CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt across a wide range of

socioeconomics, sectors, and institutions. School closures move to online study, and the

reduction of social and networking possibilities, for example, have all had an impact on college

students. Early research indicates that the resulting lack of routine and isolation has exacerbated

mental health issues in an already susceptible group (Anderson, 2020; Hamza et al., 2020).

Several recent studies provide compelling evidence of the pandemic's far-reaching consequences

on college students. Browning et al. (2021) found that many students lacked motivation, anxiety,

stress, and isolation. Indeed, the emerging literature paints a bleak picture of college students'

experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, despite the rapid emergence of these critical

studies, we still know little about how college students respond to adversity.

University and college students are especially vulnerable to emotions of isolation. They

are more prone to anxiety and sadness than the average population (Rahman et al., 2012; Diehl et

al., 2018). During COVID-19, students are inclined to further worsen these feelings due to social

isolation, uncertainty, and abrupt transitions (Psychiatry, 2020). Alsoufi et al. (2020) stated that

the COVID-19 outbreak would impact these students' mental health. Thus, students had to cope

with their fears, stresses, and insecurity. How you react to a stressful event, such as the COVID-

19 issue, impacts your physical health, medical conditions, and emotional well-being (CDC,

2020).
 Additionally, coping styles are crucial for those who had mental health issues during

pandemics since they might have a beneficial or lousy impact on subsequent mental health.

Coping styles include cognitive and behavioral efforts an individual uses to solve the issues and

reduce the stress caused by these problems. Therefore, the current study sought to investigate

college students' perceived stress levels, related factors, and stress coping techniques during the

Covid-19 pandemic. This research hypothesizes that COVID-19-related events increase the risk

of high perceived stress levels and change stress coping techniques. Other significant stresses

coping styles were emotional and instrumental support from family, friends, and instructors. On

the other hand, the different stress coping strategies of Senior High School students of Parañaque

National High School in Baclaran include seeking social support, mental disengagement,

Avoidance, and humanitarian. Students must better understand themselves, particularly while

dealing with the stress they are experiencing (Guevarra & Cimanes, 2017).

The main goal of this study is to identify the coping styles of BSED students of Saint

Michael College of Caraga during the new everyday learning due to COVID-19 Pandemic.

Coping techniques will assist students in remaining intellectually positive. Hence, the COVID-19

pandemic impacts the mental well-being of every student, causing loss of interest in online

learning, peer pressure, and anxiety, which may lead to depression. The significance of this study

is to enhance the different coping styles that college students use during this complicated

situation. The findings of this study will assist the researcher in learning about and becoming

aware of the circumstances facing other pupils. It could help college students know how to deal

with anxiety and stress during this pandemic.

Theoretical Framework
 The study was anchored on the Coping Theory of Lazarus and Folkman (1984). Coping

is the individual's continually evolving cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage external and

internal demands that are considered taxing or exceeding a person's resources. It refers to a

person's conscious and unconscious efforts to solve difficulties and alleviate stress. The theory

further posits that coping is extraordinarily customized and influenced by personality traits and

perceptual experiences. According to Lazarus and Folkman’s concept, effective coping

techniques are dependent on the emotional functions associated with the problem. There is

currently theoretical and empirical evidence that coping matters and that some coping strategies

are more effective than others Britt et al., 2016).

According to Kwaah and Essilfie (2017), students employed a variety of ways to cope

with stress, including praying/meditating and self-distracting activities like watching TV and

listening to music. Other significant stresses coping styles were emotional and instrumental

support from family, friends, and instructors. On the other hand, the different stress coping

strategies of Senior High School students of Parañaque National High School in Baclaran

include seeking social support, mental disengagement, Avoidance, and humanitarian. Students

must better understand themselves, particularly while dealing with the stress they are

experiencing (Guevarra & Cimanes, 2017).

Moreover, Lazarus and Folkman also stated that coping with stress might be related to

adverse health behaviors. Metzger et al. studied the prevalence of poor health behaviors among

students. Efficient use of emotions allows for more effective problem-solving. In contrast,

venting anger and irritation and denial of reality are potentially harmful stress responses. Under

challenging conditions, expressing feelings may also help reduce anxiety and aggression. Some

researchers distinguish between emotion-focused and problem-focused coping styles. In contrast,

others determine active and avoidant coping or identify maladaptive coping strategies (denial,

substance use, venting of negative emotions), which allow for lowering subjectively experienced

stress.

To avoid infections, significant adjustments in lifestyle and daily routines are required,

such as frequent hand washing, wearing face masks outside the home, avoiding touching the

face, nose, and eyes with hands, and social separation. Unfortunately, this may play a role in the

development of mental disorders. Ahorsu et al. found that fear of COVID-19 is linked to

depression, anxiety, perceived infectivity, and germ aversion in Iranians. Li et al. identified an

increase in negative feelings such as anxiety, despair, and resentment, as well as a heightened

sensitivity to social risks when comparing the activity of Weibo (a central social media platform

in China) users before and after the COVID-19 epidemic in China. There was also a drop in

pleasant feelings and life satisfaction.

