Gadjah Mada Journal of Psychology (GamaJoP)

Journal Homepage: https://jurnal.ugm.ac.id/gamajop

Email : [email protected]
ISSN 2407 - 7798 (Online)

Volume 10
Number 1, 2024
Coping Strategies to Survive Online Learning
Page: 14–21 Difficulties: Qualitative Survey Study of Bataknese
DOI:10.22146/gamajop.84748
Received 24 May 2023
and Javanese Students
Revised 6 October 2023
Accepted 6 November 2023 Nurussakinah Daulay* and Widia Fransiska
Published 31 May 2024
Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara, Indonesia
Keywords:
coping strategies; COVID-19; culture; Abstract
online learning; students It is apparent that students’ perceptions of the online learning experience during the
pandemic led to the development of coping abilities to deal with stress. This research
aims to explore coping mechanisms that Bataknese and Javanese students in Medan
City used to minimise stress related to online learning difficulties during the COVID
*Author for correspondence: Email: 19 pandemic. A total of 671 students participated in the study by completing a
[email protected] self-reported survey online. This research is qualitative research with a thematic
analysis approach. The findings were categorized into two main themes: 1) online
learning difficulties (consisting of 3 subthemes: technical problems, task overload,
emerging negative emotions); 2) overcoming online learning difficulties (consisting of
3 subthemes: patience, prayer, and parental support). This research implies that the
coping strategies students use can help them survive adversity during the COVID-19
pandemic.

Among the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of education is the
shift from face-to-face learning to online learning by emphasizing the use of in-
formation technology and internet networks (Choudhury & Pattnaik, 2020). The
impact of online learning especially on students is crucial to study. The impor-
tance of studying the impact of this learning system change has also been proven
by various previous research including a study of online learning strategies com-
bining synchronous and asynchronous modes (Moorhouse, 2020); while another
study also found that most of the lecturers and students are not ready to adapt
to online learning (Osman, 2020). The positive side of students’ perceptions of
online learning experiences is that online learning is an alternative that can replace
face-to-face learning during a time of crisis (Manegre & Sabiri, 2020) and students
become adept at using technological devices (Király et al., 2020).
However, the impact of online learning also has negative sides, including stu-
dents becoming less than optimal in their learning due to various obstacles such as
poor internet connection (Morgan, 2020) and the adjustments required in using a
variety of applications (Dinh & Nguyen, 2020); and they cannot perform field prac-
tice in the form of community services (Corbera et al., 2020). The phenomenon of
difficulties for students studying online in Medan was also found, such as: students
felt that learning costs had become more expensive than before (Amrizal & Yus-
riati, 2021); network constraints and teachers’ lack of understanding explanations
(Setiawan & Ritonga, 2022). Various mental health issues during the crisis when
COVID-19 were initially found at the end of December in Wuhan, China (Bao,
2020), which resulted in various sudden changes in student learning because stu-
dents were required to adapt to difficulties related to online learning and respond
to the emerging stressors for which some coping strategies were needed to keep
them mentally healthy.
© GamaJOP 2024. This is an Open Access
article, distributed under the terms of the Stress management relates to coping strategies because one of the goals of cop-
Creative Commons Attribution license ing is to protect oneself against sources of stress (Harrington, 2012). The roles
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
sa/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, of coping during the COVID-19 pandemic have also been proven through previ-
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, ous research studies, including improving mental health (Kar et al., 2020); as a
provided the original work is properly cited.
way of dealing with stress (Park et al., 2020); and moderating the relationship
between depression and life satisfaction (Litam & Oh, 2020). Even though the

