Academic stress and coping

strategies among SHS

students of GNHS

Members:
Gonzalo Arcallana III
Mary Joy Docos
Angelyn Ocenar
Jane Chisten Abinguna
Rose Marie Macapiot
Darwin James Japson
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Academic stress refers to all kinds of things that trigger tension, otherwise known as

stressors, that can be interpersonal, intrapersonal, social, health-related, environmentally

related that impede academic growth in education institution. Several studies have addressed

the interconnections between self-assessment academic stress, much uncertainly still exits

about the mediating role of coping styles in this interplay (Jahara, et. al. 2022). Therefore,

this research aimed to determine the mediating role of coping style in the relationship

between the core of self- assessment and academic stress.

Time management is a set of practices that that work together help you get more value out of

your time the aim of improving the quality of your life. For the longest time, people assumed

that the student population was the least affected by any sort of stress or problems. Stress is

now understood as a lifestyle crisis affecting any individual regardless of their developmental

stage (Banerjee & Chatterjee, 2016).

Heightened academic stress in the final years of school is common concern yet little is

known about how stress changes over and what individual school and family factor are

associated with dishes (Wurbrich & Jagiello, 2022). Understanding how academic stress may

be alleviated or manage by students is an essential consideration for all school concerned

with students well-well (Abdollahi, et.al. 2022). Student’s academic satisfaction refer to their,

reception and satisfaction with academic experience (Jadidian & Duffy, 2011). Academic
stress is growing and alarming threat to young people around the world (Yung Chyu & Chen,

2022). Researchers see the experiences of senior high school students at Guintarcan national

High School, especially those who are honor students. Most of their parents have high

expectations of them, so the students are afraid of getting low grades or not becoming honor

students, while some of them really just want to be honor students so that their parents will be

proud.

1.2 Problem Statement

The study will explore the student’s academic stress refers to those environmental

demands and challenges in an academic setting (e.g., meeting deadline for assignment, exam,

social relations, etc.) that tax, challenge, or exceed a student’s coping resources, and represent

a ‘‘call for action’’. Teachers’ attitude toward students is one of these factors, which affects

the student’s performance in academic process. Therefore, it is worth to conduct research on

this topic to promote quality education in terms of student’s success rate.

1.3 Purpose Statement

Student achievement is impacted by academic stress. If this keeps happening, it may

affect the student’s grades who are under academic stress. Nonetheless, some students are

able to handle their stress. The purpose of the research study is to understand their coping

mechanisms or coping techniques. Therefore, the command students will get a guide for how

they cope with their stress.

1.4 Research Questions

1.What are the perception of the participants on academic stress?

2. What are the academic stress related experiences of the students?

4.What are the coping mechanism of the students in dialing with academic stress?

1.5 Scope and Limitation

This study focuses on the effects of academic stress. This study concentrated on

Guintarcan Senior High School. The primarily focused on determining the level of academic

stress of senior high school student’s respondents in different components such as pressure to

perform workload, academic self- perception and time restraints, and also focuses on coping

strategies of respondents and proposed for an action plan.

1.6 Significance of the study

Academic stress is one of the most important factors which affects students learning

process in educational institution. In this study the students can be aware on thing that stress

can do to them. This research would also be beneficial to teachers and administrators because

they will be able to understand the changes of the behavior, perception in life and academic

performances of the students that were engaged to stress. They can easily understand to the

student’s attitude.

1.7 Definition of terms

Academic stress- this are difficulties, challenge of the student pertaining to the school works

and other school related activities

Time management- Time management is the proper usage of time resources. It is the

division of the time resources for specific task that needs to be done

Anxious- experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness, typically about imminent event or

something with an uncertain outcome.

This chapter presents the related literature and studies, theoretical and conceptual framework
to fully understand the research to be done.

RELATED LIRETATURE

There are also responses from the undergraduate students at a higher learning

institution in the other country. The exploration of how undergraduate students perceive

stress and experience specific stress effects in their studies. Academic stress among

undergraduate students has become a topic of interest in many European and North American

countries. Seven out of ten students in Swedish higher education experienced stress several

days a week during the spring. Three out of ten experienced difficulties in sleeping or skipped

lunch at least once a week. One out of four of all students had a headache or stomach ache

one or several times a week. Generally, it can be said that female students experienced more

difficulties than male students (Swedish statistics central office, 2007).

The effects of the COVID 19 pandemic have required substantial adjustment in term of

university teaching learning processes. The study will verify whether there were significances

between the academic year of 2020, the two preceding years in factors, symptoms and stress.

