EDU 3024

PEMBELAJARAN DAN PERKEMBANGAN

PELAJAR

TAJUK :

ULASAN JURNAL

KUMPULAN KULIAH : D

PENSYARAH : ABDUL AZIZ BIN ABDUL SHUKOR

DISEDIAKAN OLEH :

NAMA : SITI ZUBAIDAH BT IBRAHIM

NO MATRIK : D20091035632

SEMESTAR : TIGA

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Isi kandungan

Bil Isi kandungan Muka

surat

1.0 Pendahuluan 1

2.0 Ulasan jurnal 2-6

3.0 Penutup 6

Biblografi 7-8

Lampiran

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1.0 Pendahuluan

Masalah stress merupakan satu masalah kormesial yang menggangu setiap pelajar di
institusi pengajian tinggi. Masalah stress ini terlalu sukar untuk ditanggani akan tetapi gangguan
stress ini boleh dielakkan melalui dua cara iaitu melalui cara reaktif dan proaktif. Isi kandungan
jurnal ini akan membincangkan cara menanggani masalah stress melaui cara proaktif yang lebih
berkesan berbanding dengan cara reaktif. Pelajar institusi pengajian tinggi banyak mengalami
stress dari segi kognatif, emosi dan psikologi yang akan menggugat prestasi pembelajaran
mereka.

Pelbagai takrifan yang dibuat mengenai stress. Antaranya ialah D’Aurora dan Firman
(1998), memberi takrifan stress sebagai ketegangan emosi yang akan meningkat daripada
peristiwa yang lalu dan merasakan peristiwa itu sebagai satu ancaman kepada kehidupan mereka.
Manakala menurut Roney dan Cooper (1997), menyatakan bahawa stress sebagai reaksi pesakit
yang mengalami masalah tekanan yang tinggi dan mereka bimbang jika mereka tidak mampu
untuk mengatasi tekanan tersebut. Murdock dan Scott (1993), menyatakan stress merupakan
satu reaksi ketidakseimbangan antara permintaan dan kemampuan untuk menanggani stress.
Secara keseluruhanya, stress merupakan satu reaksi masalah yang berlaku ekoran daripada
pelbagai masalah yang timbul dan menyukarkan untuk mereka mengatasinya.

Setiap peristiwa yang berkaitan dengan stress seharusnya kita lebih peka bagi
membolehkan sebarang tindakan yang diambil tidak akan menjejaskan pesakit. Oleh sebab itu,
seseorang mampu untuk belajar menangani stress secara proaktif. Setiap peristiwa yang berlaku
seharusnya boleh dijadikan sebagai panduan menanggani stress agar masalah stress ini tidak lagi
berulang. Masyarakat di sekitar pelajar yang menghadapi masalah ini juga seharusnya lebih
peka akan perubahan yang berlaku pada setiap individu di sekeliling mereka agar tidak
menghadapi masalah stress yang keterlaluan. Individu yang mengalami masalah stress ini akan
mengunakan pendekatan reaktif bagi mengatasi masalah ini akan tetapi mereka mengunakan
kedua-dua pendekatan iaitu pendekatan reaktif dan juga pendekatan proaktif dalam menanggani
masalah stress.

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2.0 Ulasan Jurnal

Stres :- Jenis dan Klasifikasi

Stress mempunyai dua kategori iaitu stress yang bersifat sebagai pembina dan stress yang
bersifat negatif. Davidson (1999), telah menyifatkan stress sebagai satu stimulasi dan cabaran
yang penting dalam pembangunan, pertumbuhan dan perubahan. Tanpa menghadapi masalah
stress manusia akan lalai dengan setiap kemewahan yang mereka perolehi. Oleh sebab itu,
mereka akan alpa dan tidak akan berusaha uantuk mendapat satu titik kehidupan yang lebih baik.
Strees yang bersifat sebagai pembina ini sangat penting dalam kehidupan manusia dan
seharusnya setiap pelajar IPT memerlukan stress yang bersifat sebagai pembina untuk mendapat
kejayaan dalam pembelajran dan kehidupan mereka. Makala stress yang bersifat negatif pula
akan menyebabkan seseorang itu manjadi cepat marah, gelisah, merendahkan semangat
seseorang dan seterusnya akan menyebabkan kehidupan mereka menjadi singkat. Hal ini akan
merugikan mahasiwa tersebut kerana mereka akan hilang fokus dalam pembelajaran seterusnya
akan menyebabkan kehidupan mereka menjadi tidak terurus dan pembelajaran mereka juga akan
merosot.

Menurut Charles (2000), stress mengandungi empat jenis iaitu:-

1. Stress yang disebabkan oleh pemikiran mengenai masa depan.

2. Stress yang hadir pada masa berkenaan yang memerlukan jalan penyelesaian yang
cepat.
3. Stress yang berterusan dari semasa ke semasa.
4. Stress daripada pengalaman yang lalu.

