CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the related literature and studies to further explain and point out

essential ideas in the study being conducted.

Review of Related Literature

Academic Stress

There are many different causes of stress among individuals involving university students.

Academic stress is part of being a student and can influence the coping schemes of students with

regards to the needs and demands of academic life (Essilfie and Kwaah, 2017). According to

Februanti, Galugu, Kadir, Pajarianto, and Sari (2020), academic stress usually stems from how

students perceive the allotted time given to them to absorb and master the information in the

records provided by their teachers. Citing Pariat, Rynjah, Joplin and Kharjana (2014), Dhanapal

and Ramachandiran (2018) articulate that several challenges encountered regularly by college

students have the likelihood to increase their stress levels that can affect their health and obstruct

their academic functioning if not managed. It may also have an effect on the physical, emotional,

and behavioral aspects of the students (Februanti, Galugu, Kadir, Pajarianto, and Sari, 2020). In

the study of Eysenbach, Fagherazzi, and Torous (2020), results showed that majority of the

participants had a hard time concentrating on school tasks due to several sources of interference

and the transition from physical classes to online learning which raised their concern on their

academic performance. In addition, more than half of the respondents exhibited their concerns on
the financial stability of their families, additional academic workloads, and the increase in

difficulty of the assignments.

Coping Mechanisms

In the study of Kim and Park (2018), they identified four stress-coping themes as tactical

qualities for coping against academic stress: (1) creating coping strategies in a physically active

manner (e.g. jogging and sports activities); (2) creating coping strategies in an inactive/positive

manner (e.g. essay writing, music therapy, and internet surfing); (3) utilizing maladaptive coping

mechanisms (e.g. excessive internet gaming and socially deviant behaviors); and, (4) relying

upon religious belief and spiritual power (e.g. bible studies and prayer). Research results also

suggest that a stressful and demanding situation associated with academic stress may provide

new opportunities and strengthen the individuals’ inner capacities, as well as to lead to a higher

possibility of emotional and psychological problems (Kim and Park, 2018). On the other hand,

Esiah-Donkoh (20) disclosed two coping strategies that were conclusively used by the

participants: emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping. Nonetheless, the findings

indicate that students prefer problem-focused strategies in managing their stress on academics. In

the present time, some students have developed their own coping mechanisms to combat various

stressors entailed by the shift in educational learning, and these mechanisms may be in the form

of positive or negative leisure.

Wiley (2014) conducted a study about the difference between coping mechanisms and defense

mechanisms. Defense mechanisms and coping strategies are discussed as two different types of

adaptational processes. They may be clearly differentiated on the basis of the psychological

processes involved, but not on the basis of their relation to outcome measures. Criteria that
critically differentiate between defense and coping processes include the conscious/unconscious

status and the intentional/unintentional nature of the processes. Criteria based on the

dispositional or situational status of the process, and on the conceptualization of the processes as

hierarchical, are found to be more a matter of emphasis than of critical difference. A criterion

that attempts to differentiate between defense and coping processes on the basis of their relation

to psychological or physical health is found to be without support once the bias in self‐report

outcome measures is recognized.

Aysan, et.al conducted a study in 2015 entitled Test Anxiety, Coping Strategies, and Perceived

Health in a Group of High School Students: A Turkish Sample. This study deals with A group

of high school juniors and a group of high school seniors in Izmir, Turkey completed measures

of test anxiety, coping skills, and perceived health status both before and after a major exam

period. Students with high test anxiety used less effective coping mechanisms and tended to have

poorer perceptions of their health. Prior to the exams, juniors displayed higher test anxiety and

used less effective coping mechanisms than seniors. After the exam periods, improvements were

seen for both age groups on perceived health, but scores of younger students remained

significantly higher than scores of seniors on one of the key measures of test anxiety. Results of

the study lend support to those of previous studies done in other cultural contexts, and findings

have implications for the development of interventions designed to help students cope with

stress.

Related Studies

In the quantitative study entitltled “Coping Strategies towards Academic Stress of Senior

High School in Raniag National high School” by the grade 12 researcher in Raniag National high

School (2018), this study specifically aimed to make a plan of action on how to reduce the stress level of
the Senior High School Students. In order to make a feasible action plan, the researchers determined the

stress level and the coping strategies of the male and female students respectively. The researchers used

the descriptive method of research. A total of 82 students were the respondents of the study. Adopted

questionnaires were utilized in measuring the perceived level of stress and sources of stress of the

students. Results showed that both male and female students had an average level of stress. The level of

stress of both female and male students is average for academic and financial sources. Moreover, the

female students had low level of stress for psychological and health related stressors while the male

students had average level for the said stressors. In addition, the results revealed that male and female

students had different coping strategies in dealing with stress. Female students always employed spending

time with friends, listening to music, eating a lot, going to some places and keeping their faith to their

God as coping strategies. On the other hand, male students did not always employ coping strategies when

they are stressed. Both male and female students never isolate themselves when are stressed. Similar to

the present study t, the researcher will use also the adaptive questionnaire in order to measure the

perceived level of stress and sources of stress of the students and to determined their coping mechanism.

Another study entitled “ Academic Stress and Coping Mechanism of Students in Flexible Learning :

A Multidisciplinary Journal” This study was conducted among the college students of Iloilo State

College of Fisheries-Dingle Campus, Second Semester of AY 2020-2021. Specifically, the first to third-

year college students who are exposed to Flexible Learning Approach. The study utilized the correlational

method of research and the data needed for the study was gathered using the online platform through the

use of google forms from the adapted and researcher-made questionnaires and was conducted from March

3-18, 2021. Two hundred eight-two students (282) selected randomly from first year to third year students

from 4 colleges served as respondents of the study. The data gathered were subjected to the following

statistical tools: frequency count, percentage, mean, Simple, Pearsons' r and Independent Sample T-test.

The findings of the study revealed that the level of stress in flexible learning as perceived by the College

students of Iloilo State College of Fisheries-Dingle Campus is moderate. To cope up with stress, students
seek themselves in praying and meditating when they are under stressed, seek out with their friends for

conversation and support and use social media and entertainment media such as television for relaxation.

Furthermore, a strong negative correlation between stress and the coping mechanism of the students was

noted. Thus, the researcher recommends that professors and subject teachers should adjust their

instruction and requirements to lessen the possible stress that students carry on their shoulders. Webinar

talks and conferences about Academic Stress and Coping Strategies for students must also strengthen.

Same as the present studies, researchers will also utilzed the correlational of the the two variables which

is coping mechanism and Academic Sress. The researcher also use statistical tools such as frequency

count, percentage, mean, Simple, Pearsons' r and Independent Sample T-test in. On the other hand, unlike

the study, this research examined Senior high school students, particularly Grade 112 students, rather than

college students.

Presented in this study is the “Coping Mechanism of the HUMSS Senior High School

Students of St. Paul University Surigao in the New Norma” (2022). The factors that help determine

the coping mechanism of the students were emotionfocused and problem-focused. There were 75 Grade

11 and 121 students from the Grade 12, as participants of the study using the purposive random sampling

technique. Each participant was sent a link to a researchers-made questionnaire using Google form as a

medium of the survey. The data gathered were analyzed by the following descriptive statistical tools: (a)

frequency distribution and percentage, (b) mean and standard deviation, (c) analysis of variance

(ANOVA). Similar on this study, this reseach will also determine the the coping mechanism of the

students in senior High school. The variables that was being used is the same on this study.