Individual Resilience of Chinese International Students in UK’s Higher Education Institutions throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic

: A Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

This study investigates the individual resilience (IR) of Chinese international students (CIS) and its influencing mechanisms in the UK across different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodologically, the study employs a sequential mixed-methods design. Semi-structured interviews (n = 22) first explore and frame precarity across three intersecting spatial, temporal, and emotional layers and IR during the pandemic is further interpreted within this precarity framework through the emergent themes of personal coping strategies and external resources. In addition, a two-phase post-pandemic resilience model is proposed, comprising an initial compartmentalization phase followed by bouncing forward and growth.
These qualitative insights inform the development of context-sensitive instruments for the quantitative phase (n = 146), in which IR is analysed using composite scores and higher-order latent constructs, with linear regression and partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The quantitative results first show that IR fluctuates significantly across the pre-, during-, and post-pandemic stages and is shaped by individual determinants including demographic, educational and geographical factors via different pathways. Then, PLS-SEM findings reveal that, during the pandemic, both the structural (interaction frequency) and functional (social support) dimensions of neighbourhood relationships influence IR through distinct mediating pathways via perceived environmental quality (PEQ), while familial support exerts a direct effect. In the post-pandemic period, these dynamics shift: the mediating effect of PEQ on the relationship between the structural dimension of neighbourhood relationships and IR disappears; however, PEQ remains a full mediator between the functional dimension of neighbourhood relationships and IR. Additionally, both frequency of family contact and familial support become significant predictors.
These findings highlight the dynamic and evolving nature of IR and further illustrate how the mechanisms through which social-ecological factors shape resilience can shift during the broader transition from crisis to post-crisis context.

Date of Award	30 Sept 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Juan Zhang (Supervisor) & Wenfei Winnie Wang (Supervisor)