Gadjah Mada Journal of Psychology (GamaJoP) 14

Gadjah Mada Journal of Psychology (GamaJoP) 15

pandemic has passed. It appears that there are a lot of pandemic in Indonesia. Based on the aforementioned rea-
things to take away from this experience, one of which is sons, this study explained more on the following research
how students cope with the stress they experience. The question: How did Batak and Javanese students experi-
role of coping in students has also been researched in sev- ence coping strategies in adapting to Covid-19?
eral countries, including in Vietnam by Baloran (2020)
who reported that the coping strategy applied by stu- Method
dents as an effort to deal with anxiety during the pan- Study Design and Participants
demic is avoiding crowded places. Research with students This research uses a qualitative approach, namely research
in Malaysia showed the importance of external support conducted to understand a phenomenon experienced by
and acceptance of the current situation (Kamaludin et research subjects in the context of the Moleong (2007) sci-
al., 2020). Another study found that anxiety in nursing entific method. Exploring students’ coping experiences
students can be minimized through resilience and lots of in adapting to online learning is one of the objectives of
humor for self-entertainment (Savitsky et al., 2020). this study. Data collection was carried out using a qual-
However, discussions that emphasize student coping itative survey to analyze the diversity of characteristics
experiences linked to the Indonesian culture are still very of respondents. The data collection was carried out for
limited, especially the ability of Indonesian students when one month in July 2021 with 671 students of Universi-
experiencing difficult conditions during the pandemic. Pre- tas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara Medan. The technique
vious research in Indonesia has not focused on the role of for taking research participants is purposive sampling in
culture in shaping students’ coping abilities. Coping and that the samples determined by the researcher using cer-
culture are closely related (Ahmadi et al., 2018), mean- tain criteria. The participant criteria: 1) Students have
ing that the ability to overcome difficulties is also influ- active status in the even semester of the academic year
enced by how the individual lives. Indonesian society 2020/2021; 2) Students of Bataknese and Javanese eth-
consists of more than a thousand ethnic groups who live nicity; 3) Students have experienced online learning for
in an area stretching from Sabang (the westernmost re- at least one year.
gion of Indonesia) to Merauke (the easternmost region (See Table 1)
of Indonesia) (Sitompul et al., 2020). These diverse eth- The respondents were undergraduate students in the
nic groups have differing beliefs, norms, and cultural at- even semester of the academic year 2020/2021. The rea-
titudes toward mental health (Putri et al., 2019). For son of why the researcher used these two ethnicities as
example, Bataknese forms an identity or personality de- research respondents was because the number of these
rived from the values of religious teachings (Bataknese students was the largest at the university. Apart from
forms an identity or personality derived from the values that, these two tribes are quite famous for their cultural
of religious teach- ings (mardebata) and tradition (mara- concepts, namely the Batak tribe with the concept of dal-
dat). Firm belief in God enables Batak people to survive ihan na tolu, and the Javanese tribe with the concept
difficult situations) and tradition (maradat). Firm belief of narimo ing pandum. This cultural concept also helps
in God enables Batak people to survive difficult situations students in realizing coping strategies.
(Sibarani, 2018). Meanwhile, people with Javanese eth-
nicity uphold the values of harmony and nrimo (accept-
Procedures
ing) (Rahmawan, 2012). The belief each ethnic group
in Indonesia holds is an empowering factor for them in This research consists of several stages, the first step was
coping with crises (Putri et al., 2019). the research preparation stage which included preparing
Several studies have proven the important role of cop- the online instrument that explained the research objec-
ing in helping individuals during a pandemic, including tives, instructions, informed consent, personal data, and
Kar et al. (2020); Park et al. (2020); Baloran (2020); two open-ended questions. The answers to these two
Litam and Oh (2020). Likewise, research on students in open-ended questions were not limited in the number of
Indonesia on the role of coping in overcoming academic words used to give participants the freedom to explore in
stress (Fitriasari et al., 2020); the role of social support in responding to them. The second step was the implemen-
helping coping strategies (Alfarisi et al., 2021), which, as tation of survey research in the form of data collection
a whole, show that coping strategies enable individuals to by distributing online instruments through the student
adapt to the difficulties that arise during this pandemic. WhatsApp group, every student who completed the on-
However, what about research that examines the relation- line instrument was deemed to give their informed consent
ship between coping and the perspective of a particular as evidence of willingness to participate in this research
culture? This research was conducted with Bataknese voluntarily. The two questions were as follows:
and Javanese students and sought to inform how a partic-
1. What are the difficulties that arise in the implemen-
ular culture in an area can affect individual survival dur-
tation of online learning?
ing crises. The novelty of this present research is not only
2. What efforts do you make to overcome these difficul-
complementing and enriching the results of previous re-
ties?
search on the importance of student coping strategies but
also exploring the important role cultural values play in
helping them to survive difficulties during the COVID19
Gadjah Mada Journal of Psychology (GamaJoP) 16

