BEYOND THE SCREEN: RE-THEORIZING ACADEMIC BUOYANCY THROUGH A BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL–SPIRITUAL FRAMEWORK IN ONLINE HIGHER EDUCATION – A CONCEPTUAL PAPER
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJMOE.831027Keywords:
Academic Buoyancy, Biopsychosocial-Spiritual Model, Higher Education Mental, Mindfulness, Online Learning, Health Spiritual Well-BeingAbstract
The normalization of online and distance learning (ODL) has intensified psychological strain among university students while exposing important theoretical limitations in existing student support models. Current frameworks primarily emphasise technological readiness, instructional design, and cognitive engagement, yet often overlook the existential and spiritual dimensions that shape students' functioning and adaptation in digital learning environments. This conceptual paper proposes a Biopsychosocial–Spiritual (BPSS) framework that positions spiritual well-being as a meta-regulatory construct influencing academic buoyancy and mental health. Drawing on the integration of the Biopsychosocial–Spiritual model and Social Cognitive Theory, the framework conceptualises spiritual well-being as a foundational personal resource that enhances mindfulness, academic hope, and self-efficacy within online learning contexts. A conceptual structural model is subsequently proposed to explain the mediated relationships linking spiritual well-being with depression, anxiety, stress, and academic buoyancy. By repositioning spirituality from a peripheral consideration to a structural determinant of student functioning, the proposed framework extends existing theoretical perspectives on resilience in online higher education. It further provides a holistic foundation for future empirical research while offering practical implications for digital pedagogy, institutional student support, and mental health strategies designed to enhance student well-being and academic success in Open, Distance, and Digital Education (ODDE).
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