Content uploaded by Hanna Oktasya Ross
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Hanna Oktasya Ross on Mar 10, 2022
Content may be subject to copyright.
Jurnal Kependidikan:
Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan
di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran
https://e-journal.undikma.ac.id/index.php/jurnalkependidikan/index
Vol. 8, No. 1 : March 2022
E-ISSN: 2442-7667
pp. 102-113
Email: jklppm@undikma.ac.id
Jurnal Kependidikan Vol. 8, No. 1 (March 2022)
Copyright © 2022, The Author(s) |102
A Quasi-Experimental Study of Gratitude Journaling
on Students’ Academic Resilience
Hanna Oktasya Ross*, Megawatul Hasanah, Wintan Roidah, Raisatunnisa, Salsa
Maulidya Nur Russandari, Aisyah Hanifah, Hazhira Qudsyi
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Socio-Cultural Sciences,
Universitas Islam Indonesia
*Corresponding Author. Email: hannaoktasya@gmail.com
Abstract: This study aims to analyze the effect of gratitude journaling in
increasing students’ academic resilience. This quasi-experimental study used a
non-randomized pretest-posttest with a control group design. The subjects were
16 students divided into two groups, 8 students in the experimental group and 8
students in the control group. The data collection instrument was questionnaires
containing anacademic resilience scale and a gratitude questionnaire. Then the
data were analyzed using non-parametric statistical analysis with the Mann
Whitney U Test and the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. The results of this study
indicate that there is a significant difference between the experimental group
that received the gratitude journaling treatment and the control group without
receiving the gratitude journaling treatment (p = 0.035). Then, there is a
significant difference in the level of academic resilience of the experimental
group between before and after the treatment in the form of gratitude journaling
(p = 0.017). Besides, the effect size score is 52.5%. This shows that gratitude
journaling increases the student’s academic resilience with a moderate category.
This research can fill in the gap in the study of gratitude and academic resilience
based on experiments in Indonesia that have never existed before.
Article History
Received: 05-01-2022
Revised: 04-02-2022
Accepted: 15-02-2022
Published: 09-03-2022
Key Words:
Academic Resilience,
Gratitude Journaling,
College Student.
How to Cite: Ross, H., Hasanah, M., Roidah, W., Raisatunnisa, R., Russandari, S., Hanifah, A., & Qudsyi, H.
(2022). A Quasi-Experimental Study of Gratitude Journaling on Students’ Academic Resilience. Jurnal
Kependidikan: Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan
Pembelajaran, 8(1), 102-113. doi:https://doi.org/10.33394/jk.v8i1.4704
https://doi.org/10.33394/jk.v8i1.4704
This is an open-access article under the CC-BY-SA License.
Introduction
The college period is a period when individuals are attending education at colleges,
either universities, polytechnics, higher institutions, etc. In this period, students may face new
problems that may not have been experienced before. Martunis & Bahri (2016) conducted a
study involving college students at a university and found that some dominant problems are
included in the heavy category. The subject from Faculty A has some problems such as
financial, life, and work conditions (77.69%), psychological personal relationship (63.07%),
household and family (66.15%), adjusting to coursework (66.15%), and future and work
problems (66.15%). Meanwhile, the subject from Faculty B faces problems of financial, life,
and work condition (72.54%), psychological personal relationship (64.11%), household and
family (66.15%), adjustment to coursework (63.35%), future and work problems (67.21%).
These problems can have a negative impact on students, one of the most common is
psychological disorders, that is stress.
Another study by Ambarwati, Pinilih, and Astuti (2017) involving students as subjects
found that the stress level of students is classified into mild stress (35.6%), moderate stress
(57.4%), and severe stress (6.9%). Stress disorders are also commonly found in students who
are doing their thesis. Zakaria (2017) revealed that students who experience stress in doing a
thesis are 86.5% in the medium category and 5% in the heavy category. Besides, the
Jurnal Kependidikan:
Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan
di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran
https://e-journal.undikma.ac.id/index.php/jurnalkependidikan/index
Vol. 8, No. 1 : March 2022
E-ISSN: 2442-7667
pp. 102-113
Email: jklppm@undikma.ac.id
Jurnal Kependidikan Vol. 8, No. 1 (March 2022)
Copyright © 2022, The Author(s) |103
challenges during the lecture period are also influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic, namely
the existence of a new learning system. The pandemic affects the student’s stress level in
doing thesis (Susanti et al, 2021). Many challenges causing psychological disorders show that
it is important for students to have good academic resilience.
Academic resilience in the context of higher education is the ability to effectively face
challenges, difficulties, and pressures in an academic setting (Martin & Marsh, 2006; Rojas,
2015). Academic resilience is believed to be an advantage or one of the assets and a process
that is favored and tends to have a positive impact (Wijayanti & Purwaningtyas, 2020).