Menurut pengelasan yang telah dibuat oleh Charles (2000), beliau telah mengelaskan
bahawa stress mempunyai empat peringkat dalam kehidupan manusia. Permulaan stress adalah
daripada pengalaman masa lalu yang memerlukan seseorang itu menjadi lebih prihatin agar
mereka tidak akan mengalami masalah stress yang sama pada masa akan datang. Pengakhiran
stress adalah mengenai pemikiran mengenai masa depan mereka yang menyebabkan terjadinya
masalah stress kerana mereka tidak mahu kegagalan dalam kehidupan pada masa akan datang.

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Kajian mengenai stress

Masalah stress dalam kalangan mahasiwa berpunca daripada pengurusan masa yang tidak
berkesan. Menurut kajian daripada Samsiah Jayos (2005) antara 155 pelajar matrikulasi
dijumpai mendapati bahawa 91% daripada bilangan pelajar mendapati bahawa tidak memiliki
masa yang cukup untuk menyelesaikan tugas yang diberikan. Selain daripada itu juga, kajian
juga mendapati bahawa terlalu banyak tugasan dan mata pelajaran yang diambil akan
menyebabkan stress yang tinggi. Disamping itu juga, punca stress ini berlaku kerana mereka
banyak memikirkan mengenai peperiksaan yang bakal mereka hadapi. Perubahan gaya hidup
juga boleh menyebabkan berlakunya stress kerana kebanyakan pelajar yang datang dari
pendalaman tidak biasa dengan kehidupan di bandar dan akan menyebabkan stress kerana
mereka perlu menyesuaikan diri dengan perubahan persekitaran yang berlaku.

Bagi menanggani masalah stress ini pelbagai langkah proaktif perlu diambil agar masalah
stress ini tidak akan menggangu pembelajaran mereka. Oleh sebab itu, semua pihak seharusnya
lebih peka akan masalah ini dan cuba membantu golongan yang mengalami masalah stress.

Langkah mengatasi stress

Terdapat dua kaedah yang digunakan untuk mengatasi masalah stress iaitu kaedah reaktif
dan kaedah proaktif. Kaedah reaktif kurang berkesan berbanding dengan kaedah proaktif tetapi
masih ramai pelajar yang menggunakan kaedah reaktif. Kaedah reaktif akan menyebabkan
pelajar akan mengalami kegopohan dalam menyelesaikan masalah tanpa memikirkan masalah
tersebut secara mendalam dan matang. Sekiranya emosi seseorang tidak stabil, tindak balas akan
menjadikan keadaan atau sesuatu itu tidak stabil. Kalau emosinya resah dan kacau jalan
berfikirnya penuh dengan kekacauan. Faktanya mungkin tidak lengkap. Analisisnya tidak tepat
dan kesimpulan yang diambil juga tidak membayangkan adanya pemikiran yang mendalam
terhadap sesuatu isu atau perkara. Oleh sebab itu, langkah mengatasi stress secara reaktif kurang
berkesan.

Kaedah yang kedua untuk mengatasi stress ialah melalui kaedah proaktif. Kaedah ini
dikata lebih berkesan berbanding dengan kaedah reaktif. Orang yang berjaya ialah mereka yang

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melihat masalah melalui perspektif yang betul dengan sikap yang betul. Dengan cara demikian
ujian bertukar menjadi cabaran, masalah bertukar menjadi peluang, tekanan menjadi rangsangan.
Tekanan mempunyai kebaikannya. Sebagai contoh, peperiksaan menyebabkan tekanan, namun
ia menyebabkan seseorang membuat persiapan yang rapi untuk menghadapinya. Tekanan yang
berbahaya ialah yang tidak dapat dikawal sehingga membuat seseorang mengalami kesugulan,
putus harapan, keinginan untuk membunuh diri dan seumpamanya. Tekanan yang seperti ini
dikenali sebagai tekanan yang memudaratkan. Tekanan yang baik kerana melahirkan
rangsangan dan tindakan yang positif dikenali sebagai eustress. Oleh sebab itu, pelajar yang
mengalami masalah stress ini perlu berfikir secara matang dan menjadikan setiap tekanan itu
sebagai cabaran untuk mencapai kejayaan.

Adakah mahasiswa/siswi kita proaktif?

Mahasiswa/siswi di pengajian tinggi dikatakan mempunyai sikap yang proaktif kerana

mereka bersedia menghadapi cabaran dalam kehidupan mereka. Mereka akan melakukan
pengubahsuaaian bagi menyesuaikan diri dengan persekitran mereka. Selain daripada itu juga,
mereka mempunyai semangat yang tinggi untuk berjaya dan bertanggungjawab dalam
menentukan kejayaan dan kegagalan hidup mereka. Oleh sebab itu pelajar di institusi pengajian
tinggi dikatakan proaktif dan hanya terdapat segelintir pelajar yang tidak dapat mengatasi
masalah stress.

