A Cross-Comparison of Public and Private Universities Perceived University Fairness, Resilience and Academic Engagement among University Students of Karachi

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to find the connection between perceived university fairness, resilience and academic engagement among university students in Karachi, Pakistan. The cross-sectional correlational design was used, 500 young adults (males = 121, female = 376, other = 3) aged 18 to 26 and above were selected from public, private and federally chartered universities through convenience sampling. The participants answered the University Fairness Questionnaire, Brief Resilience scale and Academic Engagement scale having 3 sub-scales including behavioral, cognitive and anxious engagement. The results via statistical analysis demonstrated that perceived university fairness has a significant negative correlation with behavioral engagement, and cognitive engagement, whereas it positively correlates with anxious engagement. Resilience showed positive correlation with cognitive engagement, a significant negative correlation with anxious engagement and no significant relationship with behavioral engagement. A significant negative correlation was found between perceived university fairness and resilience. The outcomes suggest that higher perceptions of university unfairness are linked to lower resilience and academic engagement, also increasing anxious engagement among higher education students. The research highlights the value of encouraging fairness, boosting resilience and improving student engagement alongside psychological well-being in university settings.