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 UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST

THE IMPACT OF STRESS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF

STUDENT’S IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST, SCHOOL OF

BUSINESS.

EMMANUEL BROBBEY

2020

UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST

1
 THE IMPACT OF STRESS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF

STUDENT’S IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST, SCHOOL OF

BUSINESS.

EMMANUEL BROBBEY

THIS PROJECT IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE

COAST, DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT IN PARTIAL

FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF

BACHELOR OF COMMERCE DEGREE IN MAMNAGEMENT.

AUGUST 2020

2
 DECLARATION

Members Declaration

We hereby declare that apart from external sources of data which have been

duly acknowledged in the reference section of this project work, the research

study is a result of our own investigation supervised by Mrs. Juan-Ark Manu

Agyapong and presented to the University of Cape Coast, School of Business.

We further affirm that no part or whole of it has been submitted for any

research work elsewhere.

Leader’s Name: Brobbey Emmanuel

Leader’s Signature ……………………… Date ………………

Supervisor’s Declaration

I hereby declare that the preparation and presentation of this research work

was supervised in accordance with the guidelines on supervision laid down by

the University of Cape Coast.

Supervisor: Mrs. Juan-Ark Manu Agyapong

Supervisor’s Signature …………………… Date ……………...

ii
 ABSTRACT

This work is designed to examine the problem of academic stress among

students of the University of Cape Coast, School of Business, its causes and

ways of controlling it to enhance the students’ performance. The objective of

this study is to examine the effect of stress on the academic performance of

University of Cape Coast, School of Business students and the associated risk

when stress is not managed properly. To achieve this objective, three (3)

research questions were tested and the literature review was mainly focused on

the causes, effects and ways of managing academic stress. The instrument of

data collection was questionnaire while convenience sampling method and

random sampling technique were adopted for the study. Data collected and

analyzed were driven from the three (3) research questions posed. A sample

size of 100 from a population of over one-thousand (1,000) was used due to

the COVID-19 pandemic. From the findings, it was discovered that academic

stress could be controlled to enhance students’ performance. The study

discovered that by educating students on how to manage stress, staying focus,

having enough rest, exercising a lot and effective time management can help

to manage stress in order to enhance students’ academic performance.

Keywords: Stress, Academic Performance, Managing stress

iii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We are very grateful to have completed our research work at a University as

collaborative as the University of Cape Coast, School of Business, there are

many people to appreciate for their role played in our accomplishment. We

would like to give special thanks to our Supervisor, Mrs. Juan-Ark Manu

Agyapong for her countless hours of reflecting, reading, correcting and most

of patience throughout our work.

Our sincere thanks go to our parents for their financial support and endless

prayers and to all our friends who in one way or the other encouraged and

supported us.

Special thanks go to the teaching assistant of the Department of Management

in the 2019/2020 academic year for their help and encouragement throughout

our project work.

iv
 DEDICATION

We dedicate this work to God almighty, who has brought us this far and from

whom all good things come. We also dedicate this work to our lecturers and to

all my friends for their motivation and words of encouragement.

v
 TABLE OF CONTENT

Contents Page

DECLARATION ...............................................................................................ii

ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................... iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................ iv

DEDICATION ................................................................................................... v

LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................... x

CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................ 1

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1

Background of the Study ................................................................................... 1

Statement of the Problem ................................................................................... 4

Purpose of the Study .......................................................................................... 5

Objectives of the Study ...................................................................................... 5

Research Questions ............................................................................................ 5

Significance of the Study ................................................................................... 6

Delimitation of the Study ................................................................................... 6

Limitations ......................................................................................................... 7

Definition of Key Terms .................................................................................... 7

Organization of the study ................................................................................... 8

CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................... 9

LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................. 9

Introduction ........................................................................................................ 9

vi
Theoretical framework ..................................................................................... 13

Lazarus stress theory ........................................................................................ 13

Conceptual Review .......................................................................................... 16

Positive effect of academic stress .................................................................... 16

Negative effects of school stress. ..................................................................... 17

Factors that causes academic stress ................................................................. 19

Health factors ................................................................................................... 19

Exercise ............................................................................................................ 19

Sleep patterns ................................................................................................... 20

Social factors .................................................................................................... 21

Finance ............................................................................................................. 21