Meanwhile, Utami (2020) defined academic resilience as the ability to achieve good output
despite being in difficulty adapting or following academic developments. Academic
resilience has four dimensions, namely, self-adjustment, toughness, intelligence to face
difficulties, and problem-solving (Hardiansyah et al, 2020).
Active students with high academic resilience will tend to show a positive attitude in
dealing with a problem. This is in line with the previous study which states that every
individual with good academic resilience will tend to have positive emotions and positive
responses (Fitri and Kushendar, 2019). When students have good academic resilience, they
will not easily give up, but believe that they will succeed through it all (Harahap et al, 2020).
Every resilient individual can learn and adapt to conditions that make them uncomfortable
(Connor and Davidson, 2003).
Sembiring (2018) proposed two factors of academic resilience, namely risk factors
and protective factors. The risk factors include family poverty, divorce, minorities,
discrimination, language difficulties, parents with certain diseases, violence, premature birth,
and others (Asih, Isnarto, Sukestiyarno, & Wardono, 2019; Dianthoni, 2018; Hadianti,
Nurwati, & Darwis, 2017; Hendar, 2019; Rasmanah, 2020). Meanwhile, the protective
factors include self-efficacy, locus of control, cooperation, communication, empathy,
problem-solving skills, self-awareness, goals, aspirations, religiosity, goal orientation,
personal responsibility, optimism, and internal expectations (Aini & Lestari, 2021; Salim &
Fakhrurrozi, 2020; Satyaninrum, 2019; Zanthy, 2018)
The importance of resilience in academics shows the need for training or interventions
that to develop students’ academic resilience. Researchers have identified 24 character
strengths that can help a person live a meaningful and thriving life, which are classified under
the categories of wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence
(Peterson & Seligman, 2004). Of the 24 character strengths, gratitude is the variable that has
recently been studied scientifically. As a character strength, gratitude refers to the ability to
recognize and appreciate the benefits of others and the desire to reciprocate with positive
actions (Emmons, 2007). Besides, gratitude is also a central pillar of most religions, so
spiritually gratitude makes people have a greater relationship with God and have more peace
and satisfaction (Emmons, 2007).
In 2014, a group of interdisciplinary professionals conducted a study on gratitude and
then illustrated and highlighted the importance of gratitude in overall well-being, at work, at
school, and in relationships (Wilson, 2016). Moreover, previous studies have examined
specifically the importance of gratitude in learning or at school. A correlational study by
Utami (2020) illustrates that gratitude has a contribution to the formation of students’
academic resilience.
Gratitude-based interventions can be done through many techniques, one of which is
gratitude journaling (Seligman et al, 2005). Gratitude journaling is a process of expressing
gratitude by identifying and recording things that you are grateful for every day or every
week (Seligman et al, 2005). Emmons & McCullough (2013) express that gratitude
Jurnal Kependidikan:
Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan
di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran
https://e-journal.undikma.ac.id/index.php/jurnalkependidikan/index
Vol. 8, No. 1 : March 2022
E-ISSN: 2442-7667
pp. 102-113
Email: jklppm@undikma.ac.id
Jurnal Kependidikan Vol. 8, No. 1 (March 2022)
Copyright © 2022, The Author(s) |104
journaling can handle maladaptive cognitive aspects to become more positive (adaptive).
Therefore, the application of gratitude journaling is appropriate to overcome the resilience in
students.
An experimental study on gratitude journaling has been conducted in 2016 by Jane
Taylor Wilson. It involved 110 students as subjects and aimed to examine the impact of
gratitude practices on focus and resilience in learning. Wilson (2016) warned the subjects
including a reminder at the beginning of the week to be grateful before starting class, a
reminder at the end of the week to reflect on and write down 3 to 5 good things or things to
be grateful for in learning, and a midweek reminder to think about and be grateful to
professors or co-workers who help in the learning process. These reminders were sent every
4-5 days for three months. The results show that gratitude can increase students' ability to
focus on learning and remain resilient when faced with learning difficulties.
This study has several differences from previous studies so that it provides innovation
and novelty values. First, the subject of this study has a different cultural background from
previous studies that discussed the same variables (Wilson, 2016). Second, this study
specifically explores the gratitude journaling method, while Wilson (2016) uses the practicing
gratitude method which consists of several parts, namely the gratitude journal, the gratitude
letter, the gratitude conversation, and the state of preparedness. Studies on gratitude and
academic resilience in Indonesia examining the effects of non-experiments and the
correlation between the two variables are limited so far. Therefore, this experimental study
was conducted to fill the gap and as an additional scientific study related to gratitude and
academic resilience for future studies, especially in Indonesia. Moreover, the results of an
experimental study based on direct (practical) activities of subjects filling out gratitude
journaling can show the causal role of these activities. It can be an empirical reference for
students in determining strategies to improve their academic resilience so that they can face
every difficulty and challenge in academic activities.