A total of 642 university students (age 18-25 years) participated filling out validated self-

reports during the months from March to August 2020. (www.frontiersin.org)

Academic stress and emotional well-being in United States college students following

onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has resulted in extraordinary disruptions to the
higher education landscape. Here, we provide a brief report on 295 students’ academic

perceptions and emotional well-being in late May of 2020. Students reported high levels of

uncertainty regarding their academic futures as well as significant levels of stress and

difficulty coping. These outcomes were related to higher levels of neuroticism and an

external locus of control. Female students reported worse emotional well-being compared to

males, and students of color reported significantly higher levels of stress and uncertainty

regarding their academic futures compared to white students.

Academic stress is also having a bad effect. Stress is considered as negative,

behavioral, physiological process that takes place when the person tries to adapt or

compromise with stressors (Bernstein et al. 2008). There are number of incidents in a

person’s life that leads to negative emotions like anger, frustration and nervousness that

further develops stress in an individual.

However, it is important for students to develop different coping strategies in order to

manage stressful conditions. Students used multiple strategies, mainly praying/meditating,

self-distracting activities such as watching TV and listening to music to cope with stress.

Other important stress coping strategies were emotional and instrumental support from

family, friends and lecturers. (www.pimrindore.ac.in)

There are also causes of stress amongst students. The rise in the number of workshops

being conducted for Stress Management, various articles being published, research reports

etc. is an implication of the escalation of stress related cases in the past few decades (Jain &

Singhai, 2018).

However, coping with academic stress can help students obtain the awareness of

stress. They comment that successful coping includes becoming aware of incidents, situations
that one perceives as being stressful, recognizing stressor means being aware of how your

body responds to stress (Sheykhjan, 2015).

The results show that the issue with the highest percentage of stress among students is

their uncertainty over the end of semester exams and assessments. The academic pressure has

increased, there are examinations, assignments and many other activities that a student has to

shuffle through. Not only the design but teachers and parents also burden the students with a

lot of pressure of getting good grades. These expectations make the students work relentlessly

and end up in creating more stress.

Therefore, students face different challenges in term of trier academic stress. Many

students face stress as they try to mix up busy lives, school, and work while they also try to

find time with family and friends. However, dealing with different challenges like

encountering stress experience rapid body changes, such as feeling emotional unrest, which

leads to body aches. Stress is a prevalent in every individual’s life. Irrespective of race or

cultural background. In the education line, many students experience stress during their

academic years. It might have a favorable or negative impact on academic performance.

RELATED OF STUDEIS

People all over the world experience one form of stress or the other irrespective of their

race, color and ethnicity, professional or academic background.

The perception of academic stress is creating a very negative impact on their well-

being, their decision to choose career option, sleeping difficulties, psychosomatic complaints,

worrying about the future, comorbid condition like anxiety and depression, inability to

manage course workload, etc. (www. Bedewy and Gabriel, 2015: Iqbal et. al. 2015).
 Sometimes we can talk ourselves out of getting hep. In life it is very common to hear

about death and taxes in first and second position, and stress comes in the third position of

humans ‘problems (Bernstein, et al, 2008). Stress is part of life no matter how wealthy,

powerful, attractive, or happy people might be. However, stress will occur ones the students

is doing a difficult exam, an automobile accident, waiting a longline and etc.

Moreover, there are some students who do their own way to avoid stressful, in dealing

with the academic stress, more than half of the students (52.6%) are frequently used to find

comport feeling in spiritual beliefs by praying or meditating while accepting the reality and

try to live with it. But there are only a very few of the students (5.3%) are rarely using drugs

and alcohol to make themselves feel better.

Stress is an uncomfortable feeling experienced by individuals that is too demanding

and a threat to their well-being especially, when such demands exceed the personal and social

resources the individuals are able to mobilize (Nordqvist, 2017). These feelings called

stressors cut across all ages. Students of senior secondary schools go through crowed events

which involve studies and extracurricular activities that take a toll on their physical,

emotional and academic performance.

The study identified 27 causes of students’ academic stress, and the analysis of the

total ranking revealed that 8 out of 27 causes of academic stress were considered important.

The result of t-test indicated that except for 5 out of 27 identified causes of student academic

stress, there is no statistically significant difference in the perceptions of male and female

students. Furthermore, the study identified 30 coping strategies employed by students in

dealing with academic stress, out of 6 identified coping strategies were considered important.

However, the result of t-test revealed that expect for 11 out of 30 identified coping strategies,

there is no statistically significant difference in the perceptions of male and female students.
 Stress has become an important topic in the academic environmental. This Tiktok trend

of “being academically stressed is really difficult” is one that many students can relate to.

Academic stress can be overwhelming and can lead feelings of anxiety, depression, and even

burnout. It can be difficult to manage the pressure of school, especially when it feels like

there is no end in sight. It can also be hard to stay motivated and focused when you are

feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.