Table 1
Participants’ Demographics

Characteristics Categories No.(%) of participants

17 – 21 years 497 (74.06%)
Age
22 – 25 years 174 (25.93%)
Men 248 (36.95%)
Gender
Women 423 (63.04%)
Batak 569 (84.79%)
Ethnic groups
Java 102 (15.20 %)
Work full time 325 (48.43%)
Parents’ occupation Work part time 248 (36.95%)
Uncertain 77 (11.47%)
IDR 500.000 – IDR 1.000.000
IDR 1.000.000 – IDR 3.000.000 104 (15.49%)
IDR 3.000.000 – IDR 5.000.000 454 (67.66%)
Socioeconomic Status
78 (11.62%)
• IDR 5.000.000 35 (5.21%)

Total 100%
Notes: IDR = Indonesian Rupiah; Currency conversion: 1 USD = IDR 16.000

Data Collection In summary, this research revealed two main themes

Students’ coping experiences in overcoming online learn- and six sub-themes derived from the experiences of coping
ing difficulties were collected online with two open-ended strategies to survive online learning difficulties as follows
questions. The results of the online self-reported survey (See Table 3):
were used to determine the sub-themes of the two prede-
termined themes: online learning difficulties and the ef- Theme 1: Online Learning Difficulties
forts to cope with online learning difficulties. The items The online self-reported survey data completed by the re-
in the questionnaire included personal information which spondents provided some important information related
included name, gender, age, ethnic group, parents’ occu- to online learning difficulties experienced by students and
pation, and parents’ monthly income. The participants the efforts they had made to overcome these difficulties.
were also asked to give examples of daily activities they During ten months of the pandemic, students were re-
had applied in dealing with online learning difficulties. quired to be able to adapt to the various changes occur-
ring. This is certainly not an easy thing for students as
Data Analysis shown by the various difficulties they experience which
The open questionnaire data were analyzed thematically were represented by the following three sub-themes:
(Braun & Clarke, 2006) to find patterns and themes of
tendencies that frequently arose. In this present study, Subtheme 1.1: Out-of-Control Technical Problems
we imported the interview data into the qualitative data Not all lecturers and students were ready to face changes
management program NVivo to make data management in the learning system during this pandemic. Students
easier. The data obtained from the google form com- were required to be able to be independent in studying
pleted by the participants were read over and over and learning material so that they could be easier to follow
then coded. The initial raw data coding was made in the online learning process. However, students also en-
tabular form to make the coding easier. After gener- counter many obstacles in online learning, especially inter-
ating many codes, similarities and differences between net connections. An unstable internet connection makes
the codes were identified. Codes with the same mean- students worry about various technical problems such
ing became the sub-themes of each theme, whereas codes as unsuccessful submissions of assignments, unexpected
with differing meanings were reread to be re-categorized. power out- ages, being late for classes, inaccessible learn-
There are four stages of thematic data analysis, namely: ing links, and difficulty listening to lecturers’ explanations
raw data, coding, sub-themes, main themes. properly.
“It is not easy to adapt to learning online during this
Findings pandemic, we are experiencing many difficulties especially
In this research, there are two themes and six sub-themes those related to poor internet connection because many of
that reveal coping experiences in overcoming online learn- us live in rural areas, far from cities.” (online self-reported
ing difficulties for Batak and Javanese students in Medan. survey, 12 January 2021).
(See Table 2) “Learning online is costly because the cost of access-
ing the Internet is expensive for many of us who come
Gadjah Mada Journal of Psychology (GamaJoP) 17

Table 2
Raw Data, Coding, Sub-Themes & Themes

Raw Data Coding Sub-Themes Main themes

It is not easy to adapt to learning online dur- Out-of-control technical
ing this pandemic, we are experiencing many1. Poor internet connection problems (including un-
difficulties especially those related to poor in- stable internet connec-
ternet connection because many of us live in tion, power outages, in-
rural areas, far from cities. accessible learning links,
high-cost expensive in- Online Learning Difficul-
Learning online is costly because the cost of 2. Expensive internet costs ternet connection) ties
accessing the Internet is expensive for many
of us who come from underprivileged families.
This certainly is very burdensome for us.

