goal(s) Academic Achievement Academic-Nonacademic Life Balance Acquiring Optimum Skills Quantity & Quality of Relationship Usefulness in Society	Happiness of Others Personal Development Academic Achievement Non-academic Life

Phase 1ʹs findings are validated and completed by Phase 2ʹs findings. Thus, we will only explain the final themes of each category and give evidence from each phase.

3.3. Category 1: risk exposure

Risk exposure factor(s) may interfere with students’ success and increase failure chances in the education context. Therefore, it is an adverse condition in resilience study. Table 4 shows the sample of evidence for risk exposures. There are seven risk factors in Bidikmisi students’ life. Most participants in Phases 1 and 2 consider their financial condition the most often risk exposed to them, consisting of family and student financial condition. In addition, the limited access to some facilities (e.g., daily transportation, facilities supporting the learning process) increase the amount of expenditure so which makes the students more difficult to manage their finances.

Table 4. Risk Exposures in Bidikmisi Students

Theme	Evidence from Phase 1	Evidence from Phase 2
Financial Condition	“ Lack of money; parents don’t always send money so I depend on the pocket money given from Bidikmisi program.” (S5, S23, S97) “My money is limited, meanwhile some tasks spent money, some courses need a book that I have to buy, I confused, how can I manage my financial?.” (S4, S16, S29, S30, many others: 35 responses)	“RS’ brother goes to a private school with a higher tuition fee compared to a public school. Therefore, RS only has the monthly spending from Bidikimisi, since the parents did not send any money. RS needs to tighten the spending on food and reduce some activity.” (RS) “Because of orientation activity, I often left the campus at night. Unfortunately, there was no transportation, forcing me to walk to the dormitory, which was way too far from the campus. Or sometimes I have to call ojek that expensive” (AD)
Family Background	“my father’s income is uncertain sometimes during the dry season his income becomes smaller, he wishes me to help the family income.” (S8) “ I have a family problem that obstructs me from studying.” (S9)	“but losing their father … losing a father figure … It is changing AT’s family life. Since the father was the family head and the main source of income had gone, AT’s mother has to earn a living. When remembering the father, it is difficult for AT to focus on task … ” (AT) “From the beginning, I want to study in university. But my parents worried and hesitate. They did not support me to study in university.” (SD) “because at that time my parents were sick, there were so many families who didn’t support me to go to college. Then the family was also not supportive because, at that time, my parents were sick, my mother was sick, and then my mother died after her divorce from my father. My family said that looking for money is better than going to college.” (EA)
Social Expectation	“my group expects me to be obedience in every group activity even though I have a different opinion” (S26, S47) “they want me to do what they do.” (S4, S11, S53, S67, S99, S114, S134)	“Now, AT feels really ‘heavy’ and tired to attend the class. Every time AT told their friends about their feeling, they keep saying AT is joking. A First ranking student, AT must not feel that. However, it was AT’s true feeling! It makes them more exhausted, the reality is not as expected.” (AT) “There are sometimes demands from people who make you confused, ‘You are like this, but you also have to be like this, aren’t you?’ . Like ‘should be like this and that’, the demands of people like that make me depressed especially in academic life” (SD) “In my faculty, Bidikmisi students are judged based on our appearance. They expected us to have a good appearance because it represents the faculty’s pride.” (EA)
Social Exclusion	“I am sometimes ostracized by my friends because I am Bidikmisi students .” (S23, S27, S36, S40) “ I often left behind by others.” (S14, S20, S110, S111, S115, S121, S130, S131)	“From observation, IL realizes that on their campus has a ‘social stratification’. That organization feels trendy and ‘mighty’; other organizations feel more exclusive. It is difficult to blend in” (IL) “ … they seemed different, the point is that they have a stereotype. They are from the Jabodetabek area, which is already a city, while I’m from the village. It was a little awkward, didn’t relate to what they were talking about.” (DA)
Culture Shock	“here, they use a different language.” (S24 and many others 7 responses) “this culture differences make me homesick.” (S10 and many others 16 responses) “what they do are different from my culture.” (S3, S28, S33, S42)	“AM is shocked! In the campus, everyone smoking everywhere! In AM’s previous environment, smoking is something to avoid … ” (AM) “CT thinks something that would hinder their success is adapting to a new environment with different characteristics and the climate with their place. It might be difficult to communicate with them.” (CT) “GA would miss their family, and always want to go home as often as possible … ” (GA) “I got a culture shock at the new environment, it’s a shock because in the new environment you see women smoking freely.” (DA)
Personal Trait	“I am too lazy to carry out the task.” (S54, S57, S61, and many others 63 responses) “Too shy and difficult to start a conversation and relation.” (S17, S70, and many others 18 responses) “I am not confident in myself. I am no good to compare to regular students” (S3, S11, and many others 23 responses)	“TN feels left behind from other friends because TN is slow, still relying on their friends. Sometimes TN feels alone and not confidence of themselves.” (TN) “I am a prideful person Sometimes it makes me reckless, while other times it makes me stubborn.” (EA) “I don’t like conflict. If there something unexpected happens because of others, I feel insecure but I won’t do anything to resolve the situation with other parties. I am not an assertive person.” (DA)
Low Physical Endurance	“My health and stamina are declining.” (S2 and many others 23 responses)	“I often go to the field as a part of the curriculum. Emotionally, I’m happy. But the problem is my own body. I have a urinary tract infection. So that I can’t be forced, I prone to feel tired, sometimes I have to excuse myself to not attend some activities.” (DA) “ … in 1 week FJ needs to finish 7 reports. Not only that. Also, Bidikmisi students have orientation based on physical activity which is tiring because FJ is not used to it. Sometimes there was no time to sleep at all! And it makes FJ academic track record to fall … ” (FJ) “When GERD recurs, it makes me down all day.” (EA)