Family and social support ................................................................................ 21

Problem with roommate ................................................................................... 22

Academic factors ............................................................................................. 22

Management of time ........................................................................................ 23

Finance ............................................................................................................. 23

Course overload ............................................................................................... 24

Finding the sources of stress ............................................................................ 24

Avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs .................................................................... 25

Management of time ........................................................................................ 25

Talk to your loved ones.................................................................................... 25

vii
Maintain a healthy and varied diet ................................................................... 26

Benefits of stress management......................................................................... 26

Empirical review .............................................................................................. 26

Conceptual framework ..................................................................................... 30

Chapter Summary ............................................................................................ 30

CHAPTER THREE ......................................................................................... 31

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY..................................................................... 31

Introduction ...................................................................................................... 31

Research Approach .......................................................................................... 31

Research Design............................................................................................... 32

Study Area ....................................................................................................... 32

Sample Size (Target Population) ..................................................................... 33

Sampling method ............................................................................................. 33

Research Instruments ....................................................................................... 34

Administration of Research Instruments ......................................................... 34

Data collection techniques ............................................................................... 35

Ethical Considerations ..................................................................................... 35

Data Collection Procedure ............................................................................... 36

Data analysis .................................................................................................... 36

Field work Challenges ..................................................................................... 37

Chapter Summary ............................................................................................ 37

viii
CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................ 38

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS .................................................................... 38

GENDER ......................................................................................................... 38

AGE ................................................................................................................. 39

OPTION IN BCOM ......................................................................................... 40

LEVEL OF STUDY ........................................................................................ 41

SOURCES OF STRESS .................................................................................. 42

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE ...................................................................... 43

STRESS ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC LIFE .............................................. 44

STRESS AWARENESS .................................................................................. 45

CHAPTER FIVE ............................................................................................. 50

DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION ........................... 50

Discussion ........................................................................................................ 50

Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 51

Recommendations ............................................................................................ 52

Suggestions for Further Study ......................................................................... 53

ix
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Page

1 Authors Construct ................................................................................ 30

2 Gender (N=100) .................................................................................. 39

3 Age of students (N=100)..................................................................... 40

4 Option in Bcom (N=100) .................................................................... 41

5 Year of Studies ( N=100) .................................................................... 42

6 Sources of stress (N=100) ................................................................... 43

7 Academic Performance (N=100) ........................................................ 44

8 Students’ academic life ( N=100) ....................................................... 45

9 Should stress awareness be taught at the University ( N=100) ........... 46

x
 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Stress is a major source of problems that students face during their

university education when they are struggling to achieve academic outcomes

for their future life (Lee & Graham, 2001). Academic pressure is one of the

factors that causes students to fail. Sharma, Parasar and Mahto (2017) define

stress as the mental response and action by hormonal signaling, the perception

of danger triggers an automatic response system, known as response to fight or

flee. Generally, stress refers to two things, the psychological perception of

pressure, on the one hand, and the body's response to it, on the other, which

involves multiple systems, from muscle breakdown to memory. Stress

demands high expectations of oneself, which causes a feeling of tension and

pressure (Goedert, Cuenda, Craxton, Jakes & Cohen 1997).

Certain tensions set us in motion and are good for us without any

tension. Many say that our lives would be boring and possibly meaningless

(Wilson,2007). However, when stress undermines our psychological and

physical health, it is bad. Students are subject to different types of stressors,

such as pressure from academics with the obligation to succeed, an uncertain

future and difficulties integrating into the system. Students also face social,

emotional, physical and family problems that can affect their ability to learn

and their academic performance (Rogers & Yassin,2003). Too much stress can

cause physical and mental health problems, low student self-esteem, and can

also affect students’ academic performance (Niemi & Vainiomaki,1999).

1
 For students currently attending university, however, the process is

often stressful and frustrating. According to Cotton, Dollard and DeJonge

(2002), competition for grades, the need to perform well, relationships, career

choices and many other aspects of the university environment are sources of

stress. Before condemning stress outright, we need to understand that stress is

only harmful when it is excessive. Much of the stress that we all know is

helpful and stimulating. The challenges of life tend to be stressful and an

attempt to avoid stress completely would lead to a rather boring existence. The

problem arises when you feel too much stress. Although some reactions to

stress are part of deeper and more serious emotional problems, many are not

and can be treated with relatively simple counseling and stress management

techniques.

