Inayaturrabbani & Kisriyani

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 Growth After Academic Failure in Javanese Students:
An Indigenous Approach

GROWTH AFTER ACADEMIC FAILURE IN JAVANESE STUDENTS:

AN INDIGENOUS APPROACH

Fakhirah Inayaturrobbani1, Ammik Kisriyani2

Center for Indigenous and Cultural Psychology

Faculty of Psychology Universitas Gadjah Mada
fakhirah.inayaturrob@mail.ugm.ac.id
ammik_psi@ugm.ac.id

Abstract
This study examined how Javanese students perceive academic failure in their life from
an indigenous psychology perspective. The perspective intends to give a contextual
understanding that is rarely found. This research uses qualitative method with an open-
ended questionnaire to carry out a deep understanding of respondent's own experiences.
The asked question was "What is the influence of academic failure in your life today?"
The participants of this study are 80 undergraduate Javanese students who are studying
in Yogyakarta by the time of data collection. The age range of the participants is 18-22
years old. Then, the obtained multiple responds data are analyzed using thematic
content analysis. The categorized data is analyzed using cross-tabulations. The finding
of this study shows that students reported academic failure as lesson-learned (41,4%),
self-development (35,3%), negative emotion (7,07%), burdensome (6,06%), regretful
(5,05%), and others which consisted of shy, material benefit, parents’ disappointment,
got some friends (5,05%).
Keyword: growth, academic failure, indigenous approach

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INTRODUCTION
Education plays important role in Indonesia human development index
(Indonesia Central Bureau of Statistics, 2016). However, academic performance of
Indonesia students ranks low in various global assessments. According to the
international survey of mathematics and education performance, Indonesia was ranked
61 out of 63 countries in the Trends of International Mathematics Science Study
(TIMSS) 2011 (Martin, Mullis, Foy, & Stanco, 2012). Furthermore, Program for
International Student Assessment (PISA) also positioned Indonesia in 64 of 65 countries
for reading and mathematics achievement (National Center for Education Statistic,
2012). Therefore, it is a reason why the Ministry of Education in Indonesia set the goals
for 2017 is to build students competitiveness in the global world (Ministry of Education
and Social, 2016).
Indonesia has Java Island as the central education island in Indonesia (Indonesia
Central Bureau of Statistics, 2016). Mostly the best universities in Indonesia are located
in Java island (Indonesia Central Bureau of Statistics, 2016). Further, one of the
education cities in Indonesia is Yogyakarta. As the consequence, many students come to
Java, especially, Yogyakarta from all around Indonesia to get the best higher education
background.
The interesting research shows that Javanese students put education as the
number one priority in their life (Rusinani, et al., 2010) and academic failure perceives
as the most painful events for Javanese students in the academic context (Galih, 2014).
Then, such question arises: if Javanese student framed academic failure as the most
painful event, then what is the meaning of having the academic failure in their life and
how will life be after having the academic failure?
Academic Failure
Recently, many of researchers lack to explain the impact of academic failure
toward students. Although, there are several old available studies about the effect of
academic failure, it still on the edge minimum.
Unfortunately, it was also hard to find out the definition of academic failure
from students perspective to set the subject of this research. Based on APA dictionary
(2007), academic failure was defined as “any marked insufficiency or inadequacy in the
area of scholarship or study, for example, when a learner does not achieve an expected
competence. The usual reasons for academic failures are lack of academic ability or
application in the learner, a substandard academic environment, or insufficient
instruction. 2. A weakening or decline in the ability to succeed in areas of scholarship.”
APA defines academic failure as a lack of achieving the certain goal of the
academic institution. However, there would be a possible interpretation of the academic
failure in Javanese students. This difference related to the differences in culture and
context of Javanese students. As Verkuyten (2005) in his book emphasizes the
importance of understanding what comes from the context, he said the perception of life
events, such as academic failure, are highly contextual bound. Therefore, although
definitions of academic failure have been provided by APA, academic failure remains