Jenis-jenis proaktif

Proaktif menghadapi kemahiran meliputi perancangan, penetapan tujuan,

pengorganisasian, dan stimulasi mental (Aspinwall & Taylor, 1997). Kemahiran perancangan
membolehkan para pelajar untuk mencapai segala tujuan yang dirancangkan dengan
menggunakan strategi yang berkesan. Manakala penetapan perancangan pula akan
membolehkan para pelajar mengenali apakah tujuan utama mereka dan seharusnya apa yang
mereka perlu lakukan untuk mencapai segala tujuan yang telah ditetapkan. Kemahiran
pengorganisasian pula merujuk kepada cara bagaimana pelajar berkenaan mengendalikan segala

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perkara yang berkaitan dengan kehidupan mereka agar mencapai segala perancangan dan tujuan
yang mereka inginkan. Manakala stimulasi mental pula merujuk kepada keteguhan mental
pelajar dalam menjalani dan mengkoordinasikan segala kemahiran yang mereka ada.

Menurut Greenglass, Schwarzer, Jakubiec et al. (1999), terdapat tujuh jenis skala proaktif
bagi mengatasi perilaku dan persediaan mereka dan dinamakan sebagai Proaktif Mengatasi
Inventory (PCI). Antaranya ialah skala mengatasi proaktif, skala mengatasi reflectif , stategi
perancangan, jenis pencegahan, sokongan instrumental, sokongan emosional dan jenis
penghindaran. Perilaku proaktif ini perlu diajarkan oleh para kaunselor 
dalam institusi pendidikan tinggi untuk melengkapkan teknik pengurusan stress yang biasa. 
Kombinasi proaktif mengatasi sebelum dan reaktif mengatasi konstruktif selepas  terjadinya
stress adalah strategi pengurusan stres terbaik. 

Bagaimana pihak lain mampu menolong

Pelbagai pihak mampu menolong para pelajar yang menghadapi masalah stress ini
melalui pelbagai cara antaranya ialah melalui sokongan sosial yang diberikan kepada pelajar
yang menghadapi stress. Keluarga sememangya memainkan peranan penting dalam memberi
sokongan sosial kepada anak-anak mereka. Pelbagai tekanan yang dihadapi mampu diatasi
sekiranya keluarga memainkan peranan yang sempurna dalam memberi sokongan sosial seperti
memberi motivasi, nasihat yang membina dan cuba memahami masalah anak-anak sebelum
mengambil sebarang tindakan. Sokongan sosial juga diperlukan daripada kawan-kawan,
pensyarah dan masyarakat setempat.

Dorongan dan motivasi seharusnya diberikan kepada pelajar yang menghadapi masalah
stress. Mereka memerlukan semangat yang membina daripada rakan-rakan di sekeliling mereka.
Sebarang luahan perasaan yang mereka perkatakan seharusnya diberikan perhatian dan
menasihati mereka dengan cara yang berhemah agar perasaan mereka tidak tersentuh dan
menambahkan lagi masalah sterss yang mereka hadapi. Sekiranya mereka diberikan dorongan
yang membina segala risiko dan masalah yang mereka hadapi boleh diselesaikan dan perkara ini
tidak akan menggangu pembelajaran mereka. Di samping itu juga, berkongsi masalah dengan
orang yang mereka percayai juga mampu mengurangkan masalah tekanan yang mereka hadapi.

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Rakan-rakan mereka yang terdekat sangat memainkan peranan yang penting bagi mengurangkan
stress yang dihadapi.

Ida Hartina (2003), mengatakan bahawa pihak lain mampu mengurangkan bebanan stress
yang dihadapi oleh pelajar melalui beberapa cara antaranya ialah dengan mengurangkan bebanan
tugas yang diberikan kepada pelajar, pensyarah seharusnya mempunyai masa yang lebih banyak
dengan pelajar mereka, melalui persekitaran belajar yang lebih kondusif dan banyak peluang
untuk bertemu dengan kaunselor bagi berkongsi masalah dan pendapat.

3.0 Kesimpulan

Masalah stress ini perlu ditanggani dengan berkesan agar pembelajaran tidak akan
terganggu. Bagi mengisi pengisian mengenai cara menanggani masalah stress ini para pelajar
perlu untuk manghadiri kursus dan seminar yang berkaitan dengan stress. Setiap pelajar
seharusnya pandai mengatasi masalah stress supaya tidak akan menjejeska pembelajaran mereka.
Pelbagai cara boleh digunakan untuk mengatasi mesalah stress ini dan semuanya bermula dari
dalam diri setiap pelajar. Masyarakat sekeliling hanya sebagai pembantu dan pendengar masalah
yang dihadapi oleh mereka sahaja tetapi segala tindakan bagi mengatasi masalah stress ini akan
dilakukan sendiri oleh pelajar berkenaan.