The second theme is family background. This theme emerges in Phase 2, covering the psychological events in students’ families, such as parenting, parents’ death, and divorce. Some participants could not focus on studying because they have to support their family income. Few participants did not have support from their parents so they have to prove their capability, while others have supportive parents that always pray for them and listen to their stories in university.

The third and fourth themes are the social expectation and social exclusion. The social expectation is how others (e.g., lecturers, peers, parents) perceive Bidikmisi students and expect them to do. Meanwhile, social exclusion is when Bidikmisi students find “separation” in their social life, with a strong exclusivity. The fifth theme is culture shock. This theme includes a “gap” between students’ original and campus socio-cultural norms. Culture shock usually happens because the new environment has a very different environment from what they imagine. It is also indicated by homesickness which is a lonely feeling and wanting to go back to their family home.

The sixth and seventh themes are related to individual characteristics: personality traits and physical endurance. The personal trait only covers the individual’s negative attributes and characteristics. Some personal traits that become a risk for Bidikmisi students are low self-confidence, insecurity, overthinking, and “people pleasuring”. The low physical endurance includes failure to manage their health and physical condition during the study.

3.4. Category 2: promotive and protective factor and process (PPFP)

Promotive and protective factors and processes (PPFP) help students buffer the risk exposure and bounce back from the adverse condition. It consists of internal, external, and consideration aspects that influence both systems. There are thirteenth themes in PPFP systems. The sample of evidence of each theme is shown in Table 5.

