Abstract :
Academic stress has long been a subject of interest among researchers. University students often face significant levels of stress due to a variety of stressors. This study aims to (1) examine the prevalence of stress and the factors contributing to it, and (2) explore students’ views on stress and their coping strategies among undergraduate English studies students. A survey was conducted with a randomly selected sample of 125 students from a private university, using a questionnaire. The questionnaire addressed both academic and non-academic factors, revealing an average stress level of 2.72. Female English studies students reported a slightly higher stress level compared to their male counterparts. The findings revealed that, among academic stressors, fear of failure was the primary contributor, while limited time for recreation and homesickness were identified as the main non-academic stressors. The second data is derived from a case study design with semi-structured interview with 12 English-majored university students at the private university. The results identify 3 main coping strategies used by students when facing school stress: (1) evasion, (2) diversion, and (3) resolution. These findings highlight the critical importance of teaching about stress and coping strategies in health and life skills education.
Keywords :
Academic stress, Coping strategies, English-majored students, Stress factors, Students’ perspectivesReferences :
- Aldao, A., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Schweizer, S. (2010). Emotion-regulation strategies across psychopathology: A meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(2), 217–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.11.004
- Baker, S. R. (2003). A prospective longitudinal investigation of social problem-solving appraisals on adjustment to university, stress, health, and academic motivation and performance. Personality and Individual Differences, 35, 569–591.
- Bandura A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.1
- Bernold, L. E., Spurlin, J. E., & Anson, C. M. (2007). Understanding our students: A longitudinal‐study of success and failure in engineering with implications for increased retention. Journal of engineering education, 96(3), 263-274.
- Brinkmann, S., & Kvale, S. (2018). Doing interviews.
- Brougham, R. R., Zail, C. M., Mendoza, C. M., & Miller, J. R. (2009). Stress, sex differences, and coping strategies among college students. Current psychology, 28, 85-97.
- Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Thematic analysis. A practical guide. Sage Publications.
- Carver, C. S., Scheier, M. F., & Weintraub, J. K. (1989). Assessing coping strategies: a theoretically based approach. Journal of personality and social psychology, 56(2), 267.Cheng, C., Lau, H. P., & Chan, M. P. (2014). Coping flexibility and psychological adjustment to stressful life changes: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 140(6), 1582–1607. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037913
- Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). Sage Publications, Inc.
- Dahlin, M., Joneborg, N., & Runeson, B. (2005). Stress and depression among medical students: A crosssectional study. Medical education, 39(6), 594-604.
- DeBerard, M. S., Spielmans, G. I., & Julka, D. L. (2004). Predictors of academic achievement and retention among college freshmen: A longitudinal study. College student journal, 38(1), 66-81.
- Fairbrother, K., & Warn, J. (2003). Workplace dimensions, stress and job satisfaction. Journal of managerial psychology, 18(1), 8-21.
- Frydenberg, E., & Lewis, R. (1996). A replication study of the structure of the adolescent coping scale: Multiple forms and applications of a self-report inventory in a counselling and research context. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 12(3), 224–235. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015–12.3.224
- Goldfinch, J., & Hughes, M. (2007). Skills, learning styles and success of first-year undergraduates. Active learning in higher education, 8(3), 259-273.
- Högberg, B. (2021). Educational stressors and secular trends in school stress and mental health problems in adolescents. Social Science & Medicine, 270, 113616
- Högberg, B., & Strandh, M. (2024). Temporal trends and inequalities in school-related stress in three cohorts in compulsory school in Sweden. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2024.2330932
- Jones, A., Smith, B., & Brown, C. (2021). Factors contributing to stress among students in an English Language Department: A comprehensive analysis. Language Teaching Research Quarterly, 35(2), 88106. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820989710
- Hilt, L. T., Søreide, G., Riese, H., & Bjørge, G. (2024). ‘School is the foundation of everything’: Master- and counter-narratives in lower secondary school pupils’ stories about the importance of schooling and education. YOUNG, 32(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/11033088231221653
- Kato T. (2012). Development of the Coping Flexibility Scale: Evidence for the coping flexibility hypothesis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 59(2), 262–273. https://doi. org/10.1037/a0027770
- Kohn, J. P., & Frazer, G. H. (1986). An academic stress scale: Identification and rated importance of academic stressors. Psychological reports, 59(2), 415-426.
- Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. Springer Publishing Company.
- Lee, H. J., Park, J., & Kim, S. (2023). Academic expectation stress, adaptive coping, and academic burnout among students in English learning programs: Interplay and implications. BMC Psychology, 11(1), 43. DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01630-y
- Lumley, M. A., & Provenzano, K. M. (2003). Stress management through written emotional disclosure improves academic performance among college students with physical symptoms. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(3), 641.
- Mani, V. (2010). Students’ perception of the impact of course work on exam stress. International Journal of Arts and Sciences, 3, 104-110.
- Misra, R., & McKean, M. (2000). College students’ academic stress and its relation to their anxiety, time management, and leisure satisfaction. American Journal of Health Studies, 16(1), 41–51.
- Muema, E. N., Muola, J., & Muriungi, P. (2020). Relationship between perceived academic stress and academic performance among students in primary teacher training colleges in central region, Kenya.
- Nguyen, H. T., Tran, L. P., & Dao, T. (2020). English-majored students and the stress of language proficiency: A case study at a Vietnamese university. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 11(4), 680-687. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1104.09
- Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069177338
- Pascoe, M. C., Hetrick, S. E., & Parker, A. G. (2020). The impact of stress on students in secondary school and higher education. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 104–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1596823
- Rajendran, R., & Kaliappan, K. V. (1990). Efficacy of behavioural programme in managing the academic stress and improving academic performance. Journal of Personality and Clinical Studies, 6, 193-196.
- Saha, R., Huebner, E. S., Hills, K. J., Malone, P. S., & Valois, R. F. (2014). Social coping and life satisfaction in adolescents. Social Indicators Research, 115(1), 241–252. https://doi. org/10.1007/s11205-012-0217-3
- Skinner, E. A., Edge, K., Altman, J., & Sherwood, H. (2003). Searching for the structure of coping: A review and critique of category systems for classifying ways of coping. Psychological Bulletin, 129(2), 216–269. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033–129.2.216
- Sinha, U. K., Sharma, V., & Nepal, M. K. (2001). Development of a scale for assessing academic stress: a preliminary report. Journal of Institute of Medicine Nepal, 23(1 & 2), 105-112.
- Wang, Y., Chen, H., & Zhang, L. (2022). Linguistic students’ academic stress and coping mechanisms: A systematic review. International Journal of Linguistic Studies, 8(4), 200–216.
- Wang, Y., Zhang, X., Li, L., & Zhang, Q. (2022). The relationship between English learning stress and burnout among undergraduate students: The mediating role of self-efficacy and the moderating effect of mindfulness. Journal of Educational Psychology, 114(3), 360-375. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000521
- Zeidner, M. (1992). Sources of academic stress: The case of first year Jewish and Arab college students in Israel. Higher Education, 24(1), 25-40.
- Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J., & Skinner, E. A. (2016). The development of coping: Implications for psychopathology and resilience. Developmental Psychopathology, p. 1–61. https://doi. org/10.1002/9781119125556.devpsy410