Academic resilience and gratitude are two dimensions that are closely related. When
individuals have a high sense of gratitude, they will try to look positively at all things. It will
indirectly facilitate the individual's ability to deal with any stressors they experience by
outlining each condition so that they can be accepted positively and feel able to solve them
(Emmons, 2007). It will help them in dealing with all the conditions in the academic world.
So, they become more resistant to pressure, challenges, and can overcome academic
problems.
Therefore, this study aims to analyze the effect of gratitude journaling in increasing
students’ academic resilience. The two main hypotheses of this study are that there is a
significant difference in the level of academic resilience in the group that received the
gratitude journaling treatment and the group without the gratitude journaling treatment.
Second, there is a significant difference in the level of academic resilience of the
experimental group before and after the treatment in the form of gratitude journaling. Thus, it
is expected that this study can provide an overview of the influence of gratitude journaling
practices on increasing students’ academic resilience.
Research Method
This quasi-experimental study used a non-randomized pretest-posttest design with a
control group design. This design was used to prove causality by comparing the effect of
gratitude journaling on academic resilience in the experimental group and the control group.
The description of this design can be seen below.
Jurnal Kependidikan:
Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan
di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran
https://e-journal.undikma.ac.id/index.php/jurnalkependidikan/index
Vol. 8, No. 1 : March 2022
E-ISSN: 2442-7667
pp. 102-113
Email: jklppm@undikma.ac.id
Jurnal Kependidikan Vol. 8, No. 1 (March 2022)
Copyright © 2022, The Author(s) |105
KE Y1 X Y2
----------------------------------------
KK Y1 Y2
Notes:
KE : Experimental group
KK : Treatment group
X : Treatment (Gratitude Journaling)
Y1 : Pre-test, the score of the academic resilience and gratitude scale before the treatment
Y2 : Post-test, the score of the academic resilience and gratitude scale after the treatment
The selection of the participant was by distributing randomly a Google Form for
pretest to students at the Islamic University of Indonesia. The determination of the
participants used a purposive sampling technique with the criteria of active students aged 17-
23 years. The participants in this study were 16 students who were divided into two groups,
namely 8 participants in the experimental group and 8 other participants in the control group.
The data were collected using a questionnaire containing scales. It used additional
qualitative data in the form of the results of journaling evaluations and participant reflections.
The first scale used was the academic resilience scale developed by Hardiansyah, et al (2020)
to measure the level of academic resilience of students. The scale was selected due to its good
validity and reliability with the Cronbach alpha value of 0.784. It consisted of 27 statement
items that measure 4 dimensions, namely self-adjustment in item numbers 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12,
19, 20, 21; toughness in item number 4, 5, 13, 14, 22, 23; intelligence to face difficulties in
item numbers 6, 7, 15, 16, 24, 25; and solving problems in item numbers 8, 9, 17, 18, 26, 27.
Of the 27 items, each is a favorable item with a score range from 1 (very unsuitable) to 4
(very appropriate). The higher the score, the higher the level of academic resilience, and vice
versa. The second scale was the Gratitude Questionnaire-6 which was later developed and
modified into the Gratitude Questionnaire-11 in Indonesian Context by Grimaldy & Haryanto
(2020), to measure the level of gratitude for students in Indonesia. This instrument was used
due to its good validity and reliability with the Cronbach alpha value of 0.789. It consisted of
11 statement items that measure 2 dimensions, namely appreciation to the constant
experience of life in item numbers 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and the dimension of appreciation towards
individuals that take part in my life in item number 1, 2, 3, 10, 11. Of the 11 items, there were
1 unfavorable item and 10 favorable items with a score ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to
7 (strongly agree). The higher the score, the higher the level of gratitude, and vice versa.
The procedure for the implementation of this study is as follows, 1) Finding
participants by distributing questionnaires containing a scale to students at the Islamic
University of Indonesia who meet the predetermined criteria. Finally, the researcher got 100
participants. 2) Categorizing academic resilience scores using empirical categorization
references. Then it was followed by screening 100 participants and finding a total of 25
people with low-very low academic resilience. The categories of academic resilience levels
can be seen below:
Table 1. Categorization of Academic Resilience Levels
Score Range
Category
Frequency
X < 68.3
Very low
3 people
68.3 ≤ X < 78.9
Low
22 people
78.9 ≤ X < 89.4
Moderate
52 people
89.4 ≤ X < 100.56
High
22 people
X > 100.56
Very high
5 people
Jurnal Kependidikan:
Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan
di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran
https://e-journal.undikma.ac.id/index.php/jurnalkependidikan/index
Vol. 8, No. 1 : March 2022
E-ISSN: 2442-7667
pp. 102-113
Email: jklppm@undikma.ac.id
Jurnal Kependidikan Vol. 8, No. 1 (March 2022)
Copyright © 2022, The Author(s) |106
3) Requesting participants’ consent (signing informed consent) before participating in the
study. Of the 25 participants from the screening, only 16 people agreed to participate in this
study. 4) Dividing 16 participants into 2 groups, namely 8 people in the control group and 8
other people in the experimental group. This distribution was random. 5) Providing treatment.