To be honest, I am more comfortable learn- Learning face to face is eas- Overwhelming assign-
ing face-to-face than online, because study- ier ments
ing online has many obstacles, including the
many assignments the lecturers give to stu-
dents, the deadlines for submitting assign-
ments are too short, and sometimes I can’t
understand the materials presented by the
lecturers
Some of the difficulties that I especially felt Depressed The emergence of neg-
are the poor internet connection, the many ative emotions (irritable,
assignments from lecturers, and the cost of angry, burnout, etc.)
the internet which is not cheap, making me
feel very depressed and difficult to concen-
trate on studying
Being patient is an effort to control anger Controlling Being patient
and irritability, and relieve anxiety. If that
irritation arises, then I make myself sug-
gested by telling myself to be patient, be-
cause calamities will certainly pass

Coping strategy to deal

with online learning diffi-
culties
It is not easy for us to study online, and we Get closer to God Praying
are required to be able to adjust to the var-
ious obstacles of studying online. When I
have a problem and my heart is restless, I
will do a prayer and, afterward, pray to God
to be given peace and ease in facing the dif-
ficulty
I am very grateful for the attention that my Seeking support
parents give me, including when I have diffi-1. Advice
culty learning online. My parents often give
me advice to sincerely accept the crisis we
are currently undergoing. This makes me en-
couraged to stay motivated.

When I was stressed, I would tell my mother.2. Discuss

My mother will listen intently, after which
she will encourage me. This is what makes
me strong
Gadjah Mada Journal of Psychology (GamaJoP) 18

Table 3
Main Themes and Sub-Themes of Coping Experiences

No Main themes Sub-themes

1. Out-of-control technical problems (including unstable internet connection, power
outages, inaccessible learning links, high-cost expensive internet connection)
1. Online learning difficulties 2. Overwhelming assignments
3. The emergence of negative emotions (irritable, angry, burnout, etc.)

1. Being patient
Coping strategy to deal with online 2. Praying
2.
learning difficulties 3. Seeking support

from underprivileged families. This certainly is very bur- Theme 2: Coping With Online Learning Difficulties
densome for us.” (online self-reported survey, 15 January For students, the best choice when they are in a crisis
2021). like this pandemic is to accept the reality with patience
and pray to reduce the negative emotions that arise in
Subtheme 1.2: Overwhelming Assignments undergoing online learning. Students try to strengthen
Almost all respondents said that the biggest difficulty in themselves to keep themselves resilient and excited to
learning online is the many assignments given by the lec- do learning activities at home. The efforts to overcome
turers. The implementation of the home study policy re- online learning difficulties appeared in three sub-themes,
sulted in most students feeling anxious and stressed due namely:
to the many assignments given by the lecturers.
“To be honest, I am more comfortable learning face- Subtheme 2.1: Being Patient
to-face than online, because studying online has many All respondents have the same response as an effort to
obstacles, including the many assignments the lecturers overcome learning difficulties online, namely being pa-
give to students, the deadlines for submitting assignments tient and praying a lot, with which respondents feel psy-
are too short, and sometimes I can’t understand the ma- chologically stronger in coping with difficulties during the
terials presented by the lecturers.” (online self-reported pandemic. Patience is manifested in behaviors such as
survey, 27 January 2021). controlling annoyance, holding back anger, accepting re-
The many assignments assigned to students force them ality, and thinking positively.
to work morning to evening completing all their online as- “Being patient is an effort to control anger and ir-
signments. Such a condition did not occur when teaching ritability, and relieve anxiety. If that irritation arises,
and learning activities were still carried out face-to-face then I make myself suggested by telling myself to be pa-
in classes. tient, because calamities will certainly pass.” (online self-
reported survey, 11 January 2021).
Subtheme 1.3: The Emergence of Negative Emotions
(irritable, angry, burnout, etc. Subtheme 2.2: Praying
Several obstacles in the implementation of online learning Almost all respondents stated that the spiritual way of
were raised by the respondents, including internal and praying to God can strengthen them and reduce stress
external constraints. Internal constraints include nega- in dealing with challenges they are facing during online
tive feelings and thoughts that come from within students learning. Praying provides them hopes and an effort they
while adapting to online lectures (such as anxiety, being can make every day, at any time, to deal with any physical
depressed, and stress), whereas external obstacles include and psychological problems they are experiencing.
poor internet connection due to living in a rural area, lack “It is not easy for us to study online, and we are re-
of facilities because not all students have laptops to follow quired to be able to adjust to the various obstacles of
online lectures and rely solely on their smartphones and studying online. When I have a problem and my heart is
quite expensive internet costs. restless, I will do a prayer and, afterward, pray to God to
“Some of the difficulties that I especially felt are the be given peace and ease in facing the difficulty” (online
poor internet connection, the many assignments from lec- self-reported survey, 21 January 2021).
turers, and the cost of the internet which is not cheap,
making me feel very depressed and difficult to concen- Subtheme 2.3: Seeking Support
trate on studying” (online self-reported survey, 6 January Most respondents stated that their parents have a signif-
2021). icant influence in helping them during the online learn-
“The things that make me stressed, because the many ing process. Parents do not only serve as substitutes for
tasks that have piled up and the deadlines for submitting teachers at home in guiding their children but also as
assignments make me stressed” (online self-reported sur- motivators who provide encouragement and support.
vey, 17 January 2021).
Gadjah Mada Journal of Psychology (GamaJoP) 19