Hasil daripada pembacaan jurnal ini dapat disimpulkan terdapat dua cara bagi
menanggani masalah stress yang boleh dilakukan oleh setiap pelajar. Segala cara yang diambil
bagi mengatasi masalah stress ini mempunyai kelebihan dan kelemahanya yang tersendiri dan
ianya bergantung kepada cara bagaimana pelajar itu sendiri yang menanggani masalah stress
yang dihadapi oleh mereka.

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Bibliografi

Arthur, H., & Hiebert, B. (1994). Investigating gender differences on coping. Paper
presented at the annual meeting and the exhibition of the American Research
Association. CD-ROM. No. ED 373848.

Aspinwall, L. G., & Taylor, S. E. (1997). A stitch in time: Self-regulation and proactive
coping. Psychological Bulletin, 121,417-436.
Charles, C. L. (2000). Why is everyone so cranky? New York: St. Martin's Press.

Compas, B. (1987). Coping with stress during childhood and adolescence. Psychological
Bulletin, 101, 393-403.

Corey, G., & Corey, M. S. (1997). / never knew I had a choice (6th ed.). Pacific Grove,
CA: Brooks/Cole.

Dacey, J., & Kenny, M. (1997). Adolescent development (2nd ed.). Boston: McGraw-
Hill.

D'Aurora, D. L., & Fimian,M. J. (1988). Dimensions of life snd school stress experienced
by young people. Psychology in the Schools, 25,44-53.

Davidson, J. (1999). The complete idiot's guide to managing stress (2nd ed.). New York:
Alpha Books.

Greenglass, E., Fiksenbaum, L., & Burke, R. J. (1996). Components of social support,
buffering effects and burnout: Implications for psychological functioning. Anxiety,
Stress, and Coping, 9, 185-197.

Greenglass, E., Schwarzer, R., Jakubiec, D., Fiksenbaum, L., & Taubert, S. (1999, July
12-14). The Proactive Coping Inventory (PCI): A multidimensional research
instrument. Paper presented at the 20th International Conference on Stress an
Anxiety Research Society (Star), Cracow, Poland.

Greenglass, E. R. (2001), Proactive coping, work stress and burnout. Stress News, 13(2),
5-8.

Greenglass, E. R., Schwarzer, R., & Taubert, S. (1999). The Proactive Coping Inventory
(PCI): A multidimensional research instrument. On-line publication, available
athttp://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~health/greenpci.htm

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Holmes, T. H., & Rahe, R. H. (1967). Social Readjustment Rating Scale. Journal of
Psychosomatic Research, ii, 213-218.

Ida Hartina Ahmed Tharbe (2003, Oktober 19-21). Memahami stres di kalangan remaja
di pusat pengajian tinggi. Prosiding Seminar Kebangsaan Memperkasakan Sistem
Pendidikan. Fakulti Pendidikan, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

McFarlane, A. H., Bellissimo, A., Norman, G. R., &Lange, P. (1994). Adolescent depression
in a school based community sample: Preliminary findings on contributing social
factors. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 23(6), 601-620.

Murdock, A., & Scott, C. (1993). Personal effectiveness. London: Heinemann.

Peach, L. (1991). A study concerning stress among high school students in selected rural
schools. Paper presented at the Annual Education Conference, Cookeville, TN.

August, 12, 1991. (CD-ROM). ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED

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Roney, A., & Cooper, C. (1997). Professionals on workplace stress: The essential facts.
New York:Wiley.

Samsiah Jayos (2005). Tekanan di kalanganpelajar Matrikulasi di sebuahpusatpengajian

tinggi. Unpublished Project Paper, Masters of Counseling, University of Malaya.

Schwarzer, R. (1999). The Proactive Attitude Scale (PA Scale), [Online publication]
Available at http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~health/proactive.htm

Taylor, S. E., & Brown, J. D. (1994). Positive illusions and wellbeing revisited: Separating
fact from fiction. Psychological Bulletin, 116,21-27.

Weiten,W., & Lloyd, M. A. (1994). Psychology applied to modern life: Adjustment in the
90s (4th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/ Cole.

West, C. K., & Wood, E. S (1970). Academic pressure on public school students.
Educational Leadership, 3(4), 585-587.

Youngs, B. B. (1986). Helping your teenagers deal with stress. New York: St Martin's
Press.