Physical activity improves cardiovascular and respiratory efficiency, the immune system

by increasing the body's resistance to illness, the musculoskeletal system with body posture, and

the nervous system by supporting academic performance, reducing nervous tension and

depressive and anxiety states, and improving sleep quality and well-being, according to research.

In today's lifestyle, physical fitness is treated as a luxury item. Mohamed and Alana discovered

that sustaining moderate to high levels of physical exercise improves aerobic capacity, which

may help to prevent coronavirus disease and its severity. The World Health Organization (WHO)

created the campaign "Be Active During COVID-19," which includes guidelines for achieving a

weekly level of physical activity with minimal space at home and no special equipment.
Statement of the Problem

The study aimed to determine the coping styles of BSED students during the COVID-19

pandemic.

Specifically, it sought to address the following research questions:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms:

1.1 Age;

1.2 Gender;

1.3 Year level; and

1.4 Economic status?

2. To what extent are the coping styles of the 2nd year to 4th year BSED students of Saint Michael

College of Caraga during the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of:

2.1 Seek social support;

2.2 Avoidance;

2.3 Mental disengagement; and

2.4 Humanitarian?
3. Is there a significant difference between the coping styles used by the 2 nd- to 4th-year BSED

students during the COVID-19 pandemic when grouped according to their age, gender, year

level, and economic status?

Hypothesis

The hypothesis guided the study.

HO1: There is no significant difference in the coping styles and strategies used by the 2 nd

year to 4th year BSED students in coping with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic when

grouped according to their age, gender, and year level, and economic status.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

They conducted this research to assess the significance of its findings. Several limitations

may also impact the generalizability of the results reported in this study. Perhaps, one of the most

severe limitations is the lack of knowledge about our respondents' who experience mental health

issues, like suffering from stress, lack of sleep, emotions, and even how they think during their

online class that affects their perception and rationale during the pandemic (Wang et al., 2020).

Furthermore, a prospective longitudinal design and experimental studies are needed to

demonstrate causality. The data in this study mostly came from students who studied as second-

year college students.

Definition of Terms

Below are the most common terms used in this study:

Age. It refers to the number of years of college students in Saint Michael College of Caraga.

Avoidance. It is one of the mechanisms for College Students to escape and cope with stress and

anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coping Style. It refers to the strategies college students use to confront a stressful situation and

deal with it.

Economic status. refers to the group or social class of all the college students at Saint Michael

College of Caraga.

Gender. It is the sex classification of the second- to fourth-year BSED English of Saint Michael

College of Caraga.

Humanitarian. It is the act of helping College Students who are struggling in their studies

during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Internet. It is one of the ways to access online platforms, that is, computerized networks

allowing for virtual classes.

Mental Disengagement. Refers to the temporary withdrawal strategy that college students use

when they feel treated negatively.

Online Classes. Refers to the new learning of Saint Michael College of Caraga college students.

Particularly the second year to fourth year BSED English major.

Seek social support. It refers to the physical and emotional comfort that BSED 2nd year to 4th

students received from their family, friends, and others.

Year Level. It relates to the BSED students of Saint Michael College of Caraga respondents

from the second year to the fourth-year students.

 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents the related literature and studies that will support the fundamental

subject of the research.

Stress comes in numerous forms to an individual's standard of living. Stress could be a

bio-psychosocial model that refers to the consequence of the failure of an organism to reply

adequately to mental, emotional, or physical demands, whether actual or imagined cited in Al-

Sowygh, (2013). Consistent with Akhlaq, Amjad, and Mehmood (2010), stress is seen as a

psychophysiological process that ends from the interaction of the individual with the

environment and ends up in disturbances—caused to the physiological, psychological, and social

systems, depending upon individual characteristics and psychological processes. Psychological

processes confer with such factors as attitudes, values, and various personality dimensions.

(Gormathi, Kadayam, Soofia & Ahmend, 2013; William et al., 2010).

For undergraduate students like 2nd-year college students, stress could also be caused by a

failure in academic work, financial problems, health problems, loss of a friend or friend, and

other social issues (Hung & Care, 2011; Smith, Rosenberg, & Timothy Haight, 2014). Such

events that bring stress are called stressors, and a sudden change in these stressors may affect the

person's physical or mental state. Studies conducted on Senior High School students of
Parañaque National High School in Baclaran include the different stress coping strategies:

seeking social support, mental disengagement, Avoidance, and humanitarian. Students must

better understand themselves, particularly while dealing with the stress they are experiencing

(Guevarra & Cimanes, 2017).