Theoretical Background

Theoretical support for this research comes from the transactional model of stress and

coping developed by Lazarus and Folkman (1987). This theory presents stress as an outcome

of a transaction between the individual and complex environment he/she resides. As a

phenomenon, coping is said to include both cognitive and behavioral responses that are

commonly used by people in an effort to deal with internal and/ or external stressors that goes

beyond their personal aptitudes or resources as explained in this theory. Moreover, Walinga

(2014) mentioned in her study the book of Lazarus entitled Psychological Stress and Coping

Process (1966), where he incorporated previous studies related to stress, health, and coping

and placed an individual’s assessment of a stressor at the core of the whole stress experience.

It denotes that in a sense, how a person copes with or act in response to the stressor will be

determined by how he/she will assess the stressor itself.

However, students who experience academic stress are caused by stressor. According

to the theory of Hans Selye (1956), stressor like academic workloads, have the feeling that

you are constantly racing to meet another deadline, the ability to understand the subject, and

academic pressure. Stimulus theory attempts to understand stress from the perspective of

major events in life such as humanitarian crises, activities of a students, and life-threatening

activities. The theory states that humans even students are initially perceived as passive
triggers of stress. The transactional theory emphasizes the “transactional” nature of stress by

which stressor are created by the environment like school. Students’ experience could create

stress because of the academic workload given by the teachers that students are not getting

enough sleep because of the pressure put in their shoulders.

‘
 Chapter III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter covers the methods that were used in conducting the study. This chapter is
comprised of discussion on the following: research design, participants of the study, research
locale, research instrument, research analysis tools, and research procedure.
3.1 Research Design

Phenomenological research is a qualitative research approach that seeks to understand

and describe the universal essence of a phenomenon. The approach investigates the everyday

experiences of human beings while suspending the researchers’ preconceived assumptions

about the phenomenon. In other words, phenomenological research studies lived experiences

to gain deeper insights into how people understand those experiences. And They interpret the

participants’ feelings, perceptions, and beliefs to clarify the essence of the phenomenon under

investigation

This study will employ the in qualitative research there is a comprehensive literature on

various forms of research design. For students conducting their first qualitative research

project, the choice of approach and subsequent alignment among problem, research question,

data collection, and data analysis can be particularly difficult. As faculty who regularly teach

introduction qualitative research methods course, one of the students to comprehend there are

various approaches to qualitative research, and different sets of data collection and data

analysis methods (Gonzalez & Forister, 2020)

3.2 Research Participants and Sampling Method

The research participants of the study are the Guintarcan Senior High School students

who are usually experience academic stress. They were chosen through purposive sampling, a
non-probability sampling technique. Purposive are non-probability sampling techniques that

a researcher uses to choose a sample of subjects/units from a population (Etikan, et.al. 2016).

Purposive sampling also called judgmental sampling, this sampling method relies on the

researcher's judgmental when identifying and selecting the individuals, cases, or events that

can provide best information to achieve the study's objectives (Nikolopoulou, 2022).

From the list obtained from the Grade 11 and Grade 12 advisers, a total of eighth-four (84)

students enrolled in Grade 11 and fifty-seven (57) students are enrolled in Grade 12 for the

school year 2022-2023.The researcher purposely ask the teachers in Guintarcan Senior High

School,

3.3 Research Locale

The locale of the study is in Guintarcan Senior High School, where the Grade 12

students who are usually experience academic stress. The interview will be conducted within

the premises of Barangay Guintarcan on the set date and place with the research participants.

3.4 Research Instrument

Since the study was intended to determine and describe the factors why the students

experience academic stress and what are the coping strategies use in the Senior High School

Students, A questionnaire is a list of questions or items used to gather data from respondents

their attitudes, experiences, or opinions (Bhandara, 2023). Data can be collected relatively

quickly because the researcher would not need to be present when completing the

questionnaires (McLeod,2033). In a survey, the researcher uses a questionnaire to gather

information from the respondents to answer the research questions. A questionnaire is a very

convenient way of collecting information from a large number of people within a period of

time (Jenn, 2006).

Qualitative Content Analysis enables a systematic analysis of textual material especially

important for educational research. Transcripts from open ended data collection methods

present insights in inner processes of learning and development. Especially because of its

intermediate position between qualitative and quantitative analysis, qualitative content

analysis appears to be an important methodical approach (Mayring,2023). Content analysis is

a research tool used to determine the presence of certain words or concepts within texts or

sets of texts. Researchers quantify and analyze the presence, meanings and relationships of

such words and concepts, then make inferences about the messages within the texts, the

writer(s), the audience, and even the culture and time of which these are a part. Texts can be

defined broadly as books, book chapters, essays, interviews, discussions, newspaper

headlines and articles, historical documents, speeches, conversations, advertising, theater,

informal conversation, or really any occurrence of communicative language (Carol, et.al.