Table 5. Protective and Promotive Factors and Process for Bidikmisi Students

Theme	Evidence from Phase 1	Evidence from Phase 2
Helpful Mindset	“I think they must give a big effort in their academic life whatever the conditions are” (S12) “Be optimistic and have a positive mindset.” (S1 and many others 11 responses) “I need to be a confident person.” (S3, S45, S46, S52, S61, S78, S82, S90) “Failure and setbacks are the sources of learning.” (S11, S29)	“Hmm. when SD has a problem, they always think that when they overcome the situation, it would be an inspiring story in the future.” (SD) “I believe that education is important, it’s not only just for finding a better job, but also to build relationships, become aware of what happen in the world, more prepared to face the future, hehe hehe.” (EA) “We don’t know what will happen in the future. It not worth worrying over something that can’t be controlled. Just do anything that we can do now.” (WO)
Self-Regulation	“do the careful planning for every situation.” (S2, S6, S75) “I have good time management skills.” (S21, S22, S30, S40, S41, S43) “Finding an effective learning strategy.” (S15, S17) “managing my effort and emotions.” (S8 and many others 18 responses)	“CT has a gastrition and it is controllable. CT fancies spicy food, though it triggers gastrition. Therefore, every time CT needs to take an exam or an important activity, CT does not eat spicy food.” (CT) “I have to be disciplined. Managing my screen time, especially on lecture days. I limit myself to only opening the whats app that we used for task coordination. After lecture hours, for example, at night, I can access other social media.” (EA)
Adaptive Coping Strategy	“choosing the most effective solution for my problem.” (S83)	“When AT is stressed, they distance themselves from others to make calm down. AT needs their time for a while. After that, they solve that problem with others.” (AT) “Using my experiences from a side job, I can handle conflict peacefully. I try to talk with each side and resolve the situation together. I also success out of financial shortfall using my skill.” (EA)
Reflective Thinking	“I think about what I lack so that I can learn and find another experience.” (S5, S14, S28, S63)	“When IL is dealing with a person with a different characteristic, they think about how the person is. And then IL thinks about themselves and their characteristics. IL looks for what may become a potential problem and how to deal with it.” (IL) “I am looking for the missing piece of the puzzle that can complete myself. I read the book, I contemplate until I find what strength that I have and what should I do to improve.” (DA) “When the situation becomes hectic, I look back to my enrollment process to faculty of medicine. The exploration I have done is the selection process for the scholarship. These flashbacks make me realize my own capacity, and make me very grateful for my life.” (WO)
Clear Goal & Priority	“I know very well why I have to study in university.” (S36) “My priority is academic life, then family.” (S24, S28, S47) “I want my parent to have a hajj/ umrah” (S65)	“FJ knows what to do after graduation. FJ would have a master’s degree with a scholarship.” (FJ) “After the graduate, I will build a farm business. I don’t want to work as an employer anymore. I save the money and choose the student activity that will help me to open the business.” (EA)
Flexibility	“I need to adapt and adjust with my surrounding/ new environment. ” (S17 and many others 22 responses)	“RS’ financial condition is already fixed, especially when the monthly spending comes late. RS adjust the meal and make sure that it’s enough to continue their activity.” (RS) “Every lecturer has their own characteristics. I adjust my strategy considering the task and lecturer characteristics/” (DA)
Taking Action	“do hard work in everything I planned. ” (S16, S22, S72) “Do the task well, as soon as possible.” (S105, S110)	“Whatever FN’s conditions, whether good or bad, they do the task in small steps.” (FN) “There was a time when my handphone broke so that I cannot attend the lecture all day. I’m not just idle. I immediately contact the assistant, explain my situation and ask him/her to arrange a supplementary class for me. And it works.” (EA) “When the others demand the faculty management to explain our future and worry how their future after graduation, I choose to do a little thing that I can do now. For now, I prepare myself for thesis defense.” (WO)
Reaching Out	“Find a friend to exchange information and thoughts.” (S99) “Find an organization that will help me to survive.” (S57) “Looking for financial aid from the university and/ faculty.” (S23)	“ZK is usually looking for help. For instance, there was a course module that they lacked the money to buy. Therefore, ZK asked the lecturer whether it was okay to not buy the module. The lecture stated it was okay, though ZK must keep up with the learning. Therefore, ZK asked their seniors for their module.” (ZK) “I want to find my strengths. Usually I ask my friends who have good achievements. I ask them how they can be so good. From them, sometimes I got good advice.” (DA)
Social Support	“peer support helps me to success.” (S27 and many others 16 responses” “support from others such as lecturer, student community.” (S11, S12, S20, S53, S120) “my family support gives me power.” (S2 and many others 24 responses)	“Thank God! I meet a good friend with the same ‘frequency’. We are from Bidikmisi and stay in the same dormitory. They help me in the course, working together to understand the material.” (AF) “I was helped by Bidikmisi student community during first-year of university. It inspires me to join and become the part of this community organizer next year.” (IL) “There is a lecturer who is always active, advising us that you have to develop yourself, you have to start being independent, you have to start innovations, for example, you don’t have to be asked to take part in research or PKM. They push us to grow. From the side of my friends, my friends are diligent, my friends are very fast when it comes to assignments or looking for materials, so I am motivated to finish my task.” (DA) “I have a boyfriend. When I’m down and have a difficult time, he listens to me and supports me unconditionally. It helps me to regulate my emotion.” (EA)
Role Model	“good senior” (S34. S39)	“ … maybe because CT’s sisters are diligent. CT look at them and follows what they do because they show CT how to learn”. (CT) “One of the idol group, because they used to be from a small agency, and then they feel like they are being underestimated by the people around them, just like other companies are also being underestimated. But now they can be worldwide, so international, so that’s cool in my opinion, they help me to strive. “ (SD) “Yes, thank God, I think my organization members are very supportive. They are cool people, very enthusiastic, so I was encouraged to do my best, they can do that, so do I.” (DA)
Spirituality	“Believe in God’s will .” (S8 and many others 35 responses) “Pray to god and parents pray will give us many ways. “ (S3 and many others 23 responses)	“When FD is close to Allah (Islam’s God), it makes the process easy. And it’s okay when FD is tested by Allah because it shows that Allah loves FD and wants them to level up.” (FD) “Ikhlas, then I have to ikhlas (sincere). the important thing is that do Ikhtiar: I’ve tried my best. If we have reached the maximum effort and we are not accepted, then it means that it is not my rezeki (sustenance). Allah will give us the best rezeki so I need to do everything start from ibadah and plan a learning strategy.” (EA)
Family Value	“My father/mother/family member told us to be a helpful person.” (S16 and many others 29 responses)	“My mother always told us not to always look up but to look down too. I am lucky enough, but they’re still others who are unlucky.” (AF) “My parents from the beginning until now said that if I want anything, I must do it myself. it’s ringing in my ear until now, if for example, if I want to go to college, so you’ve got to do it yourself.” (SD) “My mother told me to always mind my manner, especially in the outside home. Be respectful for others, be polite, and what I do is my own responsibility.” (EA) “My father told me that life is ‘give and take’. If there was someone who give you something, it also means that you have to give back something to them. So does this scholarship. I have many privileges, it’s only natural for them to have high demand, especially after graduation. I need to anticipate the demands before deciding.” (WO)
Ethnic Value	-	“JY’s life also follows Sundanese philosophy: ‘Tata Titi Duduga Peryoga’: Live well with people (ant), harmonious (centipede), rigorous (squirrel), and tough (buffalo).” (JY) “I am from Javanese family, they have proverb ‘Lembah manah bener’, teach me to be always humble. It helps me to adjust.” (DA) “I am Sundanese people. We are a gentle person. So we value harmonious life.” (EA)