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LAMPIRAN

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Masalah Pendidikan 2006, Universiti Malaya 57

COPINGWITH STRESS: ARE OUR STUDENTS PROACTIVE?

Ida Hartina Ahmed Tharbe
Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling
Faculty of Education
University of Malaya

Stres berlaku kepada semua orang termasuklah pelajar di institusi

pengajian tinggi disebabkan oleh pelbagai jenis cabaran yang timbul
semasa proses pembelajaran. Walaupun stres tidak dapat dielakkan,
namun pelajar boleh mempelajari cara menguruskan dan menangani
stres dengan lebih berkesan, untuk membantu mereka agar lebih
cemerlang dalam pembelajaran. Secara tradisi, individu lebih
berfokuskan strategi pengurusan stres secara reaktif yang mungkin
bersifat membina atau memudaratkan. Namun, penyelidik-penyelidik
mendapati strategi menangani stres secara proaktif adalah lebih
berkesan dalam mengurangkan kesan stres sebelum berlakunya sesuatu
peristiwa yang menyebabkan tekanan. Artikel ini membincangkan,
antaranya jenis-jenis stres yang dialami oleh pelajar, pelbagai ciriciri
' coping' secara proaktif dan bagaimana individu lain dapat
membantu pelajar menjadi proaktif dalam usaha menangani stres.

Living life as students in an institution of higher education is never an easy task. Here,
students will face the harsh realities of life which challenge them not only cognitively but
emotionally and psychologically as well. Hence stress is not uncommon among students
in higher learning institutions. By understanding how these students cope with stress, the
parents, lecturers, advisors and administrators can assist students in managing it.
Stress has been defined in several ways. D'Aurora and Firman (1988) defined stress
as an emotional tension rising from life events, or as a feeling of threat to someone's
safety or self-esteem. Meanwhile, Roney and Cooper (1997) stated that "stress is the
reaction people have to excessive pressures and other types of demands placed on them.
It generally arises when they worry that they are not able to cope" (p. 5). Murdock and
Scott (1993) defined stress as the imbalance between the perception of demand and the
perception of the ability to cope with it.
Despite the various definitions, the fact remains that a person has to cope with stress
whenever it arises. Although one cannot eliminate stress, one can learn to monitor and
manage stress effectively. This will require some stress coping skills. Individuals can
either react to a stressful event or prepare for the stressful event before it happens. In the
former scenario, individuals will most probably use the reactive coping skills to manage
the stressful event while in the latter, they use the proactive coping skill to prepare
themselves for the effect of the stressful event. This article will discuss stress and coping
among students and how others can help the students to become more proactive in coping
with stress.

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58 Masalah Pendidikan 2006, Universiti Malaya

Stress: Types and Classification

Although we often speak of stress in a negative manner, it is helpful to know that there
are two types of stress, namely good stress and bad stress. Good stress is also known as
eustress. According to Davidson (1999) such stress provides stimulation and challenge
and is essential to development, growth and change. Good stress can also be related
to motivation, without which human beings will not strive to achieve greater heights.
Meanwhile, the bad stress or distress makes one anxious and irritable, dampens the spirit
and shortens one's life (Davidson, 1999), due to its adverse psychological and physical
effects. For the purpose of discussion in this article, stress will refer to bad stress or
distress.
Charles (2000) categorizes stress into four types:
1. Anticipatory stress or stress caused by concern over the future. Anticipatory
stress can be negative if it causes unnecessary anxiety. However, anticipatory
stress can be productive if a person takes the initiative to plan for the future
as a result of anticipating any stressful event.
2. Situational stress or stress of the moment. This type of stress comes together
with the event and requires immediate management. Managing it effectively
means keeping the pressures of the moment at a challenging but containable
level. The failure to manage situational stress immediately might result in the
other types of stress - chronic or residual stress.
3. Chronic Stress or stress that persists over time. It might be the result of the
inability to cope effectively or a tough experience over which an individual
has no control such as death or loss of a loved one or an accident.
4. Residual stress or stress of the past. It represents the inability or unwillingness
to let go of old hurts or bad memories. Individuals who tend to repress their
feelings have the tendency to experience residual stress due to the failure to
face reality.
Stress results from positive and negative events. Holmes and Rahe (1967) have
developed a scale called the Social Readjustment Rating Scale which measures the life
events which are likely to produce stress. The scale includes both positive and negative life
events. All of these events, whether positive or negative, involve changes which require
a period of readjustment for the individual. This scale implies that stress is unlikely the
result of a single event but rather a combination of several events which occur in a limited
period. The inability of a person to cope with all these stressors at once will lead to
harmful stress.

