Academic Stress in Relation to Resilience among College Students

Academic stress permeates the life of students and tends to impact adversely on their mental and physical health. To perform well in academics, adolescent students face an enormous amount of pressure from their families and colleges. The thing that can release the pressure and foster easily within the college environment is resilience. It is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress. The present study examined academic stress in relation to resilience among under graduate college students and to investigate the relationship between academic stress and resilience as well as gender differences if any. A total of 120 under graduate college students were selected randomly from costal region of Odisha. Student Academic Stress Scale (SASS) originally developed and standardized by Kim (1970) and adopted to Indian conditions by Rajendran & Kaliappan (1990) and Rao (2012) and Resilience Assessment Scale (RAS) developed and standardized by Kukreja (2014) were used for the collection of the data. The data were analysed using both descriptive and parametric statistics. It was found that 70.00% and 15.83% of students were having an average and high level of academic stress respectively and 72.50% and 11.67% students were having an average and high level of resilience respectively. Results indicated that a negative and significant relationship was found between academic stress and resilience among under graduate college students. Further, though the result revealed a significant difference in academic stress, but there is no significant difference was found in case of resilience with respect to gender.

Academic Stress, Resilience

1. Ajayi, I. A. (1999). Analysis of teachers’ job performance and secondary school students’ academic achievement and their relationship. African Journal of Educational Research, 5 (2), 85-90. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Akinboye, J. O. (1980). A study of self-concept study behaviour and health attributes of male and female Nigerian adolescents. Journal of African Child Studies, 1 (2), 21-27. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Aremu, A. O. (2000). Academic Performance 5-factor Inventory. Stirling-Horden Publishers. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Banerjee, R., Dasgupta, A., Burman, J., Paul, B., Bandyopadhyay, L., & Suman, S. (2018). Resilience level among adolescent children: a school-based study in Kolkata, India. International Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics, 5(4), 1641-1645. http://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2349-3291.ijcp20182581 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Carver, C. S. (1998). Resilience and thriving: Issues, models, and linkages. Journal of Social Issues, 54, 245-266. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1111/0022-4537.641998064 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Dhull, I., & Kumari, S. (2015). Academic stress among adolescents in relation to gender. International Journal of Applied Research, 1(11), 394-396. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Erdogana, E., Ozdoganb, O., & Erdoganc, M. (2015). University students’ resilience level: The effect of gender and faculty. Procedia - Social and Behavioural Sciences, 186, 1262 – 1267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.047 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Fasanmi, P. O. (1986). The falling standard of education: A reconsideration realities and challenges of the Nigerian education system. The Education Studies Association of Nigeria, 1, 103-105. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Feld, L. D. (2011). Student stress in high-pressure college preparatory schools [Bachelor of Arts (Honors) thesis, Wesleyan University]. digitalcollections@wesleyan. https://doi.org/10.14418/wes01.1.685 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Jackson, D., Firtko, A., & Edenborough, M. (2007). Personal resilience as a strategy for surviving and thriving in the face of workplace adversity: a literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing 60(1), 1–9. https://doi.10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04412.x [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Kagu, B. (2000). The effect of group counselling on study habit patterns of adult learners. The Counsellor, 18 (10), 148-155. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Kaushal, Y., Koreti, S., & Gaur, A. (2018). Educational stress and coping strategies in school going adolescents. International Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics, 5(4), 1452-1456. http://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2349-3291.ijcp20182545 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Kim, D. H., & Yoo, I. Y. (2010). Factors associated with resilience of school age children with cancer. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 46(7–8), 431–436. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440- 1754.2010.01749.x [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Kukreja, N. (2014). Resilience, self-efficacy, study skill and academic achievement of children with disabilities in relation to perceived parenting styles [Unpublished doctoral thesis]. Department of Education, Kurukshetra University. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Kyuper, N. (2014). The influence of schooling on the resilient behaviour and academic performance of poverty-stricken adolescents in Gauteng schools [Unpublished master’s thesis]. University of South Africa. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Latif, S., & Amirullah, M. (2020). Students’ academic resilience profiles based on gender and cohort. Jurnal Kajian Bimbingan dan Konseling, 5(4), 175-182. https://doi.org/10.17977/um001v5i42020p175 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Lees, N. F. (2009). The ability to bounce back: The relationship between resilience, coping, and positive outcomes [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Massey University. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Mathur, R., & Sharma, R. (2015). Academic stress in relation with optimism and resilience. International Research Journal of Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Studies, 1(7), 129-134. http://oaji.net/articles/2015/1707-1442037738.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Marhamah, F., & Hamzah, H. B. (2016). The relationship between social support and academic stress among first year students at Syiah Kuala University. Psikoislamedia 1(1), 149-171. http://doi.org/10.22373/psikoislamedia.v1i1.1487 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Martin, A. J., & Marsh, H. W. (2006). Academic resilience and its psychological and educational correlates: A construct validity approach. Psychology in the Schools, 43(3), 267–281. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20149 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Nourian, M., Shahboulaghi, F. M., Tabrizi, K. N., Rassouli, M., & Biglarrian, A. (2016). Resilience and its contributing factors in adolescents in long-term residential care facilities affiliated to Tehran welfare organization. International Journal Community Based Nursing Midwifery, 4(4), 386-96. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5045982/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Pathrose, A. P., & Ramaa, S. (2020). Relation of academic stress on academic achievement of visually impaired students. The International Journal of Indian Psychology, 8(2), 1004-1009. https://ijip.in/wp- content/uploads/2020/06/18.01.119.20200802.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Prabu, S. P. (2015). Academic stress among higher secondary students. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention, 4(10), 63-68. http://www.ijhssi.org/papers/v4(10)/Version- 2/I04102063068.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. 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(2), 193- 196. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Rangaswamy, K. (1995). Editorial: Academic stress and mental health. Indian Journal of Psychology, 22, 1- 20. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Rao, R. B. (2012). A study of academic stress and adjustment styles of teacher trainees [Doctoral dissertation, Acharya Nagarjuna University]. Shodhganga@INFLIBNET. http://hdl.handle.net/10603/126852 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Ratioran, S., & Phlainoi, S. (2014). Promoting resilience in school children in urban slums. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 1(1), 73-82. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Rutter, M. (1990). Psychosocial resilience and protective mechanisms. In J. Rolf, A. Masten, D. Cicchetti, K. Neuchterlein & S. Weintraub (Eds.), Risk and protective factors in the development of psychopathology (pp. 181-214). Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Salami, S. O. (2002). Effects of age, gender, and ecological background on the study behaviour patterns of adolescents in Nigerian schools. African Journal of Educational Planning and Policy Studies, 3 (1), 83-94. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Sinha, U. K. (2000). Academic stress and its management, In. S. Gupta (Ed.), Proceedings of the orientation course in clinical psychology. AllMS. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Steinhardt, M., & Dolbier, C. (2008). Evaluation of resilience intervention to enhance coping strategies and protective factors and decreased symptomatology. Journal of American College Health, 56(4), 445-453. https://doi.org/10.3200/jach.56.44.445-454 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Tugade, M. M., Fredrickson, B. L., & Barrett, L. F. (2004). Psychological resilience and positive emotional granularity: Examining the benefits of positive emotions on coping and health. Journal of Personality, 72(6), 1161-1190. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Wilks, S. E. (2008). Resilience amid academic stress: The moderating impact of social support among social work students. Advances in Social Work, 9(2), 106-125.https://advancesinsocialwork.iupui.edu/index.php/advancesinsocialwork/article/download/51/195/733 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• A Comparative Study of Adjustment Level, Parental Income and Academic Achievement of Adolescent Girls
• Increase in STIs among Adolescents in Masvingo District
• A Correlation between SDG 4 (Quality Education) and Emotional Disposition of Teacher Educators in Hyderabad District
• Ear Piercing Behaviour and Self-Esteem among Male University Students in Nigeria
• A Study of Religiosity and Psychological Well-Being