“I am very grateful for the attention that my parents Covid-19 pandemic, some students were unable to adapt
give me, including when I have difficulty learning online. immediately. This research was conducted on students
My parents often give me advice to sincerely accept the who were at the stage of adolescence developmentally.
crisis we are currently undergoing. This encourages me For adolescents, environmental changes caused by this
to stay spirited.” (online self-reported survey, 24 January pandemic require them to immediately adapt, which seem-
2021) ingly can have negative impacts, including frustration and
“When I was stressed, I would tell my mother. My anxiety (Gittings et al., 2021), greater academic burdens
mother will listen intently, after which she will encourage (Almomani et al.,2021), and the lessening mental health
me. This is what makes me strong” (online self-reported conditions (Schmidt et al., 2021).
survey, 27 January 2021). There have been quite a lot of studies on the difficul-
ties students face during the COVID-19 pandemic. This
Discussion present research, apart from explaining the students’ chal-
Various problems arise when people around the world face lenges in responding to the various sources of stress, also
the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the pres- describes the coping strategies they use to minimize stress.
ence of various stressors, including in education, teachers Stress occurs when a person feels a depressed state due
and students alike are forced to adapt to online learning to their inability to cope with demands or the presence
conditions (Murphy, 2020); the reduced frequency of so- of stressors (Harrington, 2012). The complexity of the
cial interactions that can lead to psychological disorders problems that must be faced during a crisis may cause
(Xue et al., 2020); the loss of the learning process in the an individual prone to experiencing stress (Extremera,
classroom is likely to cause loss of human resources if it 2020). Stress management is closely related to coping
lasts for an extended period (Azorín, 2020). The complex- strategies, which aimed to protect oneself from a stress-
ity of the problems to deal with during this pandemic may ful condition to enable them to adapt to the presence of
cause individuals prone to experiencing stress (Gritsenko stressors (Rice, 1999). The current pandemic has to be
et al., 2020), as well as the emergence of additional neg- lived and addressed positively so that the stress does not
ative emotions, such as depression and insomnia (Pappa have a negative impact (distress) and becomes patholog-
et al., 2020); psychological stress and decreased mental ical and efforts to increase survival through the use of
health (Bao, 2020); post-traumatic stress symptoms (Yin some coping strategies are thus needed. Coping is the
et al., 2020); anxiety (Peteet, 2020); and reduced well- process by which people try to manage the real or per-
being (Hu & Huang, 2020). ceived discrepancy between the demands and resources
This present study aimed to explore students’ experi- they appraise in stressful situations (Sarafino & Smith,
ences about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, one 2014).
of which is the difficulty of learning online and how the Since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, for-
role of coping strategies in helping them minimize the mal learning that was previously carried out convention-
stress related to online learning difficulties during the ally at schools must be carried out at home. The adapt-
pandemic. The difficulties experienced by students based ability of students is the key to their success in the online
on the results of this study were influenced by two main learning process (Azhari & Fajri, 2021). The results of
factors, internal and external factors. Regarding exter- this present study showed that most respondents handled
nal factors, some difficulties have emerged, which have the difficulties they experienced during the ten months of
also been confirmed by previous research results. Diffi- online learning according to their coping abilities. The
culties that arise include the out-of-control technical dis- coping mechanism is influenced by some factors from in-
turbances such as poor internet connection especially for side and outside the students, which can be supporting
students who live in rural areas, far from cities (Kalloo or hindering them in finding effective ways to relieve the
et al., 2020); Internet costs are not cheap, especially for pressure they feel. The results of this study revealed that
students with below-average family economic conditions their internal coping strategies were patience and prayer,
(Huber & Helm, 2020); not all students can adapt quickly whereas their external coping strategy was seeking sup-
to using online learning links (such as zoom, google class- port from others.
room), considering that previously students were used to Patience is one of the key issues in ethics and is one of
learning face-to-face in class (Flores & Gago, 2020); the the moral concepts emphasized in Islamic ethics (Khor-
many assignments given by the lecturers present more maei et al., 2014) and that of other religions such as
burdens for them in undergoing online learning (Moor- Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism. Patience is an ac-
house, 2020). This online learning difficulty factor is also tive process that makes the individual not complain, have
supported by the demographics of the participants, who fortitude when confronting with difficult and sometimes
as a whole come from families whose parents work full impossible to change situations, and be stable in carrying
time (48.43%) with socioeconomic status at the middle out the activities (Hashemi et al., 2017). The meaning of
level, tending towards the lower level, namely 67.66%. patience here is the student’s effort to control themselves
Regarding internal factors, the emerging negative emo- during difficult and stressful conditions and is manifested
tions affect student motivation to take part in online in positive behaviors such as accepting the pandemic con-
learning. In the first months of the emergence of the ditions, controlling negative emotions, and trying to be
strong. This is confirmed by previous research that has
Gadjah Mada Journal of Psychology (GamaJoP) 20