The treatment procedure used in this study was a modification of the gratitude journaling
experimental treatment procedure by Zulfiana (2014) and Emmons & McCullough (2003).
This procedure covers 3 sessions, as follows:
a) Session 1, covering the introduction and socialization of research procedures. This
session was conducted via a zoom meeting and it was separated between the control and
experimental groups. This process was fully assisted by 2 people outside the experimental
team, each of them became an instructor in both the control and experimental groups.
Instructors were to maintain the validity of this study.
b) Session 2, covering the treatment for one week. The treatment in the experimental group
was that participants were instructed to fill out the gratitude journaling in the provided
Google Form. Participants were invited to write down at least 5 things they are grateful
for about the academic world. Meanwhile, the control group was instructed to fill out an
ordinary daily journal (placebo) by writing down difficulties/something that made them
uncomfortable every day. The process of filling out this journal was carried out routinely
every night for one week. The instructor provided a reminder to fill out the journal every
day at 19.00 - 22.00 via WhatsApp for the control and experimental groups.
c) Session 3, covering sharing, termination. and evaluation. This session was conducted via
a zoom meeting and it was separated between the control and experimental groups. Each
participant was asked to share their experiences reflectively regarding journaling
activities that had been carried out for 1 week. Then it was followed by the termination
session or treatment termination. Finally, participants were asked to fill in the evaluation
link and post-test.
This study used a non-parametric statistical analysis because the number of
participants was less than 30 people. However, the assumption test was carried out covering
the normality test and homogeneity test. Then, the hypothesis test used the Mann-Whitney U
Test analysis to compare the scores between the pretest and posttest (gain score) in order to
determine the effect of gratitude journaling on academic resilience in the experimental group
and the control group. The data analysis process used SPSS 23.0 for windows.
Results and Discussion
Description of Participants
The total number of participants in this study was 16 people, consisting of 4 males
and 12 females. Then the participants were divided into 2 groups, namely 8 people in the
control group and 8 other people in the experimental group. The description of each
participant can be seen in tables 2 and 3.
Table 2. Control Group
Subject
Name
Age
Sex
1
KH
17
Male
2
RH
19
Female
3
S
19
Female
4
SA
20
Female
5
ASA
22
Female
6
SPJ
20
Female
7
DS
21
Female
Jurnal Kependidikan:
Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan
di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran
https://e-journal.undikma.ac.id/index.php/jurnalkependidikan/index
Vol. 8, No. 1 : March 2022
E-ISSN: 2442-7667
pp. 102-113
Email: jklppm@undikma.ac.id
Jurnal Kependidikan Vol. 8, No. 1 (March 2022)
Copyright © 2022, The Author(s) |107
8
TPJ
19
Female
Table 3. Experimental Group
Subject
Name
Age
Sex
1
AAA
18
Male
2
MA
21
Male
3
DMM
20
Male
4
N
20
Female
5
SQ
19
Female
6
LA
19
Female
7
NMSR
20
Female
8
ANH
21
Female
Based on the table above, in the control group, out of 8 people, only 1 person is male. While
in the experimental group, there are 3 males and 5 females. Overall, it can be seen that the
age range of participants is 17-22 years.
Assumption Test Tabel 4. Normality Test
Kelompok
Kolmogorov-Smirnova
Statistic
df
Sig.
Notes
Pre-test
Control
0.386
8
0.001
Not Normal
Experimental
0.189
8
0.200
Normal
Post-test
Control
0.209
8
0.200
Normal
Experimental
0.197
8
0.200
Normal
The assumption test is no longer needed if the participants involved in the study are less than
30 people. However, the assumption test in this study was still done to follow the procedure
before testing the hypothesis. Based on table 4, the results of the normality test using the
Kolmogorov-Smirnov obtained a significance value of the pre-test score for the experimental
group and post-test for the control and experimental groups of 0.200 (p> 0.05). It shows that
the data are normally distributed. Meanwhile, the pre-test score of the control group is not
normally distributed because the significance value is p = 0.001 (p < 0.05).
Table 5. Homogeneity Test
Levene Statistic
Sig.
Notes
1.836
0.197
Homogeneous
Then based on table 5, the results of the homogeneity test using Levene's Test obtained a
significance value of p = 0.197 (p > 0.05) indicating that the data are homogeneous.