Age

According to Tobin et al. (2010), as cited by Int J Adolesc Youth. (2014). Stated that per

other trends within the literature, the present findings also support the role of old in using

specific problem-solving, cognitive restructuring, and express feelings coping strategies. These

findings show that age significantly influences the usage of problem-focused involvement. Older

pupils, in particular, are more inclined to adopt problem-focused strategies. Express feelings is

an engagement strategy, but the main focus is on managing one's emotional reaction to the

stressor by communicating and expressing one's emotions.

These findings suggest that older adults tend to adopt problem-solving coping strategies

that older adults have more straightforward coping resources (Hamarat et al., 2011). They also

indicate that as people mature, they're better able to adopt a spread of behavioral, cognitive, and

emotional strategies to address stressful life events. One explanation is that older adults may

engage in an exceedingly more differentiated approach to problem situations by using diverse

techniques in handling stress. Additionally, having had a stressful encounter previously

influences somebody's capability to unravel the identical or a related case when it comes.

Gender

Gender influences both the stress process' input (determining whether a situation is

stressful) and output (coping responses and health consequences) (Matud, 2013). Women, or
those with a high level of womanhood, are more likely to employ maladaptive emotion-focused

coping techniques. In contrast, men, or those with a high level of masculinity, are more likely to

utilize adaptive problem-focused coping strategies (Moret-Taytay et al., 2016). Gender

influences each element of the stress process—both in terms of the input, affecting whether a

situation will be regarded as stressful. And the output influences coping responses and the health

consequences of stress reactions (Barnett et al., 2010).

Despite conflicting findings in the research on the relationship between gender and stress.

Several authors have concluded that women are more likely than males to be in stressful

situations (e.g., Almeida & Kessler, 2011; McDonough & Walters, 2012). Women are also more

likely to identify stress-related to gendered caring responsibilities and home and family life

events as stressful (Oman & King, 2009; Lee, 2009, 2010; Walters, 2011). In women, gender-

specific stresses, including gender violence and sexism, are associated with both physical and

mental occurrences (Heim et al., 2010; Klonoff, Landrine, & Campbell, 2013; Koss, Koss, &

Woodruff, 2010; Lan-drine, Klonoff, Gibbs, Manning, & Lund, 2010). The regularity with which

women and men occupy social positions and their experiences within those roles differ. Women

have a less suitable place at work and home because they are subjected to more demands and

limits (Matthews et al., 2010).

Year Level

According to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker (a U.S.-based monitoring

assessment. McDermott & Cox 2020), 1.57 million healthcare workers were laid off in March

and April 2020. Workers in ambulatory healthcare settings, such as dental and physician's

offices, account for more than half of all healthcare job losses.
 The first objective is to examine moral anguish with time. Even before the pandemic,

there had been little research on moral suffering. According to Oh and Gastmans’ (2015) review

of the literature, almost all studies on moral distress have been conducted cross-sectionally.

Furthermore, according to the American Massage Therapy Association (2020), 86

percent of massage therapists had stopped working in April 2020. Recent research has generally

supported these claims, finding that workers on the frontline and those working in 'their usual

wards' (e.g., oncology unit) experienced mental health symptoms during the pandemic (Lai et al.,

2020; Wu et al., 2020).

Economic Status

Low economic status has been indirectly associated with poor mental health outcomes

through the inability to adopt a suitable coping style (Poetz et al., 2017). In the current climate of

uncertainty and financial crisis caused by the epidemic, having a job can be a source of security

for some people because it provides some income. According to a recent study on the pandemic's

impact, poor income is related to more significant mental health impairment (de Duarte et al.,

2020).

The COVID-19 pandemic's urgency has resulted in a slew of issues, one of which is

economic (Bank, 2020). A decrease in household income results in an inability to meet everyday

needs, which increases personal stress. The findings also show that the lower the family income,

the more the positive reevaluation approach is used and the higher the depression, anxiety, and

stress scores. Revenue has been shown in studies to have an impact on mental health (de Duarte

et al., 2020)

Seek Social Support

 "Support accessible to an individual through social ties to other individuals, groups, and

the larger community" defines social support.(Lin, Simeone, Ensel, Kuo;2012). Stress and

depression symptoms are moderated by social support. There is a link between depression

symptoms and perceived negative social support. Women use social support networks to bring

attention to their emotional discomfort ("talking about it"). Self-control occurred after

recognition of the situation. Talking about it with others helped them evaluate and problematize

what was wrong before coming up with a solution. Men use their social support networks to

normalize and control their emotional anguish by going out, having fun and partying ("forgetting

about it"). Their self-control came before they realized an issue (Martínez-Hernáez et al., 2016).

For health-related difficulties, men are less likely to seek professional or unprofessional

aid or delay obtaining help (especially with psychological distress and depression). Men are

better than women at externalizing their depression by engaging in numbing activities (such as

drinking and drug use), avoidant behaviors, aggression, and emotional detachment. Men have

worse health literacy than women and are more prone to self-medicate (e.g., smoking; Martnez-

Hernáez et al., 2016; Whittle et al., 2015). It's worth noting that the best source of social support

may vary depending on the developmental stage of the individual receiving it. Parental

assistance, for example, appears to be more helpful in early adolescence than in late adolescence.