proven the importance of patience as a coping strategy, sia adhere to their belief in God and this makes them
including giving strength in waiting (Hänsch, 2019), wait- strong and able to survive difficult situations (Sibarani,
ing while working to make something happen (Procupez, 2018). Therefore, amid online learning difficulties and un-
2015), endurance under in difficult circumstances and for- certain situations due to the pandemic, students still have
titude in the face of adversity (forbearance) (Khormaei et optimism and can get through difficulties by implement-
al., 2014), helps a person accept situations and conditions ing religious coping strategies, namely being patient and
wherever he is (Shokoofehfard, 2012), provides calm when praying, and seeking support from their parents by not
facing failure, adversity or suffering (Schnitker, 2012). hesitating to tell the problems they face to their parents.
Other positive benefits of patience are negatively related The Batak people have positive characteristics including
to aggression and hopelessness (Shokoofehfard, 2012), re- being straight to the point, being tough and hard workers,
duce depression and anxiety (Kalantari, 2011), and suici- being ambitious, loyal, helpful, and confident, and they
dal ideation (Haghjoo, 2013). love their families so much (Sitompul et al., 2020). This
Apart from being patient, the coping strategy which belief is assumed to be a buffer in dealing with distress,
comes from within the students is praying. Praying is presumably creating resilience (Putri et al., 2019).
a ritual act, composed of a cause or motive to pray (for A small proportion of respondents in this study also
instance, a problem), an act which constitutes the prayer involved students of Javanese ethnicity. The Javanese
proper, an orientation (towards God, for instance, to- also have the strength to face life’s difficulties. Javanese
wards a higher power, or one’s inner self) and the desired people uphold a strong belief in the concept of harmony
effect that correlates with the cause for prayer (such as and nrimo (acceptance). This belief is assumed to be a
the solution to a problem) (Bänziger et al., 2008). For stu- buffer in dealing with distress, presumably creating re-
dents, praying is a form of hope that there will be better silience (Putri et al., 2019). Indonesia is a country with
changes in overcoming online learning difficulties. Sev- a collectivism culture, which is a condition of commu-
eral studies have proven the importance of the benefits of nity members who have strong group ties and are bound
prayer, including as a coping strategy (ap Siôn & Nash, throughout their lives to take care of each other. People
2013), improving well-being (Grossoehme et al., 2011), with high levels of collectivism are usually indicated by
improving mental and physical health (Cardella & Fried- high attitudes and empathy towards other individuals in
lander, 2004), controlling anxiety (Bade & Cook, 1997), the same group and expect the group to show concern for
and promoting psychological recovery for those who are themselves (Hofstede et al., 2010).
experiencing illness (Ai et al., 2000). This can be seen from the theme that emerged in the
Coping that comes from outside the students is seek- research results, that Batak and Javanese students car-
ing support from parents. Indonesia is part of a col- ried out religious coping, namely being patient, praying,
lectivistic Eastern culture, where the prominent cultural and seeking support, as an effort to overcome difficulties
value in a collectivistic society is to emphasize interdepen- during online learning during the pandemic. This cop-
dence between individuals, give higher priority to family ing strategy shows the uniqueness of Indonesian society
bond, cooperation, solidarity, conformity, and harmony, which is religious and interprets God’s presence in every
commitment to parents and extended family, and the wel- difficult situation.
fare of others (HajYahia & Sadan, 2008; House et al.,
2004). Close relations and social connections are promi- Conclusions
nent features of collectivistic culture (Frías et al., 2013). The findings of this study prove that the various nega-
The close relationships and social connections with the tive impacts arising from the COVID-19 pandemic can
evidence that this student seeks support from his parents be minimized with coping strategies. The experience of
are evidence of a collectivistic Eastern culture which is stress and depression during this pandemic is subjective,
new to this research. meaning that when a student has good personal resources,
In this study, the student participants stated that par- such as the ability to control oneself and use appropriate
ents’ social support affects their ability to survive diffi- coping strategies as a self-protection factor, the stressors
cult situations. Parental support which includes informa- can immediately be circumvented so that they can re-
tional support in the form of giving advice, suggestion, main strong and capable to adapt and motivate yourself.
and direction as well as giving admonitions and emotional Bataknese and Javanese students have the coping strat-
support that enable them to remain resilient, reduce anx- egy through a religious approach by being patient and
iety, and caring. This is confirmed by several previous praying seems adaptive and enables them to calm them-
studies proving the importance of parental social support selves and reduce their anxiety, and getting support from
which plays a role in achieving children’s mental health the closest people makes them stronger both psychologi-
(Lo et al., 2019), reducing psychological disorders (ma- cally and physically.
jor depression, anxiety) (Gayman et al., 2010), helping
regulate emotions (Karaer & Akdemir, 2019), and com-
Recommendation
municating with each other helps understand the children
This research is the first step to explore coping mech-
(Curran et al., 2020).
anisms that students in Medan City used to minimise
The research respondents were dominated by students
stress related to online learning difficulties during the
from the Batak ethnic group. Batak people in Indone-
Gadjah Mada Journal of Psychology (GamaJoP) 21

