IMPACT OF ACADEMIC STRESS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (STUDY OF ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ENUGU NIGERIA PDF

Preview

Summary

IMPACT OF ACADEMIC STRESS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (STUDY OF ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ENUGU NIGERIA) BY OGBOGU CHIBUZO EZEKIEL Email: [email protected] Mobile n0: +2347033689971, +2348095017958 Enugu State University of Science and Technology, E...

Description

Accelerat ing t he world's research.

IMPACT OF ACADEMIC STRESS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (STUDY OF ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY OF ... Ezekiel Ogbogu

Related papers

Download a PDF Pack of t he best relat ed papers 

A Mont hly Double-Blind Peer Reviewed Refereed Open Access Int ernat ional e-Journal -Includ… Publisher ijmra.us UGC Approved ACADEMIC ST RESS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF BEEd ST UDENT S OF T HE COLLEGE OF T EACHE… Grace Torga St ress Management among Regular and Execut ive MBA St udent s Maryam Moula Bakhsh

IMPACT OF ACADEMIC STRESS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (STUDY OF ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ENUGU NIGERIA) BY OGBOGU CHIBUZO EZEKIEL Email: [email protected] Mobile n0: +2347033689971, +2348095017958

Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu Nigeria. ABSTRACT: - This work is designed to examine the problem of academic stress among students, its causes, symptoms and ways of controlling it to enhance students’ performance. One of the objectives of this study is to determine the relationship between academic stress and students’ performance. To achieve this objective, the researcher tested 3 research questions and the literature review was mainly focused on the causes and effects of academic stress. The instrument o data collection was questionnaire while cluster sampling was adopted for the study. Data collected and analyzed where driven from the 3 research questions posed. A sample size of 288 from a population of over nineteen thousand was used. From the findings, it was discovered that academic stress could be controlled to enhance students’ performance. 2 hypotheses were tested using the chi-square statistic. The Researcher discovered that proper time management and creating time for exercise will help reduce effects of academic stress.

Keywords: Stress, Academic Stress, Academic Performance.

I.

INTRODUCTION Academic performance is one of the most vital considerations among students

in higher educational level. The academic performance can be illustrated by grade point average (G.P.A). Despite living in the millennium era where education is accessible to all, there are still some differences in performance among students (Meyer, 1959). Several studies identified internal and external factors associated with academic performances. Academic Stress is one of the factors that have effects on the mastery of academic curriculum. Stress is the body’s nonspecific response mechanisms towards demands or strains made on it (Meyer, 1959). It is a process by which we perceive and cope with environmental threats and challenges. Academic stress is a common phenomenon faced by university students. Academic stress is often seen in the daily activities of students. A student can be stressed due to different reason or stressors such as; lecture over-load, heavy workload, difficulty understanding contents, financial problem, relationship with lectures and fellow students, among other social, environmental, and cultural factors (Wikipedia, 2009). Academic stress can inhibit and suppress learning which is called “un-favorable stress” and it is associated with inhibition of students’ academic performance (Linn and Zeppa, 1984). It is a common problem facing students and their perception and the way they handle it may reflect on their academic performance (Salami, 2001). A total of 78% of Nigerian students’ experience various degrees of academic stress, these stressors can be categorized under social, cultural and environmental factors. Students report experiencing academic stress at predictable times each semester with the greatest sources of academic stress resulting from taking and studying for exams, grade competition, and the large amount of content to master in

a small amount of time Abouserie (1994). The school environment on its part also piles up pressure on the students. The pressure to perform well in the examination or test and time allocated makes academic environment very stressful (Erkutlu & Chafra, 2006). In addition to that, the volume of people within the academic environment also contributes to stress among students. Research holds that; a certain percentage of students find it difficult to thrive in an over-crowded environment (Baker, 2001).