( Stice, Ragan, & Randall, 2012). It has been discovered that the elderly's view of social support

is linked to their level of social engagement. In contrast, younger persons' perceptions of social

support are related to instrumental support. (Lynch et al., 2011).

Avoidance

Avoidance can appear as a behavior to get away, like remaining in an apartment or taking

a day off work (Hagemann, 2010) or avoiding through self-medication. Generally speaking,
researchers agree that such methodologies are a Band-Aid solution to the underlying trauma.

Still, they'll have an adaptive element by helping the person slowly hinge upon small success

understandings. In other words, Avoidance may allow us to collect resources to rebuild their life

and handle different challenges.

Thompson (2010) discoursed the active blocking of memories and feelings to help

address devastating emotions. Stillwell and Baumeister (2013) indicated that folks are inclined to

bias their recall to cast themselves in a more positive and sympathetic light. They acknowledged

how those that use avoidant strategies to address trauma are more likely to deny or minimize

their internal distress. Although these approaches may hamper help-seeking, they also reduce

initial pain (Hagemann, 2010). Ullman (2011) decided and designated that although avoidance

strategies (e. g., abuse, withdrawal from others) are usually linked to more significant problems,

they might even be adaptive in helping the victim get through the personalized trauma.

Mental Disengagement

Traeger (2014) defines mental disengagement as "the use of a tactic to shift attention

away from a stressor and toward other thoughts or activities unrelated to the stressor." Mental

disengagement was the only coping strategy predicted by playing games, clearly demonstrating

that games are used to escape everyday problems, in line with previous findings (e.g.,

Kaczmarek & Ar˛azkowski, 2014). It is debatable if mental detachment is a functional or

dysfunctional coping method. It was deemed a complicated process by Carver, Scheier, and

Weintraub (2010). However, further study has discovered that playing games can help to relieve

stress (Reinecke, 2011).

 Research has shown that people who use separation coping cannot deal with the stressor.

As a result, men are better to suffer the harmful effects of the stressor than persons who use more

active coping mechanisms (e.g., Fortes-Ferreira et al., 2006; Chu-Lien Chao, 2011).

Furthermore, the Internet provides several options for mental disengagement, such as watching

movies, listening to music, visiting online "friends" profiles, and playing games. Seeking

diversion is also occasionally a reaction to a stressor. Reinecke (2011) discovered that some

people played games after a stressful encounter and concluded that this could help to relieve

stress in some cases. According to online gaming research, gamers' motivations include

"immersion" and "escapism" (Cole & Hooley, 2013)

Humanitarian

According to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker (a U.S.-based monitoring

assessment; McDermott & Cox 2020), 1.57 million healthcare workers were laid off in March

and April of 2020, with workers in ambulatory healthcare settings, such as dental and physician’s

offices, accounting for more than half of all healthcare job losses.

As a result, CHWs have been suggested and envisioned as a major component of the

primary health care framework, with the potential to allow the accomplishment of Universal

Health Coverage (UHC) as defined by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.8. (Maher

& Cometto, 2016; United Nation, 2017).

Their services vary from teaching community people about healthy behaviors to

preventing health hazards, offering long-term care treatments, and connecting communities with

specialist healthcare institutions (Black et al., 2017; Lewin et al., 2010; Perry et al., 2014; Bhutta

et al., 2015).
 Burnout can have several negative consequences that endanger the well-being of health

workers, including physical health issues like cardiovascular disease, hypothalamic–pituitary–

adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, and chronic fatigue, as well as psychological health issues like

suicidality, depression, and substance abuse (Dyrbye et al., 2014; Melamed et al., 1992; Penz et

al., 2018; Rath et al., 2015; Rose et al., 2017).

Moral distress is one stressor that has received much attention in the scientific and

general press. Moral discomfort is the emotional sensation of feeling implicated in an unethical

behavior yet having little authority to behave differently or change the circumstance ( Godshall

2021; Hamric & Epstein 2017).

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many nuanced situations for moral distress to

occur. Such as preventing family members from visiting the ill inability to rest forced decision-

making on life support. There is a lack of resources, such as PPE and ventilators, few effective

treatments, and the inability to practice as normal (Cacchione 2020; Daubman et al. 2020;

Dunham et al. 2020; Hlubocky et al. 2021; Morley et al. 2020; Vig 2021). Vig (2021) classified a

wide variety of workplace elements into patient factors (e.g., unsatisfactory treatment owing to

patient volume), clinical factors (e.g., inadequate medical understanding of reassigned roles), and

institutional factors (e.g., pressure to hire untested employees).

 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses the research methodology employed in this study. It includes the

research design that the researcher utilizes, the description of the Respondents, the Research, and

the Data Gathering Procedures.