COVID 19 pandemic. So the suggestion that can be Azhari, B., & Fajri, I. (2021). Distance learning during the COVID-
given for further research is to conduct survey research 19 pandemic: School closure in Indonesia. International
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Declaration Bao, W. (2020). COVID 19 and online teaching in higher education:
A case study of Peking University. Human Behavior and
Acknowledgment Emerging Technologies, 2(2), 113–115.
The author is grateful to the research participants and Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychol-
The Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training in UIN ogy. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Cardella, L. A., & Friedlander, M. L. (2004). The relationship be-
Medan, Indonesia, for their contributions and coopera-
tween religious coping and psychological distress in par-
tions to this study. ents of children with cancer. Journal of Psychosocial On-
cology, 22(1), 19–37.
Choudhury, S., & Pattnaik, S. (2020). Emerging themes in e-learning:
Funding
A review from the stakeholders’ perspective. Computers
The author received no direct funding for this research. & Education, 144(103657), 1–20.
Corbera, E., Anguelovski, I., Honey-Rosés, J., & Ruiz-Mallén, I.
(2020). Academia in the time of COVID-19: Towards an
Authors’s Contribution ethics of care. Planning Theory & Practice, 21(2), 191–
ND is the sole author of this manuscript, designing the 199.
research and study, conducting the research and collect- Curran, T., Seiter, J., Guan, M., & White, T. (2020). Associa-
tions between mother-child communication apprehension,
ing the data, analyzing the data and interpreting the re-
and young adult resilience, depressive symptoms, and self-
sults, Writing the manuscript, including the introduction, esteem. Psychological Reports, 124(3), 1093–1109.
methods, results, and discussion. Dinh, L. P., & Nguyen, T. T. (2020). Pandemic, social distancing,
and social work education: students’ satisfaction with on-
line education in Vietnam. Social Work Education, 39(8),
Conflict of Interest 1074–1083.
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the au- Extremera, N. (2020). Coping with the stress caused by the COVID-
thor. 19 pandemic: Future research agenda based on emotional
intelligence [Afrontando el estrés causado por la pandemia
COVID-19: Futura agenda de investigación desde la in-
Orcid ID teligencia emocional]. International Journal of Social Psy-
Nurussakinah Daulay https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6223- chology, 35(3), 631–638.
Fitriasari, A., Septianingrum, Y., Budury, S., & K, K. (2020). Stres
8546 pembelajaran online berhubungan dengan strategi kop-
Widia Fransiska https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5057-7675 ing mahasiswa selama pandemi covid-19. Jurnal Keper-
awatan, 12(4), 985–992.
Flores, M. A., & Gago, M. (2020). Teacher education in times of
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