Designing a Resilience Pattern for Students of Higher Education Institutions in Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic (Based on Grounded Theory Approach)

The Covid-19 pandemic has posed many challenges for students, bringing about negative impacts. Resilience has been a key factor in facing these challenges. This study was conducted to design a student resilience pattern in response to the pandemic in the target population of Islamic Azad Universities in the city of Tehran. A qualitative method was adopted, using the systematic grounded theory approach. Data were collected purposefully and theoretically through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 24 participants, including students, faculty members, and experts. Data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding in ATLAS.ti 9 Qualitative software. Findings revealed 147 codes and 36 subcategories from 10 main categories. Based on a paradigm model, the higher education students' resilient response to the Covid-19 pandemic was identified as a central phenomenon. Causal conditions were categorized into three main categories:  individual (six subcategories and 26 codes), organizational (six subcategories and 31 codes), and social (four subcategories and 12 codes); contexts were classified into two main categories: internal (five subcategories and 15 codes) and external (three subcategories and 14 codes); and strategies were categorized into three main categories: prediction and prevention (two subcategories and seven codes), response and coping (four subcategories and 16 codes), and adaptation and compatibility (two subcategories and 11 codes). Consequently, consequences led to two main categories: short-term (two subcategories and seven codes) and long-term (two subcategories and eight codes).