Research Design

The researchers utilized a descriptive-comparative research design to identify the coping

styles and strategies of BSED students in new everyday learning due to COVID-19 Pandemic.

The quantitative method will employ the survey questionnaire as a data-gathering tool. The

information gathered will be interpreted based on the statistical analysis results. The very

purpose of this research is to explore the perceived stress level, associated factors, and stress

coping styles among College Students during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Research Locale

The researchers conducted the study at Saint Michael College of Caraga, located at

Atupan St. Barangay 4, Nasipit, Agusan Del Norte, alongside the Cathedral of Saint Michael

Parish and behind the Nasipit Plaza. With a total area of 1630 square meters, the school is

located next to the rectory. One of the succeeding directors, Fr. Gerard Crujien, rebuilt the nipa-

wooden construction into a two-story facility with 16 classrooms. Msgr Beinvinido A. Betaizar

established the Grade School Department in June 2000, with Mrs. Minda R. Cocon as the

inaugural principal. SMCC is currently growing in size, strength, and holiness. As SMCC

advances, so do the students and children.

 Saint Michael College of Caraga is a non-profit Christian school under the Diocese of

Butuan. The first director was Fr. Francisco Van Dyke (Student Handbook Revised Edition

2014).The Triangulo Campus, near the Nasipit Transport Terminal Station, was recently built at

Triangulo, Nasipit, Agusan del Norte. They primarily used the Triangulo Campus for elementary

school classrooms, and other educational facilities and institution has also received the ISO

9001:2015 certification. The Diocese of Butuan's first ISO-certified school. The first ISO

9001:2015 certified school in the Caraga Region. Quality that is second to none. SMCC conducts

flexible learning, asynchronous and synchronous classes to integrate digital platforms to respond

to the new normal.

Research Respondents

The researchers used purposive sampling in choosing the respondents. The respondents

of this study were the BSED second-fourth-year college students of Saint Michael College of

Caraga. The researchers discovered the coping styles and tactics employed by the second-fourth

year BSED students in dealing with stress during the pandemic.

Table 1. It shows the total number of respondents among the 2 nd- to 4th-year Bachelor of

Secondary Education Major in English course at Saint Michael College of Caraga.

Research Instrument

The study used the essential source of information coming from the Head of the Registrar

Office of Saint Michael College of Caraga to have the list of all the second-year to fourth-year

BSED students enrolled for this year. The researchers adopted and modified the questionnaire

from the study of Mohammad Nurunnabi. (2020). "Coping students' strategies for stress during

the COVID-19 pandemic in China: a cross-sectional study". During the first stage of scale
construction, they used open-ended questions to elicit strategies and examined the relationships

between the named methods and age in descriptive terms.

The research questionnaire has two parts. The first part is the respondents' demographic

profile, such as age, gender, year level, and economic status. The second part is the coping styles,

a survey on how students cope during the Covid-19 pandemic—using Avoidance, seeking social

support, mental disengagement, and humanitarian.

Ethical Standards

Respondents in this survey should participate willingly, without being forced or

influenced. Autonomy must be recognized and adequately safeguarded. All of the information

acquired about the responders might be kept private. Informed consent indicates that respondents

must be fully informed about the research method and purposes and must provide their approval

to participate in the study. Furthermore, the researchers will be genuine in their interpretations of

the findings. As a result, the researchers will notify the respondents about the survey being

courteous.

The researchers were taken great care to preserve the confidentiality of the respondents

throughout the study procedure and implied the ethical principle of the human subject's

protection. Accordingly, the rights for privacy data of the respondents were protected by the

Republic Act 10117 "Data Privacy Acts of 2012". Thus, safety and involvement will be placed

differently. The researchers aim to ensure that the respondents should not set at risk of harm of

any kind.

Significant adjustments in lifestyle and daily routines are necessary to avoid infections,

such as regular hand washing, face masks outside the home, avoiding touching the face, nose,
and eyes with hands, and social separation. Regrettably, this may have a substantial influence on

the development of mental problems. According to Ahorsu et al. 5, fear of COVID-19

corresponds with melancholy, anxiety, perceived infect ability, and germ aversion in Iranians.

When Li et al. 6 analyzed the activities of Weibo (a central social media platform in China) users

before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. They discovered increased negative feelings such as

anxiety, despair, anger, and a greater sensitivity to social hazards. There was also a drop in

pleasant feelings and life satisfaction.

Researchers were also aware of the school’s strict anti-plagiarism policy. Researchers

recognize that plagiarizing from the works of other authors without attribution is a serious crime.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers observed the following process in gathering the data needed for this

study. First, the researchers submitted a letter to the school registrar for the list of primary

English students and then to the office of the Dean of College of Teacher Education for the letter

of approval. Also, the researchers submitted a letter of consent to the office of Academic Affairs

to conduct the said research. In addition, the researchers distributed survey questionnaires online

via messenger and Google form due to the pandemic situation to follow the safety protocols

implemented. The link to the state was emailed to each respondent. Their responses were

recorded and saved in Google Drive automatically. Following that, the data were analyzed,

interpreted, and evaluated by the researchers.