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 Growth After Academic Failure in Javanese Students:
An Indigenous Approach

poorly defined in Javanese context. Then, before interpreting the meaning of academic
failure, the researcher tried to seek Javanese student opinion by conducting a
preliminary study. The researcher asked the student about how they define academic
failure and what is the form of academic failure in their opinion.
The preliminary result shows that Javanese students perceive academic failure in
two kinds of definitions, subjective and objective definitions. A subjective definition
refers to the failure of fulfilling their own self-expectation toward academic
achievement, for instance ‘I study hard for getting A, but at the end, I got A minus, and I
felt really fail' and ‘people who did study but do not share their knowledge are in a big
failure’. Furthermore, there is another form of subjective definition such as they feel
lack of having the essentials meaning of their study processes, for instance, if the study
is aimed to gain a good job only, it feels aimless. In the opposite, there is an objective
definition of academic failure which refers to the failure of achieving formal academic
standard which set by the educational institution. The response in the field such as,
"There is certain minimum standard for passing the semester examination, but if we do
not have enough point to pass, it can be called academic failure” (Inayaturrobbani,
2014).
The finding shows that the definition of academic failure perceived slightly
different between APA and Javanese students. There are many students perceive
academic failure not only from inadequacy to pass the minimum standard but also lack
of understanding of the essential meanings of study. Subjective definition of academic
failure refers to the lack of use of knowledge itself toward society and lack of
implementing knowledge in the real life as sharing activities. While objective standard
refers to the institutional perception of academic failure.
Research in the field of academic failure has been growing rapidly in many
approaches. Several growing researches about academic failure discuss how academic
failure studied from the bio-psychological approach, such as how the biological relation
of students health and its impact toward academic performance, and how the sleep
disturbance correlated with academic failure in Swedish adolescent (Titova et al., 2004).
Other researchers are focusing on clinical psychology approach, for instance how to
cope with academic failure (Altermatt, 2007; Raftery-Helmer & Grolnick, 2015).
Another research with clinical-social psychology approach, for instance, comes from
Peixoto and Almeida (2010) in their study found students with lower self-esteem more
likely to interpret academic failure as the bad event in their life, and the opposite, those
who are having high self-esteem considered academic failure was having better chance
to grow.
The social approach was more to the factors cause academic failure. For
instance, determinant factors causing academic failure is social economic environment
(Azari., Baradaran, & Fata, 2015; Deperlioglu and Birtil, 2016), attribution towards
academic failure (Najimi, et.al.2013), self-worthiness (Park, Crocker & Kiefer, 2007),
and self-esteem (Peixoto & Almeida, 2010).The research about academic failure still
has a niche where the meaning of academic failure studies remains unexplored.
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Personal Growth
Javanese students perceived academic failure as one of the most painful events
in their education life (Rusinani, Soetjipto, Kurnianingsih, Kim, 2010). Another finding
also found that academic failure was also perceived as painful life circumstance for
Javanese students (Galih, 2014).
People’s reaction toward painful event can be different. Some persons could face
it calmly, strong and chance to grow, some people do not. The growth phenomenon
after having painful event laid on the theory of personal growth initiative (PGI)
(Robitschek, 1998). Robitschek (1998) defines personal growth initiative (PGI) as an
active and conscious individual internal struggle to change and evolve towards various
phases of life. Carver (2005) also defines personal growth as an individual
psychological adjustment of painful events in the life.
Robitschek (1998) also states that PGI is important personal resources in the
individual to face his/her life circumstance. The personal resource is the ability to
discover and make the positive personal development once there is life turmoil. In line
with Robitschek (1998), Weigold and Robitschek (2011) defines personal resources as
positive skill evaluation of one individual painful event. This positive skill is shaped
intentionally, consciously, and planned by the individual regarding the event of their
life. These resources are independent dimension which is not fixed, it gained through
experiences and determined by the dynamic of the surrounding condition and reaction
of the environments toward individual struggle (Weigold & Robitschek, 2011).
As a personal resource, PGI could occur in many psychological aspects of life,
such as cognitive, affective and psychomotor (behavior) (Robitschek C., 2003).
Cognitive aspect refers to “planfulness” and “readiness for change”, affective refers to
regulate individual negative emotional, while psychomotor dimension related to “using
resources” and having “intentional behavior” and execute toward some actions reacting
to the painful event (Robitschek, et al., 2012). Further, Robitschek, et al. (2012) also
explains planfulness is an explanation for the skill of individual to set and elaborate a
systematic plan of action to stimulate his/her personal growth. While "using the
resource" is the ability of the individual to gain and regulate any resources, both internal
and external resources, to attain his/her individual personal development goal,
"intentional behavior" is the disposition and personal motivation of the individual to
attain the goal of personal development which reflected in behavior.
PGI level on the individual could influence many aspects of individual life.
Hardin, Weigold, Robitschek, and Nixon (2007) in their article outlined that individual
with higher level of PGI showed better in adapting to life circumstance, overcome
stressful event, have a higher level of life satisfaction. Negovan (2010) also found that
higher level of PGI has a positive correlation in resourcefulness, aware of self-capacity
and environment protection of the faced situation, and a higher level of emotional
wellbeing. In the same tone, higher level of PGI also correlated with positive mental
health (Ogunyemi & Mabekoje, 2007; Vaingankar et al., 2011), happiness, social

