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Resilience and relationships: an experiential learning intervention to support psychological adjustment in first-year university students.

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Title: Resilience and relationships: an experiential learning intervention to support psychological adjustment in first-year university students.
Authors: Wilkins, Luke1 (AUTHOR) lukealexandarwilkins@gmail.com, Perry, Kate1 (AUTHOR), Calo, Marlena2 (AUTHOR), Huynh, Minh1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Educational & Developmental Psychologist. Jul2026, Vol. 43 Issue 2, p429-445. 17p.
Subject Terms: *Psychological resilience, *Experiential learning, *College freshmen, *Peer relations, *Psychological adaptation, Adaptability (Personality), Perfectionism (Personality trait)
Abstract: Objective: To evaluate a 12-week "Resilience Workshop" designed to enhance psychological characteristics in first-year university students. Method: 117 students received the workshop (experimental group; EG), whilst 52 served as a delayed control (CG). The workshop, grounded in experiential learning pedagogy, featured a "Resilience Circuits" session where students engaged in deliberately challenging tasks, enabling them to experience failure and therefore practice resilience. Results: Quantitative analyses provided mixed support for the effectiveness of the intervention. Both groups showed significant declines in resilience (EG: d = -0.11; CG: d = -0.23) and grit (EG: d = -0.19; CG: d = -0.19) post-intervention, but the EG also experienced a significant decrease in self-oriented perfectionism (a positive outcome) (d = -0.12). The CG exhibited additional significant reductions in tenacity (d = -0.21) and growth mindset (d = 0.16). Qualitative data were positive, with five key themes emerging: 1) Building Relationships, 2) Experiential Learning and the Value of Failure, 3) Growth and Skill Development, 4) Challenges and Frustration, and 5) Learner Diversity. Conclusions: Integrating strands suggests the Resilience Workshop may mitigate typical early-semester declines in some psychological characteristics, whilst students strongly valued its relationship-building function. Confirmation with randomised designs and direct academic outcomes is warranted. KEY POINTS: What is already known about this topic: (1) The transition into university can be a challenging period for students, often accompanied by drops in well-being and adaptive psychological skills, increasing risk for disengagement and attrition. (2) Resilience and related characteristics (e.g. grit, growth mindset, tenacity) are linked to engagement, achievement and continuation in higher education. (3) Experiential, hands-on interventions – incorporating manageable challenge and safe opportunities to experience and reflect on failure – may be more effective at building resilience and adjustment than passive, lecture-based approaches. What this topic adds: (1) A week-one, curriculum-embedded experiential workshop (interactive Lecture and "Resilience Circuits" of deliberately challenging tasks) primarily builds peer relationships, fostering early belonging and student – staff connection. (2) Quantitative analysis was promising but mixed: relative to controls, students showed a smaller decline in resilience, maintenance of tenacity/growth mindset and reduced self-oriented perfectionism; these effects require replication. (3) The workshop is deliverable within standard teaching schedules, class sizes and resources, and students reported high engagement and perceived relevance of the hands-on, challenge-based format to their first-semester transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:Objective: To evaluate a 12-week "Resilience Workshop" designed to enhance psychological characteristics in first-year university students. Method: 117 students received the workshop (experimental group; EG), whilst 52 served as a delayed control (CG). The workshop, grounded in experiential learning pedagogy, featured a "Resilience Circuits" session where students engaged in deliberately challenging tasks, enabling them to experience failure and therefore practice resilience. Results: Quantitative analyses provided mixed support for the effectiveness of the intervention. Both groups showed significant declines in resilience (EG: d = -0.11; CG: d = -0.23) and grit (EG: d = -0.19; CG: d = -0.19) post-intervention, but the EG also experienced a significant decrease in self-oriented perfectionism (a positive outcome) (d = -0.12). The CG exhibited additional significant reductions in tenacity (d = -0.21) and growth mindset (d = 0.16). Qualitative data were positive, with five key themes emerging: 1) Building Relationships, 2) Experiential Learning and the Value of Failure, 3) Growth and Skill Development, 4) Challenges and Frustration, and 5) Learner Diversity. Conclusions: Integrating strands suggests the Resilience Workshop may mitigate typical early-semester declines in some psychological characteristics, whilst students strongly valued its relationship-building function. Confirmation with randomised designs and direct academic outcomes is warranted. KEY POINTS: What is already known about this topic: (1) The transition into university can be a challenging period for students, often accompanied by drops in well-being and adaptive psychological skills, increasing risk for disengagement and attrition. (2) Resilience and related characteristics (e.g. grit, growth mindset, tenacity) are linked to engagement, achievement and continuation in higher education. (3) Experiential, hands-on interventions – incorporating manageable challenge and safe opportunities to experience and reflect on failure – may be more effective at building resilience and adjustment than passive, lecture-based approaches. What this topic adds: (1) A week-one, curriculum-embedded experiential workshop (interactive Lecture and "Resilience Circuits" of deliberately challenging tasks) primarily builds peer relationships, fostering early belonging and student – staff connection. (2) Quantitative analysis was promising but mixed: relative to controls, students showed a smaller decline in resilience, maintenance of tenacity/growth mindset and reduced self-oriented perfectionism; these effects require replication. (3) The workshop is deliverable within standard teaching schedules, class sizes and resources, and students reported high engagement and perceived relevance of the hands-on, challenge-based format to their first-semester transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:20590776
DOI:10.1080/20590776.2026.2662573