The internal PPFP is consists of eight themes. A helpful mindset comprises beliefs that help students strive and bounce back from adverse conditions. It includes positive, optimism, growth, and a never-give-up mindset. Self-regulation is the students’ ability to manage their life, including emotion, time, impulse, and energy. The adaptive coping strategy is defined as the student’s capability to choose an appropriate way to solve a problem in their studies. Reflective thinking emerges in Phase 2 as the students’ ability to evaluate themselves, situations, and activities. The theme regarding “goal” emerges in both phases. It is named “clear goal and priority” because it includes what the students want to achieve and what most matters to them. Most Bidikmisi students set academic achievement as their top priority, serving as a compass in their studies. Flexibility is the students’ ability to distinguish between what they could change and act based on that judgment. Also, it includes their ability to notice a different side of people and adjust their actions based on it and find many ways to improve a situation. Taking action is the students’ ability to do what they think, even a small step or hate it. They have to do it for a better purpose. The last theme is reaching out, proactively finding support, and utilizing external resources and opportunities.

The external PPFP is consists of two themes. The first theme is social support. It covers help from the students’ parents and siblings, peers, and seniors on the campus. The second theme is role model which is referred to as a person that becomes a “benchmark” in daily attitudes and behavior for Bidikmisi students. This could be their siblings, parents, lecturer, or senior. The consideration factor of PPFP consists of three themes. Spirituality emerges from both phases as believing that something greater than oneself makes an order in life and striving to connect with the greater one. Family value includes the values passed from parents to their children. Finally, the ethnic value includes values from the students’ ancestors on their conduct as specific ethnic members.

3.5. Category 3: desired resilient outcome

The desired resilient outcome is about success in the Bidikmisi students’ eyes, not only in academic life but also in non-academic life and personal development. We conclude with four final themes that emerge from Phase 1 and Phase 2. Table 6 shows the sample of evidence of each theme in desired resilience outcome.