The hustling and buzzing in college can be challenging to some

students. The environment possesses challenges such as course-over load, academic pressure, limited opportunities, high competitiveness all of which are sources of stress that create fear, tension an anxiety in some student (Sinha, Sharma, and Nepal, 2001). Relationship with friends and significant others can also be stressful. Students’ relationship with lecturers can also be a source of stress where there is a strain in this relationship. For example; A lecturer who yells at his students is secretly disliked hence students try as much as possible to avoid his classes (Elizabeth Scott, 2010). Also a strain in the relationship with co-students can also be a source of stress (Scott, 2010). Wishy-washy friends who are supportive one minute and negative and insulting the next adds unnecessary stress and according to Scott (2010), can be stressful for some students. Furthermore, many students experience stress related to finance. This involves the struggle to find sufficient money to pay for tuition as well as securing the funds needed to cover the cost of living while attending school. Up to 36% of Nigerian students are engaged in either part time or full time jobs. This makes them miss classes and tests and generate a great amount of stress as they try to combine school with work. Even those students who are able to qualify for sufficient financial aid to cover immediate college costs have to face paying back a large sum of money

following graduation. The tension associated with students’ loans can be a sources of stress while they are still in college (Scott, 2010) Conclusively, students in high ratios report that they are being faced with Academic related stress (Shafer, 1996). About (33%) of student world over indicate being stressed throughout the academic year (Shafer, 1996). This has a very bad and negative effect on their performance due to the symptoms and problems associated with academic stress such as: difficulty concentrating, low performance, increased absenteeism, alcoholism, drug abuse, hypertension and host of cardiovascular problems. Academic stress poses a great deal of challenges to the society as it hinders the students from acquiring complete intellectual knowledge which is needed to champion development and growth in the society, hence academic stress is a problem to both the students and the society. Based on the foregoing this study wants to examine academic stress among university students in view of recommending measure with which to reduce the problem.

II.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1.

To identify symptoms of Academic stress in students

2.

To identify the extent to which Academic performance is related to academic stress.

3.

To ascertain how academic stress can be controlled to enhance students’ performance.

III.

METHODOLOGY

A cross-sectional research design was adopted for this study. The study covers academic stress and students’ academic performance with a view of determining the causes, symptoms, effects and elimination of academic stress in Nigerian institutions. It is limited to undergraduate students of ESUT. The population of ESUT students as at the time of this study is estimated to be Nineteen thousand, six hundred and fifty-five (19,655). The sample of this study is 288(two hundred and eighty-eight) respondents. The sample was drawn from the Nine faculties of ESUT and this will evenly represent the population of the study. A researcher designed closed-ended structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from the respondents. Data was collected and analyzed with the aid of software (SPSS: statistical package for social sciences). Chi square was employed to test the significant level of the hypotheses.

IV. S/n 1

2

3

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS Table 1: Demographic distribution of the respondents Variables Responses Frequency Distribution of the Less than 20yrs 60 respondents by age

Distribution of the respondents by sex

Distribution of the respondents by faculty

Percent 20.8

20 – 25

158

54.9

25 – 30 31 – 39 Total Male

60 10 288 130

20.8 3.5 100 45.1

Female Total

158 288

54.9 100

Agriculture

32

11.1

Social Science

32

11.1

4

5

6

7

Distribution of the respondents by level of study

Distribution of the respondents by marital Status

Distribution of the respondents by educational qualification

Distribution of the respondents by religious affiliation

Engineering Law Education Medicine

32 32 32 32

11.1 11.1 11.1 11.1

Management

32

11.1

Applied Natural Science Environmental Total

32

11.1

32 288

11.1 100

100 level

71

24.7

200 level 300 level 400 level 500 level Total

50 85 61 21 288

17.4 29.5 21.2 7.2 100

Single

248

86.1

Married Total

40 288

13.9 100

WAEC/NECO/GEC

229

79.5

BSC/HND Total

59 288

20.5 100

Christianity

288

100

Total

288

100

Table 1 vividly showed that majority of the respondents fell into the age group (20-25 years) as a total of 158 respondents representing 54.9% fell into this age category while only 10 (3.5%) fell under 30-39 years. The table above also shows that half of the respondents were females (54.9%) while males constituted 45.1%. This indicates that slightly more females participated in the research than the male respondents. The respondents fell roughly into the nine faculties of ESUT with Agriculture Faculty recording 32 respondents (11.1%), Social Science faculty recorded 32 respondents (11.1%), Engineering also recorded 32 respondents (11.1%), Law faculty had 32