Hypothesis Test Table 6. The Mann Whitney U Test
Academic Resilience Score
Z
Sig 2 tailed
Notes
Pre-test (Baseline)
-0.919
0.358
No difference
Post-test (Gain Score)
-2.105
0.035
There are differences
Table 6 shows the results of the preliminary baseline test using the Mann-Whitney test on the
academic resilience scores of the experimental and groups in which the pretest obtained a
score of Z = - 0.919, with a significance value of p = 0.358 (p > 0.05). It shows that there is
no difference between the experimental and control groups in the pre-test. Thus, a different
test can be carried out between the 2 groups after the treatment.
The data analysis on the post-test between the experimental group with the gratitude
journaling treatment and the control group without any treatment (placebo) obtained the
results of Z = -2.105 with a significance value of p = 0.035. It shows that there is a difference
Jurnal Kependidikan:
Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan
di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran
https://e-journal.undikma.ac.id/index.php/jurnalkependidikan/index
Vol. 8, No. 1 : March 2022
E-ISSN: 2442-7667
pp. 102-113
Email: jklppm@undikma.ac.id
Jurnal Kependidikan Vol. 8, No. 1 (March 2022)
Copyright © 2022, The Author(s) |108
between the experimental group and the control group after the treatment. Thus, the first
hypothesis proposed in this study is accepted.
Table 7. Difference Test of Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test in the Experimental Group
Z
Sig 2 tailed
Notes
-2.384
0.017
There are differences
Furthermore, based on table 7, the Wilcoxon difference test showed a significance value of p
= 0.017 (p < 0.05) meaning that in the experimental group there is a difference in the level of
academic resilience before and after the treatment. Thus, the second hypothesis is accepted.
Table 8. Effect Size
Z
-2.105
N
16
Notes
Effect Size (η2)
0.52625
Moderate Effect
Based on table 8, the value obtained is 0.52 or 52.5%. It shows that gratitude journaling
affects the increase of the student’s academic resilience with the moderate effect category.
Compare Means Test
The compare means test was carried out as an effort to check manipulation on the
student’s level of academic resilience and gratitude in both the control and the experimental
groups before and after the treatment.
Table 9. Comparison of Pre-Test and Post-Test Scores of Academic Resilience
N
M
Pre-test experimental
8
72.2500
Post-test experimental
8
76.7500
Pre-test control
8
75.8750
Post-test control
8
70.2500
Based on table 7, the mean value of the pre-test score is 72.2500 and the post-test mean is
76.7500 for the experimental group. It shows an increase in academic resilience scores in the
experimental group before and after treatment. Meanwhile, in the control group, there is no
increase in academic resilience scores.
Tabel 10. Comparison of Pre-Test and Post-Test Scores of Gratitude
N
M
Pre-test experimental
8
59.0000
Post-test experimental
8
66.1250
Pre-test control
8
64.0000
Post-test control
8
63.8750
Based on the mean value of the experimental group in table 8, the mean pretest score is
59.0000 and the post-test mean is 66.1250. It shows an increase in the gratitude score in the
experimental group before and after the treatment. Meanwhile, there is no increase in the
gratitude score in the control group. Thus, both academic resilience and gratitude scores
increase simultaneously for participants in the experimental group.
Discussion
Based on the data analysis, the two research hypotheses are accepted. First, this
study’s results indicate a significant difference in the level of academic resilience in the
experimental group with the gratitude journaling treatment and the control group without the
treatment. Second, there is a significant difference in the level of academic resilience before
and after the treatment. It means that gratitude journaling can increase students' academic
resilience. This study contributes to the increasing number of scientific data related to
gratitude as a character that positively influences the student’s academic resilience.
Jurnal Kependidikan:
Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan
di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran
https://e-journal.undikma.ac.id/index.php/jurnalkependidikan/index
Vol. 8, No. 1 : March 2022
E-ISSN: 2442-7667
pp. 102-113
Email: jklppm@undikma.ac.id
Jurnal Kependidikan Vol. 8, No. 1 (March 2022)
Copyright © 2022, The Author(s) |109
Besides, the results of additional qualitative data collection in the form of journaling
evaluation results and participant reflections support the key findings of this study. Reflection
activities and qualitative evaluation for experimental participants were carried out at the end
of the meeting. The process was delivered directly in the discussion room and also through
the google form. Based on the qualitative data, responses were obtained in the form of
comments from participants which were very useful in providing rich details to support the
key findings. Comments from the respondents can be seen below:
"Be more grateful, be patient and scheduled too", "It's a new experience for me to
include things that need to be grateful for in the smallest academic fields such as
focusing on studying, supporting infrastructure, and of course reminding me that I am
grateful because God has provided great sustenance”, “Of course it makes me think that
every activity that has been done should be grateful for”, “I am very motivated and can
learn what gratitude is”, “Benefits for myself, we can teach the meaning of gratitude to
others ”, “Personally, I just feel relieved”, “I am happy because I can expressively
express my gratitude because even though it is admitted that every day sometimes I am
only grateful for big things, not small things”, “Can understand and learn to be grateful
for even for the little things”, “More self-trained to express yourself, more comfortable
because problems are not kept alone”, “Writing this daily journal makes me feel more
grateful for the little things but it also makes me remember the fun things that day, it
makes my heart calmer and happier”, “The benefits make my heart calmer and happier,
that it turns out that there are still many things I can be grateful for, which I didn't feel
before.”