Statistical Treatment

The researchers utilized the following statistical tools to get the interpretation of the data

gathered. They used succeeding statistical instruments to calculate the data.

Frequency and Percentage. It used the tool to answer problem 1 in determining the profile of

the respondents as to age, gender, year level, and economic status.

Weighted Mean. It used the tool to answer problem 2 in determining the types of Coping Styles

among College Students During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

ANOVA and Independent Sample T-Test. It used the tool to answer problem 3 in determining the

difference between the students coping with stress during the pandemic and the profile of the

respondents.
 CHAPTER IV

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter shows the analysis and interprets the data gathered from the instruments

used in the study presented according to the specific problem.

Problem 1: What is the profile of the respondents in terms of age, gender, year level, and

economic status?

As to Age;

Table 2

Age Distribution of the Respondents

Table 2 indicates the age distribution of the respondents. 18-22 years old has a frequency

of 94 or 93.07%, ranking as 1. While 33 years old and above has a frequency and percentage of

0, ranking as 4. The majority of the respondents are 18-22 years old. Regarding the age

variations in negative affect, several studies discovered that negative emotions grew less

prevalent as people aged (Carstensen et al., 2011).

As to gender;

Table 3 presents the gender of the respondents. Among 101 respondents, the female has

the frequency of 85 equivalents to 84.16% rank first, followed by males with 16 respondents'

equivalents to 5.84%. Therefore, the majority of the respondents retain females.

 Choudhary et al. (2014) discovered a substantial variation in coping style preferences

between male and female college students. In this case, since female students are primarily

enrolled in the BSED course, it is only reasonable that female respondents ranked first in terms

of gender.

As to year level; and

Table 4

Year Level of the Respondents

Table 4 shows the year level of the BSED Major in English students. Among 101

respondents, students belonging to the year level of the third year rank 1st with a frequency of 54

and a percentage of 53.47%, while students belonging to the year level of the fourth year ranks

last with the frequency of 20 and a percentage of 19.80%. Therefore, most of the respondents

belonged to the year level the third year. College students had a higher predisposition to

experience anxiety at some point throughout their four years in college (David, 2009).
 Table 5 shows the economic status of the respondents. Most of the respondents had a

frequency of 62 and 61.39, which ranked 1st, while few respondents had a frequency of 3, which

is equivalent to 2.97. Therefore, the majority of the respondents belong to a poor economic

status.

Knowing the status of savings account Self Coping Mechanisms-Self-coping mechanism

is the contingency actions of female-headed households during financial strains, which consists

of three items adapted from Caplan and Schooler (2007), and the questions that measure the

household financial coping with the items asked a question on problem-focused or emotion-

focused coping responses.

Problem 2: To what extent are the coping styles of the 2 nd- to 4th-year BSED students of

Saint Michael College of Caraga used in coping with stress during the COVID-19

pandemic in terms of seeking social support? Avoidance, mental disengagement, and

humanitarian?

Table 6 indicates the coping styles in terms of seeking social support. As to the statement,

I ask someone for advice has a weighted mean of 3.16 with a verbal description of sometimes

and a verbal interpretation of moderate rank as 1. It means that the statement corresponds with

the respondents' experience. While the statement I get sympathy and understanding from
someone has a weighted mean of 2.94 with a verbal description of sometimes and a verbal

interpretation of moderate rank as 5.

To sum up, the coping styles of seeking social support have an average weighted mean of

3.04 with a verbal description of sometimes and a verbal interpretation of moderate; this means

that students are doing most of the indicators above.

Providing social support refers to offering and expressing support to others. This

behavior enables others to receive care and satisfaction and has a positive psychological effect on

the provider (Bokszczanin, 2012).

As to Avoidance;

Table 7

Coping Styles in terms of Avoidance

Table 7 presents the coping styles in terms of Avoidance. It shows that many of the

respondents often get used to the idea that it is happening, with a weighted mean of 3.17 ranked

as 1st. In contrast, some of the respondents rarely try to make themselves feel better by eating,

drinking, and smoking, with a weighted mean of 2.31 ranked as 5th. It means that students are

doing the majority of the indicators.

Therefore, respondents often practiced Avoidance as Coping Style having a total

weighted mean of 2.92.

 Hagemann (2010) stated that avoiding through self-medication. Generally speaking,

researchers agree that such methodologies are a Band-Aid solution to the underlying trauma.

Still, they'll have an adaptive element by helping the person slowly hinge upon small success

understandings. In other words, Avoidance may allow us to collect resources to rebuild their life

and handle different challenges.