2005).

Content analysis is a research method used to identify patterns in recorded

communication. To conduct content analysis, you systematically collect data from a set of

texts, which can be written, oral, or visual (Lou,2019).

3.6 Research Procedure

The target participants will get formal letters from the researchers requesting their

consent for this study. Following clearance, the researcher will set a time and location for

face-to-face interviews with each participant. This will make it easier for the researcher to

capture each participant's distinctive viewpoint or experience in relation to a certain subject.

precise response and clarify the data (Olson & Muise, 2009)

The researcher will transcribe the audio-recorded interview before conducting a

qualitative content analysis using distinct themes as the unit of analysis. Since the goal of the

study was to identify and characterize, transcripts are the main source of data for content

analysis. reasons that lead senior high students in grades 11 and 12 to submit their

schoolwork late. A coding unit is how a person defines the data that he is analyzing,

according to Gibbs (2007). He also made the point that coding is a method of classifying the

material so that a framework of thematic concepts can be built around it. Each interview

response will be unitized before being coded. After deciding on the themes, the researchers

would consult with their advisor often.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results of the data analysis are presented in this chapter. The data were collected

and then processed in response to the research questions. All names stated are only

pseudonyms to maintain confidentially and anonymity.

4.1 Perception of the students who experience academic stress

4.1.1 Obstacle to our learning

"....so hard because of what we suffer but we can’t say that we are students if we don’t feel

any stress”.

-Miya

4.1.2 Emotional

“.... this can be sudden out burst of emotion such as crying, screaming or losing out”.

-Jam

Based on the response, we can't say that are student if you don't feel stress and it's

normal to us to feel stress or exhausted.

4.2. Related experience of the students

4.2.1 Struggling

"...I don't understand English very well and there are many activities"

-Trisha
".... I’m just good at memorizing if it's new but after a while I forget it"

-Lesly

4.2.3 Losing interest

“....I want to sleep every day and I don’t have any interest for doing anything”.

-Pearl

We know when it comes to memorization it also gives to us stress, we memorize it for

the whole time but when it comes to exam or recitation your memorization cannot

reminds you for all you memorize on the other side you forgot almost you review.

4.3 Contributes the stress of the students

4.3.1 Annoying by someone

".... When you are already stressed and there is someone who's scolding you'.

-Lesly

4.3.2 Lack of time

"...the deadline is already coming then that just the time they gave that project so i feel upset

if what well I do first".

-Miya

When it comes the deadline of the projects, pressures to perform, perception of

workload and examination, self-perception, time restraints, housework and the orders

of the parents that gives stress on you.

".... lot of projects and then I also have a lot of housework to do".

-Trisha
Too many orders from your parents for doing household work that can trigger for you

or it gives stress for you and when you are already stress and there is someone who will

scolding that’s why it also can contribute our stress.

4.4 Coping mechanism of the students

4.4.1 Self comfort

".... I don't tell anybody I just keep it in my self”

-Miya

4.4.2 Pastime

"I sleep.... because if we sleep, we can't feel anything”

-Miya

By sleeping, you will forget everything like your problems and your stress. And eating

food are also can relieve your stress because by eating some delicious food you will

forget your problems the only you will mind is the taste of the food.
 CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION

Conclusion
The researcher posit the following model of impact of the students on their academic
performance and coping mechanisms of the SHS students of GNHS who are in academic
stress.

PERCEPTION
FACTORS EXPERIENCE
 Obstacle to
our learning
 Annoying  Emotional  Struggling
by someone  Losing
 Lack of time interest

ACADEMIC
STRESS

COPING MECHANISM

 Self-
comfort
 pastime
Recommendations

Based on the data that the researchers have gathered, it was clear that the stressors who
are in academic stress really have difficulties for their learning. Therefore, the researchers
recommend or suggest to give them a self-time management to reduce their work in school
and housework, improvise their assignments and submit their projects before the deadline, so
that they don’t have to worry about the submission of their projects.
Another solution to reduce a student's stress is providing students with a sense of control
over their education. This can be done through adequate support interventions, which will
enchance ones learning,well being, and satisfaction; and is likely to benefit students social
opportunities,which will have a positive impact on them as a whole.
ARCALLANA GONZALO III
OCENAR ANGELYN
ABINGUNA JANE CHRISTEN
DOCOS MARY JOY
MACAPIOT ROSEMARIE
PACALA NATHANIEL
JAPSON DARWIN JAMES