Table 6. Desired Resilient Outcome in Bidikmisi Students

Theme	Evidence from Phase 1	Evidence from Phase 2
Happiness of Others	“use my knowledge to help others in need; doing good for society.” (S1, S8, S9, S13, S20, S33, S45, and many others: 60 responses) “to make my parents happy and proud” (S10, S28, S32, S47, S56, S61, and many others: 22 responses)	“SD wants to build a business for the people in the SD’s village for them to have no difficulty because of living far from the city.” (SD) “I want to be a researcher, find something that useful and helpful for others.” (DA)
Personal Development	“Success is when S2 achieves what they plan at the beginning of university life.” (S2) “I feel successful when having many friends and connections and do not trouble others.” (S7, S79, S91, S94) “Complete all targets well and produce satisfactory results, achieve what we want and dream about” (S26, S27, S28, S34, S66, S67, and many others: 18 responses) “succeed in balancing academic and -non-academician life” (S6, S13, S14, S29, S34, S44, S49, S50, and many others: 28 responses) “Become a strong person who can manage the failure and challenge.” (S7, S13, S24, S31, S69) “I want to develop my talent and interest.” (S125, S130)	“It was a big achievement for RS to overcome shyness through hard control. Also, RS is brave enough to start the conversation.” (RS) “In my opinion, success is when we can accept ourselves. Beside that, I can control my finance, emotion, and mental well. Encouraging myself to give a positive aura to other people.” (EA) “Back to each individual, what achievement you want to achieve in life, what kind of person you want to be in the future. Because everyone’s goals when deciding to enter college are different. And I want to improve myself” (FJ)
Academic Achievement	“ I attained a high GPA, more than 3, and graduated on time.” (S1, S4, S6, S22, S37, S38, S40, S42, and many others: 65 responses) “Understand and master all the learning material.” (S53, S85) “Chosen as student exchange delegation.” (S62) “Have a student research grant and product, chosen as a research assistant.” (S100, S117, S133)	“I intend to take Program Kreativitas Mahasiswa (PKM) from DIKTI. Every year, I submit a proposal to my team. The lecturers already know about my motivation for this PKM. I want my proposal to pass the selection process and be funded by the government.” (EA)
Non-academic Life	“Become a significant person in students body organization.” (S55 and many others 13 responses) “Actively participate in campus life/ extracurricular activity/ event organizer (S13, S17, S22, S34, S35, S36, S41) “Achieve something with students organization or extracurricular activity” (S11, S26)	“IL’s target is becoming a member of the Student Executive Committee and the division that helps another Bidikmisi student.” (IL) “Success is when I have a sustainable job not long after graduation.” (WO)

The first theme is the happiness of others. The happiness of others emerges in Phase 2, consisting of the desire to make their family and friends happy. Also, they desire to contribute to society and help junior students to adapt to university positively. The second theme is personal development which is the desire to become the best version of oneself. There are many forms towards a better version of themselves: (1) striving toward one’s goal, (2) acquiring the optimum skill, (3) getting better at relationships, and (4) getting better at managing life balance. The third theme is academic achievement. This theme is the most desired outcome for participants. It includes having a GPA above average and graduating on time or even faster. The final theme is non-academic life. It includes actively participating and learning from the organization and other non-academic activities.

3.6. Resilience process for Bidikmisi students

The final description of the resilience process was determined by deductive analysis based on Ungar’s Socio-Ecological Resilience Framework. From this process, we can have a description of the resilience process specifically for Bidikmisi students. There are seven risk exposures, nine internal and two external PPFP systems, three consideration aspects of PPFP, and four desired resilient outcomes (Figure 1). The dynamic of the resilience process is explained in the discussion section.

Figure 1. The resilience process for Bidikmisi student based on socioecological frameword

4. Discussion

The resilience process in Bidikmisi students involves the dynamic between individuals and the social systems. These findings are in line with the socio-ecological definition of resilience which is the capacity to navigate and negotiate with “adverse situations” using personal and environmental resources (Ungar & Theron, 2020). Resilience in a socio-ecological framework emphasizes “resilience as process”. The mediating process and protective resources toward better-than-expected outcomes in the presence of adversity are the heart of resilience (Van Breda, 2018). The mediating processes include the individual and social levels of system. In this section, the interaction between individual and social systems is explained through the dynamic between risk exposure, PPFP, and desired resilient outcome. There are three different resilience processes based on the risk and desired resilient outcome.