Based on those comments, participants feel positive effects and get benefits after the
treatment, especially being grateful for all things related to the academic world. This is also
in line with Wilson (2016) in which in the results of the qualitative evaluation carried out at
the end, Wilson categorizes the responses of respondents into positive and calm attitudes,
lessened stress, focus in learning, effort amidst challenges, and appreciation for reminders
(Wilson, 2016).
Therefore, the acceptance of the proposed hypothesis and the presence of additional
qualitative data certainly support previous studies. In Indonesia, there is a correlational study
of gratitude and academic resilience carried out by Utami (2020). It was conducted with a
total of 400 students as a subject and found that gratitude contributes to the formation of
academic resilience in students. Besides, Wilson (2016) conducted another experimental
study in the United States which examined the practice of gratitude towards focus and
resilience in learning. It involved 110 students of which 50 of the students were included in
the experimental group and the rest in the control group. The results show that gratitude
practices such as writing a gratitude journal can increase students' ability to focus on learning
and remain resilient when facing challenges and difficulties in learning.
Academic resilience is a skill in dealing with complex situations, rising from
adversity, being able to adapt to the demands of the academic environment (Sari & Indrawati
(2017). The results of the previous studies to the present also show the important role of
academic resilience in education. Based on the findings, students should have a high level of
resilience because there are many difficulties and challenges in the educational world that
have the potential to cause psychological problems (Ambarwati, Pinilih, and Astuti, 2017;
Zakaria, 2017; Susanti et al, 2021). Besides, it also has impacts on negative outcomes
(Martin, 2013) and burnout or fatigue (Fiorilli et al, 2020). High academic resilience can be a
capital that has a positive impact on academics (Wijayanti & Purwaningtyas, 2020), increase
the ability in dealing with challenges, difficulties, and pressures in an academic setting
Jurnal Kependidikan:
Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan
di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran
https://e-journal.undikma.ac.id/index.php/jurnalkependidikan/index
Vol. 8, No. 1 : March 2022
E-ISSN: 2442-7667
pp. 102-113
Email: jklppm@undikma.ac.id
Jurnal Kependidikan Vol. 8, No. 1 (March 2022)
Copyright © 2022, The Author(s) |110
(Martin & Marsh, 2006), can achieve output (Utami, 2020), tend to have positive emotions
and responses in academics (Fitri and Kushendar, 2019), are not easily discouraged (Harahap,
Harahap & Harahap, 2020), and are resilient, able to learn and adapt in uncomfortable
conditions (Connor and Davidson, 2003).
Therefore, one strategy that can be done to increase the student’s academic resilience
is through the practice of gratitude in educational settings. It is based on the theory that the
importance of gratitude in academics has an impact on resilience (Wilson, 2016) and the
theory that gratitude is the ability to recognize and appreciate the benefits of positive action
causing people to have a greater relationship with God and have more peace and satisfaction
(Emmons, 2007). It is also in line with the additional findings of this study from the
qualitative data which showed that the majority of participants expressed that they felt a
change in mindset and behavior to be more positive after the treatment.
Based on the discussion above, this study is expected to be beneficial for related parties,
ranging from policymakers, practitioners, and even students to improve academic resilience,
one of which is through the practice of gratitude journaling. Then, the findings of this study
can certainly enrich empirical studies about gratitude journaling and academic resilience in
Indonesia. It also provides a reference/guideline for future researchers who will examine the
same variables in Indonesia.
Conclusion
Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that there is a significant difference in
the level of academic resilience of the experimental group with the gratitude journaling
treatment and the control group without the treatment. Second, there is a significant
difference in the level of academic resilience in the experimental group before and after the
treatment. Thus, can be concluded that gratitude journaling has a significant effect in
increasing students’ academic resilience. Therefore, it is important for students to have a
gratitude value as one of the characters forming academic resilience so that they can survive
in facing every difficulty and challenge during academic activities.
Recommendation
Based on the results of the study, the researcher makes some of the following suggestions for
future studies:
1) For higher education institutions, especially educators (lecturers), it is expected that
they can try to implement gratitude journaling into the learning process in the
classroom so that students can apply and be trained to do gratitude journaling to
provide a positive impact, especially in shaping students’ resilience in the academic
world.
2) For future studies, first it is expected that the control and validity of the study can be
further tightened, one of which is by differentiating the order of questions in the pre-
test and post-test and carrying out various manipulation checks. Second, research can
be carried out offline, so that the monitoring and evaluation process can be carried out
directly. Third, it is necessary to evaluate the understanding of research procedures
before giving the treatment to ensure that participants understand the instructions
given. Fourth, giving a treatment can be done in a longer period so that changes in
participants may have a long-term impact.