As to mental disengagement; and

Table 8

Coping Styles in terms of Mental Disengagement

Table 8 displays the coping styles in terms of mental disengagement. Based on the table

majority of the respondents often turn to their academic work, with a weighted mean of 3.14

ranked as 1st. On the other hand, respondents also often practiced exercising indoors, with a

weighted mean of 2.69 ranked as 5th. It means that students are making most of the statements

above. Therefore, based on the data collected, Mental Disengagement gathered a weighted mean

of 2.90, having a verbal interpretation of often.

Mental disengagement was the only coping strategy predicted by playing games, clearly

demonstrating that games are used to escape everyday problems, in line with previous findings

(e.g., Kaczmarek & Ar˛azkowski, 2014).

As to humanitarian?

Table 9 indicates the coping styles in terms of humanitarian. It revealed the majority of

the BSED students are often practicing the statement “I call/text/video call my friends to give
them emotional support.” With a weighted mean of 3.05 ranked as 1 st. Moreover, some

respondents are sometimes practicing donating to Covid-19 charitable organizations, with a

weighted mean of 2.28 ranked as 5th. It means that students are often practicing the statement

above.

Therefore, based on the data collected, humanitarians gathered a weighted mean of 2.70,

having a verbal interpretation of often.

Disaster governance includes every actor involved in disaster-related action, including

members of the government, civil society and individual citizens, humanitarian and development

systems, and private actors Field and Kelman (2018).

Table 10

Summary of the Coping Styles

Table 10 summarizes the strategies used by the respondents in coping with stress during

this pandemic. According to the ranking, it reveals that the BSED students of Saint Michael

College of Caraga are using the strategy Seek social support having a weighted mean of 3.04

with a verbal interpretation of sometimes ranking 1st which means that the respondents are

primarily into seeking social support. In contrast, Humanitarian, with a weighted mean of 2.70,

ranked 4th as the least practiced strategy by the respondents. According to Adonizio (2012),
students are subjected to various stresses, many of which have a strong influence on their

learning capacity and practice performance.

Problem 3: Is there a significant difference between strategies being used by the 2 nd year to

4th year BSED students in coping with stress during pandemics when grouped according to

their age, gender, year level, and economic status?

Table 11

Test on Difference in the Coping Styles or Strategies of BSED Students

when Group According to Age

Table 11 shows the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test results in determining the

significant difference between strategies used by the 2 nd year to 4th year BSED students in coping

with stress during pandemics d according to their age.

The model statistically demonstrated the significant difference between groups as

determined by one-way ANOVA (F=.161, p=.851). It shows that the result is not significant with

the p-value > 0.05, which accepts the null hypothesis.

The ANOVA result indicates no significant difference between strategies used by the 2 nd-

to 4th-year BSED students in coping with stress during pandemics when grouped according to

their age.

The result shows that the coping styles of BSED students, when grouped according to

age, are the same between groups and within groups.

 According to Anspaugh et al. (2012), all events in life elicit a reaction, but people react or

respond to them in various ways. It is not age that determines how a person copes with stress; it

is the person. Coping with stress, according to them, is the attempt to manage or deal with stress.

Table 12

Test on Difference in the Coping Styles or Strategies of BSED Students

when Group According to Gender

Independent Sample T-test

Table 12 shows the independent sample t-test results in determining the significant

difference between strategies used by the 2nd- to 4th-year BSED students in coping with stress

during pandemics when grouped according to gender.

The model statistically demonstrated the significant difference between groups as

determined by Independent Sample T-test (p=.716). It shows that the result is not significant with

the p-value > 0.05, which accepts the null hypothesis.

The Independent Sample T-test result indicates no significant difference between

strategies used by the 2nd- to 4th-year BSED students in coping with stress during pandemics

when grouped according to gender.

The result shows that the coping styles of BSED students are just the same on equal

variances assumed and equal variances not considered when grouped according to gender.
 Recent research has begun to recognize the significance of gender's influence on stress

and

Women consistently report higher levels of chronic and daily stressors than men (Hogan,

Carlson, & Dua, 2012; Ptacek, Smith, & Zanas, 2010; Tamres, Janicki &Helgeson, 2013).

Table 13

Test on Difference in the Coping Styles or Strategies of BSED Students

when Group According to Year Level

Table 13 reveals the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test results in determining the

significant difference between strategies used by the 2nd- to 4th-year BSED students in coping

with stress during pandemics when grouped according to their year level.

The model statistically demonstrated the significant difference between groups as

determined by one-way ANOVA (F=.120, p=.887). It shows that the result is not significant with

the p-value > 0.05, which accepts the null hypothesis.

The ANOVA result indicates that there is no significant difference between strategies

being used by the 2nd year to 4th year BSED students in coping with stress during pandemics

when grouped according to their year level.

The result shows that the coping styles of BSED students are just the same between

groups and within groups when grouped according to year level.

It assumes that there is a high-stress level, and its management impacts students' learning

outcomes  (Dusselier et al., 2010; Gormathi, Kadayam. Sofia Ahmed, 2013).