The first resilience process involves personal traits, the most risk exposed to Bidikmisi students. Personality traits include anxiety, depression, burnout syndrome, and health-risk behavior in students (Hong & Paunonen, 2009; Matsudaira & Kitamura, 2006; Skodova & Lajciakova, 2013). Therefore, negative personal trait becomes an adverse condition for Bidikmisi students, reflected through low self-confidence, overthinking, insecurity, and pleasing others. These risks hinder them from the fulfillment of personal development which is one of their desired outcomes. When thinking reflectively, they usually start with a negative inner conversation about themselves (influenced by personal traits). The previous study referred to this negative inner conversation as negative automatic thoughts (Judd, 2016; Yu et al., 2020). However, resilient Bidikmisi students overcome this negative inner conversation because they have helpful mindsets that counter those negative thoughts. For instance, they practice positive conversation, optimism, and a growth mindset formed from spirituality (individual consideration) and family value (social consideration). When the individual system is not strong enough to counter them, they seek help and optimize external resources for their role model. In this light, the students ask for direct or role models ‘ prior advice regarding what they remember about their model’s actions. All of this process would help them bounce back from adversity and successfully reach the outcome

The adversity of Bidikmisi students is not only characterized by negative personality traits (as a risk factor) but also characterized by their family background. Most Bidikmisi students come from disadvantaged families which struggle to fulfill their daily needs. Some of them already lost their household. They have a responsibility to help sustain family life instead of studying in higher education. These conditions reduce family support for continuing education in university. Whereas, family support is one important factor related to students’ resilience (García-Crespo et al., 2021). Family conditions also distract them when they have to study. Resilient students overcome this adversity by reaching out to others. They seek help from high school teachers to discuss various alternatives that permit them to continue studying in higher education despite their limited financial condition. They also believe that education can help and prosper their hometown.

The second resilience process concerns how Bidikmisi students achieve academically and make other people happy. In this process, others include their parents, family, friends, and hometown people. Furthermore, most Bidikmisi students believe that a good academic record makes them happy and proud. They also believe that knowledge gained from university would help advance their hometown. Therefore, to actualize those beliefs, they need to hone self-regulation, which involves setting goals and selecting appropriate strategies. Additionally, they should maintain motivation, monitor, and evaluate progress until achieving personal goals (Ramdass & Zimmerman, 2011; Zimmerman, 2000). Resilient Bidikmisi students have clear priorities, adaptive coping strategies, and a “do-it/take action” attitude. These four factors become internal protective and promotive factors. Meanwhile, the students may also experience risks of failing because of social expectations. They are burdened by how parents, friends, lecturers, and other people perceive them. A previous study showed that high expectations toward the student affect their academic performance and cause depression (Ma et al., 2018; Wentzel et al., 2016). Furthermore, low physical endurance hinders them from performing academically by making them tire easily.

Participating actively in a non-academic context and developing self is the focus of the third resilience process. The resilient students have a strong desire to balance academic and non-academic life, learn new abilities and experiences, develop their positive characters, and make new friends by joining non-academic activities. However, some Bidikmisi students experience cultural shock while striving to achieve this desired outcome because they need time to observe what is common and uncommon. Additionally, they experience social exclusion because most come from the rural areas. The financial condition also obstructs them from joining an organization because they must prioritize daily needs over organization activities. Despite this risk exposure, the students have role models. Therefore, they reach out to the role models to discuss the best action in certain situations. The role models such as mother, father, older siblings, seniors in the university, mentors, and teachers help the students to gain resilience and health-promoting behavior (Southwick et al., 2006; Stone et al., 2020; Yancey et al., 2011). Moreover, flexibility helps them handle cultural issues and new organizational tasks. Flexibility could moderate resilience by reducing undesirable outcomes such as stress and depression (Lam & McBride-Chang, 2007).

This study also found different resilience levels among participants. The Bidikmisi students with higher resilience consistently manifest resilient behaviors in their life by relying on their internal protective and promotive factors (PPFP). Conversely, lower resilience level students manifest uncertain resilience process by depending only on external PPFP. This finding indicates the importance of internal resources in building resilience among Bidikmisi students compared to external resources. Therefore, this study recommends further comparative research between resilient and non-resilient Bidikmisi students to determine the magnitude of each factor in the resilience process. Unfortunately, generalization of the findings can not be made to higher education students directly because of the different and various levels of adversity.