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 Growth After Academic Failure in Javanese Students:
An Indigenous Approach

actualization, social contribution, social coherence, and social integration and negatively
correlated with anxiety, depression, and negative affect (Robitschek & Keyes, 2009).
Furthermore, there are growing examination of the relationship between PGI with
others variables, for instance, PGI correlated positively with self-efficacy (Ogunyemi &
Mabekoje, 2007), self-compassion (Neff et al., 2007), self-acceptance, positive relation
toward others, autonomy, environmental mastery, life purposefulness, and
psychological well-being (Robitschek & Cook, 1999; Robitschek & Keyes, 2009).
While, lower level of PGI skills is related to more negative impact on individuals live,
such as lower level in problem-focused coping strategies, difficult in adapting to new
environment, life satisfaction higher levels of stress and anxiety (Stevic & Ward, 2008;
Weigold & Robitschek, 2011, Yakunina, Weigold, & Weigold, 2013; Yakunina,
Weigold, Weigold, Hercegovac, & Elsayed, 2013). PGI also correlated negatively
toward negative personal characteristic, e.g. gambling (Loo et al., 2014). In view of all
that has been mentioned so far, these studies clearly indicate that there is a relationship
between growth and many positive aspects of life.
Indigenous Psychology
Indigenous psychology itself is defined as the method used in the study of
human mind and behavior that is pure and indigene from its regions and context, which
only understand by people in its context (Kim & Berry, 1993; Kim, Yang, & Hwang,
2006).
As the mention previously, academic failure was rarely discussed from an
indigenous psychology perspective. There are limited empirical researches on student's
meaning toward academic failure and how academic failure influence student's life from
this approach. Therefore, this study tries to extend the literature that has been done in
academic failure but try to explore the perception of Javanese students toward academic
failure from the indigenous approach.
METHOD
The participants of these research were 80 undergraduate students who come
from Javanese family backgrounds and identified themselves as Javanese, having
experienced academic failure, and the age range between 18-22 years old.
The data was taken in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Yogyakarta is chosen to be
research location because some reasons. First, Yogyakarta is the capital of Yogyakarta
Special Region in Java, Indonesia. It is also well-known as one of the centers of
education, students’ city, where more than 20 accredited universities are located in
Yogyakarta. It is also called as the cultural city where the modernity and culture walk
together in harmony.
In this research, to gain contextual data, researcher use qualitative approach. The
qualitative data were obtained from the open-ended questions. The obtained data from
these open-ended questions then be analyzed qualitatively by sorting the information
into themes (thematic qualitative analysis) (Hayes, 2000). Further, the frequency was
counted on every thematic category appears. The categorization based on the themes of
the data will be divided into three parts. The first step is called keyword categorization,
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which consisted of pure keywords from participants responds, another name of this first
step is axial one. It means, the researcher did not modify the keywords on researcher
own terms, but it pure taken from the terms that used by respondent. The second step is
selective categorization or also can be called as axial 2. Axial two is the combination of
the similar keywords in the first step which selectively classified into one theme. Then,
the broad categorization was the last step of categorization, which broad categorization
consisted of several selective categorizations (axial 2) which reflected wider
classification. The third step is to classify the selective categorization into the broader
theme which called broad categorization.
According to the term the researcher used in this article. Some of the previous
researchers prefer to use axial as the name of each categorization, but the researcher will
combine both terms in this article to help people understand better. Here are the steps of
categorizations (Hayes, 2000).
Diagram 1.
The flow of data analysis
Axial 2 (Selective Axial 3 (Broad
Axial 1 (Keyword)
Catagorization) Categroization)

This research the question was: ‘Have you ever felt an academic failure in your
life? If yes or no, please fully described the reasons' This question was also used as filter
question. Then, the researcher can sort those who are not eligible to be respondents. At
the beginning, as the data were fully sorted before conducting analysis, then the
researcher throwing themselves in reading and re-reading the data to validate the data.
After classifying all responses into three stages of categorizations, then, the researcher
applied a simple descriptive statistical method to provide the percentage of each
categorization.
RESULT
Based on the categorizations, the result of this study encompassed 58 basic
keywords categorization, 16 broad categorizations and the last is 6 selective
categorizations within them. The results of the analysis are presented in Graphic 1. Six
of the broad categories include lesson-learned, self-development, negative emotion,
burdensome, others and regret.