Jurnal Kependidikan:
Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan
di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran
https://e-journal.undikma.ac.id/index.php/jurnalkependidikan/index
Vol. 8, No. 1 : March 2022
E-ISSN: 2442-7667
pp. 102-113
Email: jklppm@undikma.ac.id
Jurnal Kependidikan Vol. 8, No. 1 (March 2022)
Copyright © 2022, The Author(s) |111
References
Ambarwati, P.D., Pinilih, S.S., Astuti, R.T. (2017). Gambaran tingkat stres mahasiswa.
Jurnal Keperawatan Jiwa, 5(1), 40-47.
https://jurnal.unimus.ac.id/index.php/JKJ/article/view/4466
Asih, K. S., Isnarto, I., Sukestiyarno, S., & Wardono, W. (2019). Resiliensi matematis pada
pembelajaran discovery learning dalam upaya meningkatkan komunikasi matematika.
In PRISMA, Prosiding Seminar Nasional Matematika, 2, (pp. 862-868).
Connor, K. M., Davidson, J. R. T., Lee L-C. (2003). Spirituality, resilience, and anger in
survivors of violent trauma: A community survey. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 16(5),
487-494. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025762512279 .
Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: an
empirical investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377–389. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-
3514.84.2.377
Emmons, R. A. (2007). Thanks! How The New Science Of Gratitude Can Make You Happier.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Fiorilli, C., Farina, E., Buonomo, I., Costa, S., Romano, L., Larcan, R., & Petrides, K. V.
(2020). Trait emotional intelligence and school burnout: The mediating role of
resilience and academic anxiety in high school. International Journal of
Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(9).
https://dx.doi.org/10.3390%2Fijerph17093058.
Fitri, H.U., Kushendar. (2019). Konseling kelompok cognitive restructuring untuk
meningkatkan resiliensi akademik mahasiswa. Jurnal Bulletin of Counseling and
Psychotherapy, 1(2), 67-74. https://doi.org/10.51214/bocp.v1i2.2.
Grimaldy, D.V., Haryanto, H.C. (2020). Adaptation of gratitude questionnaire-6 (gq–6) in
indonesian context. Jurnal Psikologi, 47(1), 18-29.
https://jurnal.ugm.ac.id/jpsi/article/view/39608.
Harahap, A. C. P., Harahap, S. R., Harahap, D. P. S. (2020). Gambaran resiliensi akademik
mahasiswa pada masa pandemi covid-19. Al-Irsyad, 10(2), 240-246.
http://jurnal.uinsu.ac.id/index.php/al-irsyad/article/view/8541.
Hadianti, S. W., Nurwati, N., & Darwis, R. S. (2017). Resiliensi remaja berprestasi dengan
latar belakang orang tua bercerai. Jurnal Penelitian dan Pengabdian Kepada
Masyarakat, 4(2), 223-229. http://jurnal.unpad.ac.id/prosiding/article/view/14278.
Hardiansyah., Putri, A.P.,Wibisono, M.D., Utami, D.S, Diana. (2020). Penyusunan skala
resiliensi akademik. Jurnal Psikologi Psikostudia, 9(3), 185-194. http://e-
journals.unmul.ac.id/index.php/PSIKO/article/view/3159/0
Hendar, K. (2019). Keefektifan konseling kelompok solution-focuse brieh therapy untuk
meningkatkan resiliesni akademik dan self-efficacy siswa sma negeri 1 ungaran
[Thesis, Universitas Negeri Semarang]. UNNES Repository.
http://lib.unnes.ac.id/40634/1/UPLOAD%20KUSHENDAR.pdf
Martin, A.J. & Marsh, H.W. (2003, November). Academic resilience and the four cs:
Confidence, control, composure and commitment [Paper Presentation]. NZARE
Conference, Auckland, New Zealand.
https://www.aare.edu.au/data/publications/2003/mar03770.pdf.
Martin, A. and Marsh, H. (2006). Academic resilience and its psychological and educational
correlates: A construct validity approach. Psychology in the Schools, 43(3), 267-281.
https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1002/pits.20149.
Jurnal Kependidikan:
Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan
di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran
https://e-journal.undikma.ac.id/index.php/jurnalkependidikan/index
Vol. 8, No. 1 : March 2022
E-ISSN: 2442-7667
pp. 102-113
Email: jklppm@undikma.ac.id
Jurnal Kependidikan Vol. 8, No. 1 (March 2022)
Copyright © 2022, The Author(s) |112
Martin, A. J. (2013). Academic buoyancy and academic resilience: Exploring “everyday” and
“classic” resilience in the face of academic adversity. School Psychology
International, 34(5), 488–500. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034312472759
Martunis, Bahri, S. (2016). Identifikasi masalah-masalah yang dialami mahasiswa Fakultas
Teknik dan Ekonomi Unsyiah. Jurnal Suloh, 1(1), 10-18.
http://jurnal.unsyiah.ac.id/suloh/article/view/8257
Nadhifah, F. (2021). Hubungan religiusitas dan resiliensi akademik pada mahasiswa dalam
perpektif psikologi islam. Jurnal Psikologi Islam, 12(1), 51-60.
https://ejournal.uinib.ac.id/jurnal/index.php/alqalb/article/view/2444.
