EXPLORING RESILIENCE DEVELOPMENT AMONG TVET STUDENTS: A SYSTEMATIC RAPID REVIEW

Abstract

This narrative Systematic Rapid Review (SRR) synthesises empirical evidence on resilience, psychological well-being, and protective factors among youth and students in educational and training settings. Twenty-two Scopus-indexed studies published between 2021 and 2025 were systematically identified and screened using defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Findings indicate that resilience functions as a dynamic psychological process, influenced by both internal and external factors. In addition, personal strengths such as optimism, coping ability, emotional regulation, and self-efficacy consistently supported students’ persistence and well-being, while social supports from family, peers, and institutions enhanced adaptive capacity. Furthermore, intervention-based studies, including mindfulness, social emotional learning, and counselling programmes, demonstrated measurable improvements in resilience and psychological adjustment. However, limited evidence exists within Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) contexts, despite the growing recognition that vocational students must adapt to the Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity (VUCA) of modern work environments. Within this setting, resilience is increasingly viewed as a trainable soft skill essential for employability, lifelong learning, and mental health. Accordingly, future research should examine how resilience develops through training, experiential, and psychosocial dimensions of the TVET system.