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Masalah Pendidikan 2006, Universiti Malaya 59

Study and Stress

Virtually no one feels free from stress and each of us defines stress somewhat differently
(Youngs, 1986). Studying can be as stressful as working. However, stress in learning is
also a subjective phenomenon. For some students, making a presentation in front of the
class is not stressful while, for others, it is the end of the world. Some students consider
quizzes as good challenges to their potential while others find them hard to handle. In
other words, how one labels, interprets, thinks about and reacts to events in one's life has
a lot to do with determining whether those events are stressful (Corey & Corey, 1997).
Moreover, students who prepare themselves for such events are most likely to experience
less stress than those who fail to do so.
Many students reported experiencing stress during their studies. One of the causes
of stress among college and university students is ineffective time management. Quality
time is something often neglected by students whether good or average. The so-called
good students often over-scheduled their time for study-related tasks while others underscheduled
their precious time with unproductive activities thus increasing their stress
level. A study by Samsiah Jayos (2005) among 155 matriculation students found that 91
percent of the students regard not having enough time for revision as the main source of
stress. Meanwhile, 65.2 percent argued that they do not have enough time to complete
assignments. Is this the sign of work overload or ineffective time management?
Academic workload is undoubtedly another source of stress for students. The same
research reported that too many assignments and too many subjects to be taken have
caused stress for 73.5 percent and 72.3 percent of the students respectively (Samsiah
Jayos, 2005). Peach (1991) had studied 240 students in Tennessee and found that 65
percent of female students and 56 percent of male students experience academic stress
due to assignment workloads. Similarly, a research study on 94 students of an institute
in South Alberta found that among the stressors for both female and male students is
academic workload (Arthur & Hiebert, 1994).
Another famous stressor among students is the expectation of academic achievement.
This includes the expectation of examination performance and expectation of the
academic results. A survey conducted by West and Wood (1970) reported that 65 percent
of 331 students in nine American high schools experience stress just by thinking about the
examination before they actually sit for it. Meanwhile, 59 percent of the students expressed
that low achievement in the examination also causes a high level of stress. If high school
examinations imposed so much stress, how would it be for university examinations?
The list of stressors is endless. Research conducted by Ida Hartina Ahmed Tharbe
(2003) using the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (Holmes & Rahe, 1967) on 58 subjects
identified several changes in lifestyle as the cause of stress for students. Among the
changes are: the change in eating habit (66 percent), change in sleeping and living habit
(64 percent respectively), change in social activities and change in financial status (50
percent respectively). Using the Teen Scene: Stress Test (Youngs, 1986) the same research
found other stressors which include: not performing as well as expected (66 percent),
putting too much hope on oneself (64 percent), not being as popular as one wanted (56
percent), fear of being let down by friends (56 percent) and peer pressure (50 percent).
60 Masalah Pendidikan 2006, Universiti Malaya
Therefore, it is relatively true to say that stress is not merely caused by a single event but
rather by a combination of life events.
Perhaps one of the obvious flaws in stress management among students, besides time
management, is the inability to plan for upcoming obstacles in the study process. Students
should foresee challenges and problems and prepare themselves for anticipatory stress
which is more manageable. They can gather information on possible stressors through

14
various ways including discussion with their seniors, advisors, lecturers, counselors and
other resources in the university. However, many students are unaware of the need to
prepare in advance for academic challenges. This will lead to reactive stress coping style
once they experience situational stress. If the students fail to manage the situational stress
effectively, it may later lead to residual or chronic stress.
Frustration, conflict, change and pressure have been identified by Weiten and Lloyd
(1994) as the main elements of psychological stress. Continuous stress can result in burnout
among students; the students usually feel emotionally exhausted and lose interest in their
studies, thus neglecting their pursuit of excellence. In other words, numbers of higher
education dropouts may increase if students do not learn effective stress management.
According to Corey and Corey (1997), the problem with students is that they do not notice
the warning signs that they have pushed themselves to the breaking point. They give too
much time to their studies and assignments that they fail to realize the importance of
maintaining relationships and spending some leisure time for themselves

.
What is Proactive Coping?

Compas (1987) denned coping as any effort used in response to a stressful event. It can be
manifested behaviorally, cognitively or emotionally. The type of coping method used will
determine whether stress will have negative or positive psychological effects. Not everyone
knows how to cope effectively with stress. Some might leam coping skills from previous
experiences while others might have to resort to trial and error experimentation.
For effective stress management, one may use the reactive or the proactive coping
methods. People are mainly more familiar with reactive coping methods whereby we
react in a certain way when a stressful event occurs. Although the reactive coping skill
has been argued as being less effective, it can help to manage stress significantly if it is
done constructively. Weiten and Lloyd (1994) identified constructive coping as behavioral
reaction to stress that tends to be relatively healthy or adaptive.
According to Corey and Corey (1997, p. 218) constructive coping skills have the
following characteristics:
a) Involves direct confrontation with a problem;
b) Entails staying in tune with reality;
c) Based on an accurate and realistic appraisal of a stressful situation rather than
distortion of reality;
d) Involves learning to recognize and inhibit harmful emotional reaction to stress;
e) Entails a conscious and rational effort to evaluate alternative courses of action;
and
f) Is not dominated by wishful or dysfunctional thinking.