Graphic 1.
Total percentage of how Javanese students perceived academic failure in their life

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 Growth After Academic Failure in Javanese Students:
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Total Percentage of How Students Perceived Academic Failure

41,41%
35,35%

7,07% 6,06% 5,05% 5,05%

Lesson-learned Self-Development Negative Emotion Burdensome Regret Other

In addition, the researcher tried to classify categorization of the perception of academic

failure in Javanese student with their sexes. The result presented in Graphic 2.
Graphic 2
The responses of male-female respondents
Male Female

43,84% 42,47%

34,62%

23,08%

15,38%
11,54%
7,69% 7,69%
4,11% 4,11% 4,11%
1,37%

Lesson-learned Self-Development Negative emotion Burdensome Regret Others

Lesson-learned
Table 1
The percentage of Lesson-learned categorization between male and female Javanese
students.
Total
Row Labels Male(f) (%) female (f) (%) (f) %
Lesson-learned 9 34.62% 32 43.84% 41 41.41%
Lesson-learned 7 26.92% 24 32.88% 31 31.31%
Opportunity
appreciation 1 3.85% 2 2.74% 3 3.03%
Making Better Plan 0 0.00% 3 4.11% 3 3.03%
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Time appreciation 1 3.85% 1 1.37% 2 2.02%

Health Appreciation 0 0.00% 1 1.37% 1 1.01%
Shaping mind 0 0.00% 1 1.37% 1 1.01%

As shown in table 1. Mostly Javanese students state academic failure is a lesson-

learned in their life (41,41%). It means Javanese students perceived academic failure as
an event to gain insight, more knowledge or skills in their life to face the similar
problem. The typical response was “I learn how to solve the problem,” (S1.019) and
“Now, I cope better with the failure,” (S1.015). The term of ‘learn’ was emphasized
through many of the participant's responses and later became the main key of lesson-
learned categorizations.
There are also several respondents who express appreciation toward opportunity,
time and health after having an academic failure. For instance, the respondent that stated
tends to appreciate more the time and opportunity before experiencing academic failure.
The response is drawn from the typical answer, "After having an academic failure, I
realize how valuable the time is…” (S1.061). Further, it is coded as time-appreciation
(2.02%). At the same time, they who were answering academic failure shaped their
mind coded as shaping mind (1,01%) which the example response such as “It shaped
my mind”.
They are who appreciate their health were coded as health appreciation (1,01%),
some of them also answer that academic failure make them more appreciate the
opportunity which has once come to them wasted away which was coded as
opportunity appreciation (3,03%) and academic failure make them think to plan better
for the next opportunity coded as better plan (3,03%). Typically the responses were “I
learned not to be careless when I want to pursue something,” (S1.047). Lesson-learned
categorization was come up with a clue of getting something new to be learned
associated with cognitive and affective.
The interesting part is the slight differences between male and female students.
Female students reported higher in lesson-learned (43,84%) than the male students
(34,62%). In the details, female students tend to make better strategies to deal with
academic failure (4,11%) than the male partner (0%), but the male more likely to
appreciate the time and opportunity better (3,85%) than female students (2,74%).
Self-Development
Table 2
The percentage of self-development categorization between male and female Javanese
students.
Male
Row Labels (f) (%) female (f) (%) Total (f) (%)
Self-Development 4 15.38% 31 42.47% 35 35.35%
Self-Motivation 2 7.69% 9 12.33% 11 11.11%
Maximized-effort 0 0.00% 11 15.07% 11 11.11%
Self-Maturation 2 7.69% 6 8.22% 8 8.08%

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 Growth After Academic Failure in Javanese Students:
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Better life 0 0.00% 3 4.11% 3 3.03%