respondents (11.1%), Education faculty had 32 respondents (11.1%), Medicine also had 32 respondents (11.1%), Management faculty also recorded 32 (11.1), Faculty of Applied Natural Science 32 (11.1%) and Environmental 32 (11.1%) of the total respondents. Majority of the respondents were in 300 level while few respondents 21(7.2%) were in 500 level. For the respondents’ marital status overwhelming majority 86.1% percent of them were single. It was also observed that most respondents (79.5%) had WAEC/NECO/GCE as their highest education qualification and (20.5%) percent already had BSC/HND. This implies that the respondents were knowledgeable enough to provide the necessary data for the accomplishment of this study. Finally, all the respondents were Christians; this could be justified based on the fact that the university is located in South East Nigeria where Christianity is the dominant religion.

VI. 1.

ANALYSIS TO IDENTIFY SYMPTOMS OF ACADEMIC STRESS IN STUDENTS

Table 2: Distribution of Respondents by Having Experienced any Form of Academic Stress Responses Frequency Percentage YES 288 100.0 Total 288 100.0 The table above shows that all the respondents reported to have experienced one form of Academic Stress or the other. This is an indication that students tend to experience stressed in school. This is in line with the claim of Abouserie, (1994) that students report to have experienced academic stress at predictable times each semester with the greatest sources of stress resulting from taking and studying for exams, grade competition, and the large amount of content to master in a small amount of time. Table 3: Distribution of respondents by symptoms of stress experienced Responses Frequency Percentage Tiredness 158 54.9 Headache 80 27.8 Depression 50 17.3 Total 288 100.0 From table 3, it is seen that majority of the students (54.9%) experience tiredness whenever they experience academic stress, hence it has been generally observed that tiredness is one of the symptoms of academic stress students usually experience in the university.

Table 4: Distribution of respondents by feeling after experiencing the stress Responses I felt nervous I lost confidence Increased worrying Total

Frequency 39 168 81 288

Percentage 13.5 58.3 28.2 100.0

From table 4, It is seen that majority of the students (58.3%) lose confidence when they are subjected to any form of academic stress. Therefore, students who experience academic stress are more likely to lack confidence than students who are not.

Table 5: Distribution of respondents by which of the following happened as a result of the stress Responses Frequency Percentage I became more prone to 218 75.7 error I lost appetite 20 6.9 I lost interest in leisure 50 17.4 activities Total 288 100.0 From the table above, it is witnessed that majority of the students (75.7%) became more error prone while only 6.9% of them experience loss of appetite. This is in line with the claim of (Malach-Pines and Keinan, 2007; Ongori, 2007; Ongori and Agolla, 2008; Agolla, 2009) that students who experience academic stress are error prone. Thus, being error prone may be associated as a symptom of academic stress.

2.

TO IDENTIFY THE EXTENT TO WHICH ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IS RELATED TO ACADEMIC STRESS. Table 6: Distribution of respondents by academic stress affecting academic performance Responses

Frequency

Percentage

Yes

268

93.1

No

20

6.9

Total

288

100.0

From table 6, majority of the respondents (93.1%) affirmed that academic stress affect their

Academic Performance negatively while only 6.9% disagreed. This finding is in line with existing reports in literature. According to Linn and Zeppa (1984) academic Stress is associated with inhibition of students’ academic Performance.

Table 7: Distribution of Respondents by How Academic Stress is Affecting Academic Performance Variables SA A D SD Total 40 0 Reduces my work 50(17.4%) 198 288 (68.8%) (13.8%) rate (100%) 70 0 Reduce my ability to 30(10.4%) 188 288 (65.3%) (24.3%) learn in class (100%) 99 (34.4%) 139 0 Reduces my ability 50 288 (48.3%) to read and (17.4%) (100%) understand 148 60 20 Lack of 60 288 (51.4%) (20.8%) (6.9%) (100%) concentration in (20.8%) class 60 (20.8%) 190 0 Reduces my ability 38 288 (66.0%) to complete and (13.2%) (100%) hand in my assignments in time 101 187 0 Lead to failure in 0 288 (35.1%) (64.9%) exam and quiz (100%) 30 62 (21.5%) 156 40 Increases 288 (54.2%) (13.9%) (100%) absenteeism in (10.4%) school From table 7, the responses on how academic stress affects academic performance, it showed that majority 68.8% of the respondents agreed that academic stress resulted in reduced work rate, while 65.3% agreed that it reduced their ability to learn in class and lack of concentration in class. The result of the Likert scale is in agreement with the claim of Linn and Zeppa (1984): that stress suppresses and inhibits learning.