Peterson, C., Seligman, M. E. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A classification and
handbook. Oxford University Press.
http://www.ldysinger.stjohnsem.edu/@books1/Peterson_Character_Strengths/characte
r-strengths-and-virtues.pdf.
Rasmanah, M. (2020). Resiliensi dan kemiskinan: Studi kasus. Intizar, 26(1), 33-44.
http://jurnal.radenfatah.ac.id/index.php/intizar/article/view/5106.
Rojas, L. F. (2015). Factors affecting academic resilience in middle school students: A case
study. Gist: Education and Learning Research Journal, 11, 63-78.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1084404.pdf.
Salim, F., & Fakhrurrozi, M. (2020). Efikasi diri akademik dan resiliensi pada mahasiswa.
Jurnal Psikologi, 16(2), 175-187. http://ejournal.uin-
suska.ac.id/index.php/psikologi/article/view/9718.
Sari, P. K. P., & Indrawati, E. S. (2017). Hubungan antara dukungan sosial teman sebaya
dengan resiliensi akademik pada mahasiswa tingkat akhir jurusan x Fakultas Teknik
Universitas Diponegoro. Jurnal Empati, 5(2), 177-182.
https://ejournal3.undip.ac.id/index.php/empati/article/view/14979/14478.
Satyaninrum, I. R. (2019). Pengaruh school engagement, locus of control, dan social support
terhadap resiliensi akademik remaja. TAZKIYA: Journal of Psychology,2(1), 1-20.
https://doi.org/10.15408/tazkiya.v2i1.10749.
Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology
progress: empirical validation of interventions. The American Psychologist, 60(5),
410–421. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.60.5.410.
Sembiring, M. (2018). Efikasi diri sebagai faktor pelindung resiliensi akademik siswa [Paper
presentation]. Seminar Nasional Psikologi, Surabaya, Indonesia.
http://dspace.uphsurabaya.ac.id:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/1219/Mimpi
n%20Sembiring.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
Susanti, R., Maulidia, S., Ulfah, M., Nabila, A. (2021). Pandemic and stress level of students
in completing thesis: analytical study among public health students of Mulawarman
University. Jurnal Kesehatan Masyarakat Mulawarman, 3(1), 1-8.
Utami, L. H. (2020). Bersyukur dan resiliensi akademik mahasiswa. Nathiqiyyah, 3(1), 1-1.
https://ojs.diniyah.ac.id/index.php/Nathiqiyyah/article/view/69.
Wijayanti, D. K. A., Purwaningtyas, F. D. (2020). Coping stres, resiliensi pada mahasiswa
tingkat akhir. Jurnal Psikologi Wijaya Putra, 1(2), 11-17.
https://doi.org/10.38156/psikowipa.v1i2.35.
Wilson, J.T. (2016). Brightening the mind: The impact of practicing gratitude on focus and
resilience in learning. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 16(4), 1-
13. https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v16i4.19998.
Jurnal Kependidikan:
Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan
di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran
https://e-journal.undikma.ac.id/index.php/jurnalkependidikan/index
Vol. 8, No. 1 : March 2022
E-ISSN: 2442-7667
pp. 102-113
Email: jklppm@undikma.ac.id
Jurnal Kependidikan Vol. 8, No. 1 (March 2022)
Copyright © 2022, The Author(s) |113
Zakaria, D. (2017). Tingkat stres mahasiswa ketika menempuh skripsi [Skripsi, Universitas
Muhammadiyah Malang]. UMM Institutional Repository.
https://eprints.umm.ac.id/43367/1/jiptummpp-gdl-dhickyzaka-47398-1-naskahp-i.pdf.
Zanthy, L. S. (2018). Kontribusi resiliensi matematis terhadap kemampuan akademik
mahasiswa pada mata kuliah statistika matematika. Mosharafa: Jurnal Pendidikan
Matematika, 7(1), 85-94. https://media.neliti.com/media/publications/226618-
kontribusi-resiliensi-matematis-terhadap-cfd4a3d6.pdf.
Zulfiana, U. (2014). Meningkatkan kebahagiaan lansia di panti wreda melalui psikoterapi
positif dalam kelompok. Jurnal Sains dan Praktik Psikologi, 2(3), 256-267.
https://ejournal.umm.ac.id/index.php/pjsp/article/view/2889/3542.