Self-Confident 0 0.00% 1 1.37% 1 1.01%
Religiosity 0 0.00% 1 1.37% 1 1.01%

Then, the second highest categorization of the meaning of academic failure in

Javanese student was self-development (35,5%). The categorization was formed from
following sub-categorizations; self-motivation, maximized-effort, self-maturation, better
life, self-confident, and religiosity.
Self-motivation categorize from them who answer academic failure motivate
them in many ways such as to study more to get a better mark in the future (11,11%). In
general, those who categorized as self-motivation had been referred to the statements
that academic failure drives them to wake up and do harder: “From that failure, I tried
to rise and repay the failure, and I believe my life today is better than before. Today, I
became more confident…," (S1.073). There are many responses also directly stating that
academic failure motivates them in the future, such as, “It motivated me to work
harder!” (S1.010) and “…it became motivation for me to study hard” (S1.004).
While maximized-effort is the term refers to the response expressing struggle as
well as they could do (11,1%). One of those responses is, “By experiencing academic
failure, I would try harder and having more courage to be persistent,” (S1.069)
Another categorization is self-maturation (11,1%). Self-maturation is
categorization for those who felt academic failure give them more understanding of life
and making them wiser. Many participants stated explicitly that academic failure made
them wiser such as: “I became wiser and hold to struggle longer than before…”
(S1.040). Another response came up with the term matang which usually referred to
fully developed or matured. Further, the term matang by researcher indigenously
categorized as “mature”. “Academic failure made me more mature and became a
responsible adult.” (S1.021).
The next sub-categorization is better life (3,3%) which related to the reaction of
respondents answering academic failure makes their life better. Further, it changed their
life such they got a skill to overcome the failure.
Self- confident refers to responses of becoming more confident to face the life
(1,1%) and the last sub-categorization which built self-development is religiosity. This
sub-categorization was established from the response of those who feel academic failure
making them closer toward God. Similarly, with the previous categorization, female
Javanese students also significantly higher in perceiving academic failure as a chance to
self-development (42,47%) than male Javanese students (15,38%).
The results of this categorization indicate that self-motivation, maximized effort,
self-maturation, better life, self-confident, and religiosity are the part of self-
development.
Negative Emotion
Table 3

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The percentage of negative emotion categorization between male and female Javanese
students.
Male Total
Row Labels (f) (%) female (f) (%) (f) (%)
Negative Emotion 6 23.08% 1 1.37% 7 7.07%
Anxious 2 7.69% 0 0.00% 2 2.02%
Painful 2 7.69% 0 0.00% 2 2.02%
Feeling Helpless 2 7.69% 0 0.00% 2 2.02%
Panicked 0 0.00% 1 1.37% 1 1.01%

However, Javanese students do not always perceive academic failure in positive

responses. There were several finding which indicate them perceive academic failure in
negative ways. These are the following sub-categorization shows negative emotions
(7.07%): anxious (2,02%), painful (2,02%), feeling helpless (2,02%), and panicked
(1,01%). One of the responses indicates negative-emotion was "I'm now more easily to
give up and lazy to study because I have tried really hard but still fail” (S1.84).
In the comparison of male and female response in this categorization, male
students tend to experience more negative emotion toward academic failure (23,08%)
than female students (1,37%). The male students reported experience anxiety (7,69%),
constant painful feeling (7,69%), and feeling helplessness (7,69%) than female students.
In contrast, only one female student reported ever felt panicked (1,37%).
Burdensome
Table 4
The percentage of burdensome categorization between male and female Javanese
students.
Row Labels Male (f) (%) female (f) (%) Total (f) (%)
Burdensome 3 11.54% 3 4.11% 6 6.06%
Immaterial-cost 2 7.69% 2 2.74% 4 4.04%
Material-cost 1 3.85% 1 1.37% 2 2.02%

Table 4 shows an overview of burdensome categorization (6,06%) and its sub-

categorizations which consist of immaterial-cost and material cost. As one interviewee
said, "I have to expend more money for improving my score,” (S1.067). In that case,
money was the material burden and researcher categorize it as material cost. While
another burdensome statement was mostly about the wasted time and effort which
further categorized as immaterial cost.
Furthermore, an interesting finding of negative emotion categorizations is male
students perceived higher in burdensome related academic failure (11,54%) than female
students (4,11%). Although, both sexes also outlined immaterial cost was the most
burdensome effect of academic failure toward them (4,04%) than material cost (2,02%).
Regret
Table 5

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The percentage of regret categorization between male and female Javanese students.
male
Row Labels (f) (%) female (f) (%) Total (f) (%)
Regret 2 7.69% 3 4.11% 5 5.05%
Regret 2 7.69% 3 4.11% 5 5.05%

As shown in table 5, another negative impact after having academic failure

showed in regretful response. The term of regret built on the distinctive statement such
as “I easily get irritated, and often regret my incompetency in solving Math; the impact
is I anxious to determine my career path” (S1.079). Interestingly, male participants
reporting higher in regretting academic failure (7,69%) than their, female Javanese
students friends (4,11%).