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Masalah Pendidikan 2006, Universiti Malaya 61

A more effective method of stress coping has been identified as the proactive coping
method. Proactive coping strategy is multidimensional and forward looking as it integrates
processes of personal quality of life management with those of self-regulatory goal
attainment (Greenglass, 2001). Greenglass also differentiates between the characteristics
of reactive and proactive coping as follows:
a) Traditional or reactive coping mostly deals with stressful events that already
occurred with the aims of compensating for loss or harm in the past; proactive
coping is more future orientated and consists of efforts to build up general
resources that facilitate promotion of challenging goals and personal growth.
b) Reactive coping is regarded as risk management; proactive coping involves goal
management whereby individuals see risks, demands and opportunities in the
future but they do not appraise them as threat, harm or loss.
c) Reactive coping emanates from risk appraisal whereby environmental demands
are appraised as threats; the motivation for proactive coping is positive since it
derives from perceiving situations as challenging and stimulating.
Although both reactive and proactive coping are useful, reactive coping is only
suitable for situational, chronic and residual stress while proactive coping method also
includes the management of anticipatory stress.

Are Our Students Proactive?

Our students face challenges everyday. They are struggling with assignments, attending
lectures and seminars, preparing for class presentations, participating in co-curricular
activities and many other related tasks. Apart from all these, they are also trying to
negotiate the period of transition into adulthood. The combination of these life events
places a great deal of stress upon them. Therefore it is highly beneficial for students to be
proactive in their daily life.
The process through which people anticipate or detect potential stressors and act
in advance to prevent them can be seen as a proactive behavior (Greenglass, Schwarzer,
Jacubiec, Fiksenbaum, & Taubert, 1999) and it is potentially useful in eliminating a
great deal of stress before it happens. Students with proactive coping style tend to face
fewer problems in their studies since they are well prepared for adverse events. Proactive
students know how to plan strategies to help them reduce the effect of stress. At the
same time, they will make full use of available resources around them. They do not see
themselves as victims of the situation and do not put the blame on something or someone
else. Cognitively, proactive coping involves reflection including envisioning success
scenarios, anticipating future problems, planning how to deal with the situation and taking
preventive steps to avoid disaster (Greenglass, Schwarzer, & Taubert, 1999).
Schwarzer (1999) listed the personality characteristics of proactive individuals as
follows:
a) They believe that they possess sufficient resources, both internal and external;
b) They take responsibility for their own growth, including responsibility for past
events and responsibility for their future actions;
c) They are driven by values and principles whereby they choose their path of
action accordingly; and

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62 Masalah Pendidikan 2006, Universiti Malaya

d) They have vision and create meaning in life by striving for ambitious goals.
Some of the students are proactive by nature. They have learned through experience
and observation how to tackle a stressful situation even before it happens. However, others
tend to resort to reactive coping behaviors which are not constructive but destructive for
them. As a result, reactive students will perform less effectively than proactive students.
Some of these destructive coping behaviors are:
a) Avoiding or refusing to attend class for unrealistic reasons (e.g. not attending
class because the lecture is boring);
b) Involving in related activities for the wrong reason (e.g. involving in too many
co-curricular activities as a way to forget study stress);
c) Wasting time by involving in unrelated activities (e.g. chatting or hanging out
with friends);
d) Avoiding the source of the problem (e.g. if students do not understand the
subject, they tend to avoid revising it);
e) Putting the blame on someone else for inability to perform (e.g. saying that "the
course is too difficult" or "the lecturer has no teaching skills");
f) Sleeping more than usual; and
g) Spending too much time worrying but not doing anything about the situation.
Proactive Coping Skills
Proactive coping skills include planning, goal setting, organizing and mental stimulation
(Aspinwall & Taylor, 1997). According to Greenglass (2001), proactive coping is
distinguished by three main features:
a) it integrates planning and preventive strategies with proactive self-regulatory
goal attainment;
b) it integrates proactive goal attainment with identification and utilization of
social resources; and
c) it utilizes proactive emotional coping for self-regulatory goal attainment.
Greenglass, Schwarzer, Jakubiec et al. (1999) include seven scales of proactive
coping behaviors in their inventory named the Proactive Coping Inventory (PCI). The
seven scales are: The Proactive Coping scale, The Reflective Coping Scale, Strategic
Planning, Preventive Coping, Instrumental Support Seeking, Emotional Support Seeking
and Avoidance Coping. Descriptions of these proactive coping behaviors are as follows:
a) Proactive Coping refers to the combination of autonomous goal setting with
self-regulatory goal attainment, cognition and behavior;
b) Reflective Coping refers to simulation and contemplation about a variety of
possible behavioral alternatives by comparing their imagined effectiveness.
This process includes brainstorming, analyzing problems and resources and
generating hypothetical plans of action;
c) Strategic Planning refers to the process of generating a goal-oriented
schedule of action in which extensive tasks are broken down into manageable
components;