There are several limitations that need to be addressed in this study. Firstly, choosing the time length between each phase needs to consider not only practical reasons but also theoretical reasons. We suggest doing a literature review to find how long it takes for resilience to manifest in an individual. Secondly, we recommend piloting for the interview protocol in order to ensure that participants understand the questions. Thirdly, we used percentage agreement among raters which may reveal unanticipated complexities. (O’Connor & Joffe, 2020). Thus, using statistical tests (e.g., Cohen’s Kappa, the Kuder-Richardson 20) and respondent/participant validation are recommended to increase the study’s credibility. Considering these limitations, the results only mirror the current participants. They cannot be applied to other Bidikmisi students in different cohorts and times.

This study found several themes that related to students’ immediate environments (i.e., family, peer, upperclassman, lecturer). This study also found how Bidikmisi students navigate their protective factors to buffer the risks. However, it lacks explanations about how the environments help the students to be resilient. The socio-ecological framework of resilience emphasizes the environmental aspects which highlight the quality of social and physical ecologies of the individual (Ungar & Liebenberg, 2011). Therefore, for further studies, we suggest investigating the characteristics of social and physical ecologies that are associated with resilience, both at the microsystem and mesosystem levels. For example, we can identify what challenges the lecturer can offer in order to improve Bidikmisi students’ reflective thinking. We can also explore what characteristics of peers make Bidikmisi students easier to reach out and ask for help.

5. Conclusion

Featuring the effects of Indonesian culture and higher education context, the study of Bidikmisi students’ resilience shows the peculiarity of the process. Bidikmisi students come from a family that struggles to fulfill daily needs; insisting they prioritize helping family over studying. They are also prone to chronic inferiority; constant comparison between their own capabilities and other regular students. However, despite those adversities, the resilient students demonstrate persistency toward their desired outcomes which are to become a success in academic and non-academic life, become helpful people, and develop their strengths (e.g., character strengths and ability strengths). A positive mindset is derived from spiritual/religious values, ethnic values, and family value becomes their promotive and protective factor to strive for. Social support especially from the Bidikmisi student community helps them to bounce back. The existence of role models helps them to learn self-regulation and adaptive coping strategy as Bidikmisi students. This typical resilience process serves as the base to develop a specific psychological resilience intervention program for student-at-risk in higher education. We also suggest exploring characteristics of microsystem (e.g., peer, lecturer, student association) and mesosystem (e.g., interaction with a lecturer, interaction with upper-class students) that can improve the resilience process in Bidikmisi students.

Availability of data and material

The data supporting this study are available from the corresponding author [MW] upon reasonable request.

Authors’ contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception, design, and writing manuscript. The concepts and design were arranged by Miryam Wedyaswari [MW], the literature searched by Miryam Wedyaswari [MW], Janice [J], and Aulia Hanafitri [AH]. Data were acquired by enumerators trained by [MW]. All authors contributed to data analysis, while the manuscript was prepared by [MW], edited by Witriani [W], and reviewed by [W]. The final manuscript was then read and approved by all authors.

Disclosure statement

The corresponding author confirms on behalf of all authors that no involvements raise the question of bias in the work reported or in the conclusions, implications, or opinions stated.

Additional information

Funding

This study was self-funded.

Notes on contributors

Miryam Wedyaswari

The authors are a member of the Center of Innovation and Psychological Studies in Universitas Padjadjaran. Miryam, Aulia, and Witriani are lecturers, while Janice is a student in the Faculty of Psychology. Miryam Wedyasawari joined as a lecturer in Educational Psychology Department. She started researching resilience in higher education students while pursuing her master’s thesis. She supervises students’ organizational and personal development activities. Janice Simanjuntak is a bachelor’s student in Psychology. Janice has been involved in educational volunteering activities and is a research assistant at Unpad. She is currently the Head of the Curriculum of Taman Ilmu (a student organization that focuses on education-related issues). Aulia Hanafitri has been a lecturer in the Social Psychology Department. Witriani is also a lecturer in Educational Psychology Department. Her research interests include factors relating to academic motivation and teaching and learning methods in higher education.