Others
Table 5
The percentage of Others categorization between male and female Javanese students.
Male female Total
Row Labels (f) (%) (f) (%) (f) (%)
Others 2 7.69% 3 4.11% 5 5.05%
Shy 0 0.00% 2 2.74% 2 2.02%
Material Benefit 1 3.85% 0 0.00% 1 1.01%
Disappointing parent 0 0.00% 1 1.37% 1 1.01%
Got some friends 1 3.85% 0 0.00% 1 1.01%

There is also broad categorization classified as others because its

subcategorization was too small for being independent broad categorization in the upper
level. Then, others consist of shy (2,02%), material benefit (1,01%), disappointing
parent (1,01%), and got some friends (1,01%). One of those responses which classified
into others was, “I am ashamed with my friends, and I became inferior (unconfident),”
(S1.011).
In this categorization, female Javanese students showed more tendencies to be
shy and felt has disappointed the parents, but the interesting aspect is the male students
reported has the material benefit and getting some friends after having an academic
failure.
DISCUSSION
An initial objective of this research was to explore the meaning of academic
failure in Javanese students’ life after experiencing academic failure. The finding of this
research reveals that mostly Javanese students perceived academic failure as the lesson-
learned (41,41%) and chance to develop themselves (35,35%).
The dimensions of lesson-learned were opportunity appreciation and making a
better plan. Lesson-learned can be referred to positive evaluation toward personal life
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event, especially, in the hardest part of life, which can be categorized as personal
growth. These findings support the ideas of Weigold & Robitschek (2011), who defined
personal growth initiative as intentional positive evaluation of one individual regarding
the event of their life.
Furthermore, making better plan categorization can be classified as planfulnes.
The term of planfulness defined by Robitschek, et al. (2012) as the intentional skill of
someone to elaborate a systematic strategic of action of reaching their goals of change.
Planfulnes also involving utilize the possible resources around them to leverage the
plan.
Another finding of the dimension of a lesson learned was appreciation toward
opportunity, time and health after having an academic failure which also seen as
positive evaluation toward individual life experience. As Hardin, Weigold, Robitschek,
& Nixon (2007) stated that people with higher level of PGI would aware more of their
self pontention and more likely to appreciate their potential better. Neff, Hsieh, &
Dejitterat (2005) also remarked that students who comprehend academic failure as the
life experience to grow and appreciate the misery experience in openness mind are
having the greater relation in self-compassionate.
By contrast, the rest of respondents reported have negative evaluation toward
academic failure. Academic failure perceived as life event which made them having
anxiety and painful because of it hurtful, feeling helplessness and easy to be panic.
Other similar response, Javanese student perceived academic failure as a burden in their
life, which consist of immaterial and material cost. Immaterial cost represented the
waste of the time, effort, and struggle. In the opposite, material cost referred to the
waste of money and more material thing. There are also people who see academic
failure as a regretful event.
Then, the rest of respondents stated that academic failure influences their
emotions negatively, a burden on their life and regretful event. This finding seems to be
consistent with other research which found individual with lower level of PGI skills is
related with more negative impact in individuals live, such as lower level of problem-
focused coping strategy which appointed by easily to be panic, higher levels of stress
and anxiety (Stevic & Ward, 2008; Weigold & Robitschek, 2011, Yakunina, Weigold,
& Weigold, 2013, Yakunina, Weigold, Weigold, Hercegovac, & Elsayed, 2013).
The interesting part is there are slight differences between male and female
students in perceiving academic failure. Female students reported higher in lesson-
learned (43,84%) than the male students (34,62%). Furthermore, female students also
tend to make better strategies to deal with academic failure (4,11%) than the male
partner (0%). But, the male students more likely to appreciate the time and opportunity
better (3,85%) than female students (2,74%). In line with the lesson-learned theme, the
finding of self-development categorization showed female Javanese students fellow also
significantly higher in perceiving academic failure. Female students perceive academic
failure as a chance to self-development (42,47%) than male Javanese students (15,38%).