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Masalah Pendidikan 2006, Universiti Malaya 63

d) Preventive Coping deals with anticipation of potential stressors and making

preparation before these stressors develop fully;
e) Instrumental Support Seeking refers to the process of obtaining advice,
information and feedback from one's social network when dealing with
stressors;
f) Emotional Support Seeking is the process of regulating temporary emotional
distress by disclosing to others one's feelings, evoking empathy and seeking
companionship from one's social network; and
g) Avoidance Coping is the process of eluding action in a demanding situation.
Tertiary level students should be made aware of these proactive coping behaviors for
more effective stress management. These proactive behaviors can be taught by counselors
in the higher learning institutions to supplement the usual stress management techniques.
The combination of proactive coping before and constructive reactive coping after the
stressors occur is the best stress management strategy. At the same time, students can take
their own initiative in becoming more proactive by:
a) Learning to anticipate stress through valid information gathering. However,
only realistic anticipation is encouraged since unnecessary worries will only
lead to higher stress levels;
b) Learning to read their own biological signs of stress and finding ways of
controlling stress before the symptoms worsen;
c) Joining counseling or growth groups in which they can learn new skills of
coping, self-disclose and discuss their day-to-day concerns;
d) Broadening their social network and improving communication style with
others;
e) Arranging appointments with academic advisors or lecturers to discuss any
academic difficulties; and
f) Preparing themselves with the constructive stress management skills such as time
management, planning, brainstorming, relaxation techniques and so forth.
How Others Can Help
Although proactive coping behavior is self-induced by an individual, other significant
people can also help students to be more proactive. Dacey and Kenny (1997) identified
social support as an important factor in a person's ability to remain composed and to
adapt successfully to stressful situations. The most significant social support will be the
student's own family. According to research by McFarlane, Bellissimo, Norman, and
Lange (1994), teens who viewed their parents and siblings as sources of support are at
low risk for developing adolescent depression.
University students should also be encouraged to make optimum use of available
social support such as close friends, lecturers, advisors and other supportive persons
when coping with stress. By having supportive individuals around, students can share
their problems and find useful alternatives of coping. Greenglass, Fiksenbaum and Burke
(1996) believe that close relationships will provide useful information and practical advice
besides boosting morale, thereby helping individuals to cope with stressful events.

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64 Masalah Pendidikan 2006, Universiti Malaya

Ida Hartina (2003) pointed out that other parties such as the lecturers, management
and counselors should also take measures to help the students lessen the negative effect of
stress. Several suggestions have been given such as:
a) Lecturers should consider reducing the amount of assignments or workload given.
The course assignment should be based on quality instead of quantity. The best
assignment should be able to integrate the whole course information;
b) Lecturers should spend some time getting to know the students individually to
provide consultation for them when required;
c) The management should recognize potential stressors in the learning environment.
Stressors resulting from ineffective academic staff, uncooperative support staff,
uncomfortable learning environment, and lack of basic infrastructure can be
monitored or avoided; and
d) Counselors can organize stress management workshops to help students identify,
manage and anticipate stressors. Motivational and informative programs are
helpful in disseminating information to help students cope.
However, as stated earlier, students have to take initiative to build their own
social support system. This will require them to be more confident, optimistic, open
to experiences and willing to self-disclose and share their concerns with others. Selfconfident
and optimistic individuals have more social support and they may be more
effective in mobilizing it when they experience high levels of stress (Taylor & Brown,
1994). Meanwhile, Aspinwall and Taylor (1997) believed that individuals who have well
developed psychosocial resources, including a sense of personal control, high self-esteem
and optimism, are more likely to cope proactively and minimize the effects of stress.

Conclusion

For effective stress management, students in higher learning institutes should learn to
anticipate stressful events as soon as they enroll and during their course of study. Being
proactive means integrating the ability to foresee future challenges and obstacles and
planning to manage them effectively using all available resources. A person can be
naturally proactive or learn to be proactive. Proactive stress management can help students
reduce the negative effect of stressful events. By being proactive, students will be able to
concentrate more on their studies and achieve good grades rather that putting their energy
into unproductive behaviors and unnecessary worries. It will also produce psychologically
healthy individuals in the future.

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Masalah Pendidikan 2006, Universiti Malaya 65

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