 Table 14

Test on Difference in the Coping Styles or Strategies of BSED Students

when Group According to Economic Status

Table 14 indicates the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test results in determining the

significant difference between strategies used by the 2nd- to 4th-year BSED students in coping

with stress during pandemics when grouped according to their economic status.

The model statistically demonstrated the significant difference between groups as

determined by one-way ANOVA (F=2.011, p=.117). It shows that the result is not significant

with the p-value > 0.05, which accepts the null hypothesis.

The ANOVA result indicates that there is no significant difference between strategies

being used by the 2nd year to 4th year BSED students in coping with stress during pandemics

when grouped according to their year economic status.

Based the result shows that the coping styles of BSED students are just the same between

groups and within groups when grouped according to economic status.

According to Caplan and Schooler (2012). The choice of an emotion-coping technique

over a problem-coping strategy is more common among older people and people who live in

urban areas. However, in the current study, single mothers' primary coping mechanisms were

problem-coping approaches centered on boosting income and cutting costs.

 CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The chapter shows the conclusion, primary recommendation, and secondary

recommendation based on the data gathered in the study.

Conclusion

Based on the study's findings, the coping styles are moderately used by the BSED

students. It means the coping styles were practiced by the students most of the time during the

covid-19 pandemic. In addition, the result revealed that most of the students are female and aged
18-22 years old. Many of the respondents are third-year BSED students whose economic status

ranged from below 10 975 pesos considered poor.

Also, the result of the study revealed that among the four factors being used as the coping

style of the students during the Covid-19 Pandemic was found to "seek social support," meaning

that the respondents are mostly into seeking social support. Followed by "avoidance", "mental

disengagement", lastly "humanitarian". According to Guevarra & Cimanes (2017), Students must

better understand themselves, particularly while dealing with the stress they are experiencing.

Moreover, the result shows that there is no significant difference between the strategies

used by the students in coping with stress.

Furthermore, the study is congruent to the theory of Lazarus and Folkman (1984), which

is the "Coping Theory," as it discussed that coping is extraordinarily customized and influenced

by personality traits and perceptual experiences, as well as empirically evident that coping

matters and coping strategies are effective.

Recommendation
The researchers offer the following recommendation based on the findings for consideration.

Primary Recommendation
To the School

The school must provide wellness programs to help schools take charge of stress. These

programs work well and can improve students' ability to deal with their environment. Schools

can also focus on classroom practices that include mindfulness. A teacher can include time for

deep breathing, meditation, or focusing. Research shows centering yourself before a test by

doing breathing exercises, or other meditation reduces stress and, in the long-term, actually helps
you do better on assessments. Your school needs leadership and action to manage stress. Learn

how stressed out students are and how they are handling it. Your primary concern should be your

students; ensure their school day contributes to their education. Make the most of your timetable

for the good of the whole school. You may successfully reduce tension in your students by

following these steps. Coping is essential in preventing a negative academic outcome by

lowering, limiting, or tolerating stress (Gustems and Calderon 2013). (Tavolacci et al. 2013).

To the school administrators

School administrators should encourage direct contact with students and focus on

students in need of assistance, providing care and education and an appropriate environment that

academically qualifies students, ultimately contributing to the student's improvement and

improving each student's mental health. Setting and enforcing school budgets, maintaining

academic records, and assisting students, especially during stressful times, are all common tasks

for school administrators (Sarier & Uysal, 2013; Vázquez-Cano, 2016).

Secondary Recommendation 

To the Teachers

Teachers should help students build emotional resilience and activate their greatest levels

of cognition by knowing how stress impacts learning. Teachers should provide support by

identifying at-risk kids, linking them with appropriate school resources, collaborating with

school wellness or health advisory committees, and advocating for their students in their schools,
districts, and communities. Teachers must be aware of their pupils' stress in both the classroom

and in their personal lives. According to Pitzer and Skinner (2016), high-stress levels can have

poor academic and emotional consequences and may be a contributing factor in adopting a

variety of harmful habits.

To the Parents
The parents should help kids feel safe, loved, and cared for. It is the best way to offset

stress. It is more crucial than ever for them to feel close to you and to know that you love and

accept them. Parents can offer additional stability and support. Talk and listen to your children.

Make them feel secure and cherished. Inform them what to anticipate if you can. Discuss what

will happen, how they can handle it, and how you can help. Offer solace and compassion.

Establish basic rituals to make them feel at home. According to Compas (2016), parents and

family members can help the adolescent overcome psychological discomfort by providing

guidance, teaching skills, material aid, and emotional support.

To the Future Researchers

Future researchers must focus solely on coping styles that can benefit students and

consider other methods of coping with stress that they may encounter. This study can raise

awareness among students struggling on their own that they can share their problems with others.

Healthy coping skills are essential because they teach us how to deal with adversity and make us
more resilient. Consequently, we will be able to conquer whatever obstacles we encounter in the

future by having courage and determination (Counseling Center, 2021)