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These results are consistent with those of Fischer, Schult, & Hell, 2013 finding.
They stated that female student’s success is closely related to not only intelligence but
also the non-cognitive aspects of study behavior. The non-cognitive aspects of study
behavior such as achievement motivation in male and female student (Fischer, Schult,
& Hell, 2013). In their study female students showed higher achievement motivation, as
well as they do a more compensatory effort in school achievements than their male
counterparts, they also have better self-control in school circumstance and having more
pride in their own performance. Furthermore, Tinklin (2003) describes that female
students student take study more seriously, respectful, organized, cooperative and
conscientious than their male friends. This finding possibly explains how female
students perceive academic failure as a chance to learn and develop themselves higher
than the female student.
Another finding regarding emotion is male students tend to experience more
negative emotion toward academic failure (23,08%) than female students (0%). Where
they likely experience anxiety (7,69%), constant painful feeling (7,69%), and feeling
helplessness (7,69%). While female student only reported for being panicked (1,37%).
In line with the negative emotion categorizations, male students perceived
higher in burdensome related academic failure (11,54%) than female students (4,11%).
But, both sexes outlined that the immaterial cost was the burdensome effect toward
them (4,04%) than material cost (2,02%). Material cost refers to things countable such
as education fund while immaterial cost refers to uncountable things such as time and
opportunity. Further, another finding of this study also reveals that male participants
reporting higher in regretting academic failure (7,69%) than their counterpart female
Javanese students (4,11%).
The possible explanation why male students experiencing more negative
emotion toward academic failure is the differences coping style between them. Coping
is a strategy that someone uses to face life circumstance (Lazarus, 1999). Further,
Folkman and Lazarus (1985) classify some strategies for coping. There are problem-
focused coping, emotion-focused coping and avoidance focused coping. Problem-
focused coping is a way to face the problem by seeking the solution, emotion-focused
coping more likely use emotion before doing critical thinking of solution and avoidance
focused coping is escaping and avoid to deal with the circumstance (Folkman &
Lazarus, 1985). A while ago, Ptacek (1994) identified males adopting more problem-
focused coping and female adopting a more emotion focus coping. It seems quite
different how Freudenthaler, Spinath, and Neubaeur (2008) found that male students
also tend to have an issue with school anxiety and female student have an issue of
problem avoidance. Bednar et al. (1989) in their study report that avoidance focus
coping can generate bad feeling and failure to have personal growth. Peixoto and
Almeida (2012) in their study also found students with lower self-esteem more likely to
interpret academic failure as a bad event in their life, and the opposite, those who are
having high self-esteem considered academic failure was having better chance to grow
and perceiving more positively.
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In this categorization, female Javanese students also showed more tendencies to

be shy and felt has disappointed their parents, but the interesting aspect is the male
students' report has the material benefit and getting some friends after having an
academic failure. Related to this finding, women tend to have more support from their
family (kinship), this why female students feel more burden to disappoint their parent
(Altermatt, 2007).
Interestingly, Smith and Naylor (2001) went so far as to suggest the reason of
why male students have lower academic achievement than female students. In their
study, Smith and Naylor (2001) found male student feel uncomfortable to have higher
academic achievement than their peers normally have. Academic achievement
sometimes also could disadvantage them in their social relationship among boys (Smith
& Naylor, 2001).
Limitation and future research
This instrument of this research was open-ended questionnaire and it also was a
preliminary study. Surely it limits us to probe each sentence written in the sheet answer.
Then, the researcher suggests for further research to use an in-depth interview to gain
deeper comprehension how Javanese values play important role in shaping the
perception.
Another suggestion of the future study is to fill the comparison of academic
failure meaning between those who perceive academic failure subjectively and
objectively.
Conclusion
This study has identified that mostly Javanese student perceived academic
failure as the lesson-learned, self-development, it means mostly Javanese student have
personal growth initiative. While the rest of respondents stating academic failure as an
event which brought negative emotion toward them, burden toward life and regretful
experience. More research is required to determine the psychological dynamic in
Javanese students and try to portray involved values in personal growth initiative
process in Javanese students.

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 Growth After Academic Failure in Javanese Students:
An Indigenous Approach

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