This study focuses more on the harm than good stress does to students

in relation to their academic performance at school. It is common for students,

individually or in groups, to interact with their environment, these experiences

in one way or another affect their academic performance (Chemers, Hu &

Garcia 2001). Stress has generated a lot of interest in recent years. It has been

of great concern to members of the academic world and other researchers. For

most people, stress is bad and should be avoided, but this position is not

always true.

According to Yates (1979), stress in sufficient quantity is a necessary

ingredient for anyone whose life will show vitality. Stress must be managed,

not simply avoided. Therefore, this study is designed to analyze the effect of

stress on students’ academic performance using the University Of Cape Coast

School Of Business as a case study. Ivancevish (1980) pointed out that to say

2
that stress causes performance degradation is rather simplistic as to the starting

position. Therefore, there must be an optimal level of stress tolerated to

achieve performance. This point of view makes stress a complex concept

which does not lead to a simple definition.

Mc-Garth (1776) defined stress in terms of conditions necessary for it

in the following way: it is a potential for stress when it is perceived that the

environmental situation presents a demand which threatens to exceed

capacities of the person. The same is true of the harmful effects on their well-

being, their health and even the care of their students. Some negative effects of

stress are increased absenteeism, heart disease, late classes and poor health.

Stress can have both positive and negative consequences for the

individual. Optimal stress can lead to maximum efficiency, create satisfaction,

a feeling of well-being and accomplishment, and another reward for success

(Mensah, Fosu, & Oteng, 2017). On the other hand, excessive stress at school

can lead to loss of appetite for reading, poor performance and reduced mental

and physical health. Stress is caused by certain factors (stressors) that exist

inside and outside the school environment (Zautra, 2006). These stressors can

be identified as intra-individual, inter-individual, institutional and extra-

institutional stressors.

Gibson, Ivancevich and Donnelly (1995) defined stress as an adaptive

response mediated by individual differences and psychological processes,

which is a consequence of any external physical (environmental) action,

request or action. However, some common factors have been identified as

sources of related academic stress. Some of these factors include conference

3
overload, long conference hours, poor time management, student financial

difficulties and many more.

Students’ academic performance is a key characteristic of education

(Rono 2013). It is considered to be the center around which the entire

education system evolves. Some factors influencing high academic

achievement include daily hours of study, parents' economic status and good

learning facilities (Singh, Malik & Singh (2016). Students face challenges in

their studies due to the ineffective use of these factors to improve academic

performance. In this sense, this study seeks to discover the negative impact of

stress on student achievement, the relationship between school stress and

students’ achievement, and finally, to recommend strategies for managing

stress at the University of Cape Coast School of Business, the reason being

that complex results on how academic stress relates to students’ performance

can be provided effectively.

Statement of the Problem

A lot of research has been done on school stress and student

performance. For example, Kaumi, Alkali, Kali and Shehu (2018) conducted

research on the effect of stress on the academic performance of students at

Ramat Polytechnic Maiduguri in Nigeria. In addition, Mohammed (2018)

studied the impact of stress on the academic performance of secondary school

students in the Vehari district. In the same year, Marwoan (2018) investigated

academic stress among undergraduates at King Saud University in Riyadh.

Mussarat Jabeen Khan in Lahore has also conducted research on the effect of

perceived academic stress on student achievement.

4
 In Ghana, Duncan-Williams (2015) studies school stress, academic

performance and psychological well-being of upper secondary rehabilitation

students in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Although several studies have

been conducted on academic stress and student performance in the University

of Cape Coast School of Business specifically, we would like to add more

information to the ones already conducted.

Purpose of the Study

The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of stress on the

academic performance of University of Cape Coast School of Business

students and the associated risk when stress is not managed properly.

Objectives of the Study

The objective of carrying out this study is as follows;

1. To identify the causes of stress among the students at the

University of Cape Coast School of Business.

2. To identify the specific areas of stress in the lives of students the

University of Cape Coast School of Business.