3. TO ASCERTAIN HOW ACADEMIC STRESS CAN CONTROLLED TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE.

BE

Table 8: Distribution of respondents by how academic stress can be controlled to enhance your academic performance Responses Frequency Percentage YES 278 96.5 NO 10 3.5 Total 288 100.0

From table 8, it is seen that (96.5%) of the respondents believe that Academic Stress can be controlled to enhance performance. This is in agreement with Kaplan and Sadock (2000) who claimed that Academic stress can be positive to enhance learning ability.

Table 9: Distribution of Respondents by How to Control Academic Stress and Enhance Academic Performance Variables SA A D SD Total 0 Fixing time daily for 70(24.3%) 208 (72.2%) 10 288 (100%) (3.5%) exercise 0 Starting academic tasks 59(20.5%) 219 (76.0%) 10 288 (100%) (3.5%) from simple to complex 238 (82.6%) 10 0 Avoiding reading only 40 288 (100%) (3.5%) when exams comes close (13.9%) 234 (86.1%) 0 0 Doing assignments as at 40 288 (100%) when due to avoid (13.9%) clashing From table 9, it could be seen that the respondents believe that by fixing time daily for exercise, starting academic tasks from simple to complex, doing assignments as at when due to avoid clashing can be an effective strategy in controlling academic stress to enhance students’ academic performance.

TEST OF HYPOTHESES Hypothesis 1: There is a significant relationship between gender and Symptom of Academic stress experienced among ESUT students. Table 10: what is your sex and have you experienced symptoms of academic stress Cross tabulation Which of the following symptoms did you experience What is your sex Tiredness headache Depression Total Male 70 43 20 133 Female 90 40 30 160 160 83 50 293 Total Chi-square test: Cal Value = 2.139, Tab Value =5.991 DF= 2 and Level of Sign = .05, P = .343 The computed value of chi-square (X2) is 2.139 while the table value of chi-square (X2)

at 0.05 level of significance with a degree of freedom (df) of 2 is 5.991. Since the computed chi-square (X2) value is less than the critical value, the researcher therefore rejected the alternative hypothesis (H1). Thus there is no significant relationship between gender and symptoms of academic stress experienced among ESUT students.

Hypothesis 2: There is a significant relationship between age and Outcome of Academic stress experienced among ESUT students. Table 11: How old are you * Which of the following happened as a result of the stress Cross tabulation Which of the following happened as a result of the stress How old are you I became I lost interest more prone in leisure to error I lost appetite activities Total Less than 20 40 0 20 60 years 21 - 25 years 140 3 20 158 26 - 30 years 30 20 10 60 31 - 39years 10 0 0 10 Total 220 23 50 288

Chi-square test: Cal Value = 84.800, Tab Value = 12.592 DF= 6 and Level of Sign = .05, P = .000 The computed value of chi-square (X2) is 84.800 while the table value of chi-square (X2) at 0.05 level of significance with a degree of freedom (df) of 6 is 12.592. Since the computed chi-square (X2) value is greater than the critical value, the researcher therefore accepted the alternative hypothesis (H1). Thus, there is a significant relationship between age and Outcome of Academic stress experienced among ESUT students.

VII.

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS The purpose of this study was to discover the relationship between academic

stress and students’ academic performance. The study found that all the respondents have experienced one form of Academic Stress or the other. This is shows that academic stress is a common phenomenon among university students and we observe that it affects students’ academic performance. In the second findings, the study found that headache, tiredness and loss of confidence were the prevalent symptoms of academic stress amongst students in Esut Nigeria. More so, this study examined the relationship between academic stress and academic performance. It found that overwhelming majority of the students affirmed that academic stress affected their academic performance. The findings are in agreement with Linn and Zeppa (1...