Resilience, motivation, and persistence in engineering at a South African university of technology

Abstract

What helps engineering students persist through their demanding academic journey? This qualitative study explores that question through the lens of Ungar’s socio-ecological model of resilience,
focusing on senior undergraduates at a South African university of technology. We interviewed seven students and used deductive thematic analysis to trace how resilience operates across multiple layers of their lived experiences. Resilience emerged from dynamic interactions across ecological levels. At the microsystem level, motivation was supported by faculty encouragement, peer relationships, and structured curricula. Family, community support, and mentorship formed strong mesosystem influences. At the exosystem level, institutional infrastructure and policies – particularly challenges related to financial aid and load shedding – both hindered and, at times, strengthened resilience. Macrosystem influences included societal perceptions of engineering as prestigious but difficult, shaping students’ motivations and stress. Rather than viewing resilience as an individual trait, this study reveals it as a socially embedded process shaped by context. We offer practical recommendations for multi-level support: simplify funding systems, invest in empathetic teaching, align curricula with local realities, and strengthen partnerships with families and communities.