3. To identify techniques to deal with the stress.

Research Questions

Considering the findings above, the research is intended to address the

following questions:

1. How does stress influence the students’ academic life?

2. Should stress awareness be taught at the University?

3. How do you feel when you are stressed?

5
Significance of the Study

This research will provide information on protective factors that help

reduce the influence of stress on students' academic performance. This study

will benefit students of the University Cape Coast especially those in the

School of Business and the entire body of the University. The study provides

stress management recommendations that will improve student thinking such

as creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, decision making and learning

ability.

Students and the general users at large will be exposed to specific areas

of stress in their lives and identify the causes of stress among the students in

the University of Cape Coast School of Business.

The recommendations from the research study will suggest appropriate

ways of handling stress and the techniques to deal with it.

The research can add up to the literature available to the subject area

which can be used by other researchers to serve as a source of reference in

further studies. For this, future researchers can read the methodology and the

findings of this study to conduct a further research on the subject area.

Delimitation of the Study

This study will be limited to the University of Cape Coast School of

Business. This is due to the fact that the university is made up of many schools

and colleges and that research cannot be carried out using all of these

establishments. The students’ results are also expected to faithfully reflect

other students from other schools and faculties of the University.

6
Limitations

Due to financial constraints, this survey will not be focused on the

students of the University of Cape Coast at large and also respondents’

response could also pose a challenge, since many feel they would be

victimized.

Also, as a result of the impact of COVID-19, most of the students are not

available on campus to fill the questionnaires hence there has been a reduction

in sample size.

Definition of Key Terms

 Stress: Lazarus and Folkman (1984) explained stress as a condition or

a feeling felt when a person perceives that the demands exceed the

personal and social resources that the individual can mobilize to

manage the condition.

 Academic Performance: Refers to how the student obtains a score in

a given exercise in class, homework or exams. It is measured by the

grades they get and also their participation in class (Nana &

Gowtham,2014).

 Attrition: A wearing down to weaken or destroy (Stress Effect).

 Stress Management: Refers to a series of measures taken by an

individual or an institution to reduce the possible negative effects of

stress (Smith et al, 2010). Stress management begins with a person

who takes charge of their thoughts, emotions, schedule, environment

and problems, (Auerbach & Gramling, 2000).

 Stressors: These are requirements of the internal or external

environment that alter balance, which affects physical and

7
 psychological well-being and requires actions to restore balance,

Douglas (1992).

 Academic Stress: It is a mental anguish concerning a certain

anticipated frustration associated with school failure or even an

awareness of the possibility of such failure

Organization of the study

This section provides a road map that my guide readers through the reading

the understanding of this research. The study is structured into five (5)

chapters with chapters, with chapter one outlining the background of the

study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research questions,

significance of the study, scope and delimitation of the study and definition of

terms.

The second chapter gives a comprehensive analysis of related literature on the

topic, theoretical framework and conceptual framework related to the gap in

the knowledge from chapter one.

The chapter three which deals with the research methodology will provide

enough quantitative or qualitative information to replicate the study.

The chapter four will analyze and give explanations, discussions,

interpretations and summary of key findings to the various data collected from

the students during interviews.

The final chapter will summarize key information in the research, concluding

remarks, and recommendations are also given to improve the quality of study

in this field. A reference list and questionnaires will be attached at the end of

this research, as well.

8
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

Stress is the physical or mental condition induced by various stressors

to the students (Ekpenyong, Daniel, & Aribo, 2013). This project is a

summary of literature focused on the impact of stress on the academic

performance of University of Cape Coast School of Business students. The

main aim of this study is to investigate the impact of stress on the academic

performance of School of Business students at the University of Cape Coast,

and related risk when stress is not handled properly. Additionally, there is

discussion of acute and chronic stress, which is linked to the stress period.

Academic stressors like academic success, economy, social ties and managing

time management is debated in detail. What's more, this study details how

students deal with stress. This study will help business school students at the

University of Cape Coast to understand the effects of stress on their academic

performance and to learn how to manage stress. Various techniques to reduce,

avoid and manage school stress are recommended for use in practice.

There are a variety of stress meanings and several occurrences which

can lead to stress. People claim they are stressed when taking an exam, when

facing a stressful job situation, or when experiencing problems in

relationships. Stressful situations can be regarded as harmful, dangerous or

difficult (Perrewé & Zellars, 1999). It is difficult, with so many factors

contributing to stress. The definition of stress is difficult to describe. Hans

Selye (1936) proposed the first and most generic definition of stress "as a non-

specific response of the organism to any request for change."

9
Folkman (1984) suggested stress occurs when people perceive external

situational demands to exceed their ability to adapt. "Stress is a state of mind

that represents certain biochemical reactions in the human body and is

projected by a sense of anxiety, according to Jit (1995); Tension and

depression, caused by environmental or internal factors that cannot be met by

the person's resources. Levi (1996) claimed that "stress is triggered by a

multitude of demands (stressors), a disparity between what we need and what

we can, what our world offers us and what it demands of us."

Stress happens when the person has a burden that exceeds his or her

available assets. If the stress is severe and prolonged, it can reduce academic

performance, impede the ability of a student to become involved and

contribute to campus life, and increase the likelihood of abuse of substances

and other potentially destructive behaviors (Richlin, Klonsky & Hoe 2003).

Research by Vermunt and Steensman, (2005) defines stress as the perception

of the incongruity between the environmental burden (stressors) and a person's

ability to fulfill them. Researchers typically describe stress as the unpleasant

reaction people experience under intense pressure or some other form of strain

imposed upon them. Stress occurs when a person faces a situation he

recognizes as irresistible and cannot cope with (Khan, Altaf, & Kausar, 2013).

Students are subjected to stress (Smith, Johal, Wadsworth, Smith &

Peters 2000) in an advanced educational organization like the University,

where the burden imposed on students is based on the time limit and the

difficulty of standing out in tests or exams. Research has identified stress

symptoms, such as energy loss, high blood pressure, depressed mood,

increased desire, focus trouble, impatience, nervousness, and anxiety (Agolla

10
& Ongori, 2009). The Person-Environment model is a valuable model for

understanding stress in university students (Misra & McKean, 2000). This

model suggests people might view stressful events as demanding or

frightening.

Perception of educational goals as a challenge creates stress and this

stress, in turn, creates a sense of competence and an enhanced learning

capacity (Khan et al, 2013). The perception of education as a threat, however,

brings with it a sense of hopelessness and a worrying sense of loss, leading to

a drop in school results. Stress is considered a part of student life and can

influence student coping strategies according to university life demands.

Academic work is actually always done with stressful activities (Agolla et al.,

2009). Students recorded their experience of high academic stress at regular

times in each semester, arising from planning and taking tests, classification

competition and mastery of a large number of programs in a relatively short

period (Rawson, Bloomer & Kendall, 1999). A strong relationship between

stressful life events and decreasing academic performance is found among

university students, as well as a link between health-related quality of life and

stress, (Dusselier, Dunn, Wang, Shelley & Whalen 2005).

Undergraduate students reported that stress was the most common

factor among all the health factors that affect their academic performance,

since stress affects physical and psychological health, (Dwyer & Cummings,

2001). Wintre and Yaffe (2000) concluded that a high level of stress in the

first year of college provides for a lower level of overall adjustment and can

make students more susceptible to many social and psychological problems,

thus leading to a weighted average for the last year. Many studies have

11
addressed this issue and it has been found that many psychological problems

such as depression, anxiety and stress have an impact on student academic

performance. Williamson, Birmaher, Ryan and Dahl (2005) reported that

among anxious and depressed youth, stressful life events are significantly

elevated, which in turn results in poor academic performance.

Stress has become an important subject in research studies in academia

as well as in our society. Academic stress in students has long been the subject

of research and researchers have recognized various important stressors

including missions, unhealthy competition among students in the class, fear of

failure in academic success, inadequate finances, poor interpersonal

relationships with teachers and family issues (Fairbrother & Warn, 2003). At

the institutional level, some stressors are the overcrowded conference rooms,

the semester system and the insufficient resources to carry out academic work

(Awino & Agolla, 2008). Kumar and Jejurkar (2005) concluded in their

studies that academic factors were mainly responsible for higher stress levels

among undergraduates.

Students experience stress due to various factors including time

management issues, financial issues, interaction with teachers, personal

subjective goals, social behavior and adjustment in lack of cultural support

(Wilks, 2008). Admission process, high expectations of parents, curriculum

with complex concepts, unsuitable school hours, unbalanced student-teacher

relationship, physical classroom environment, unhealthy student-teacher

interaction, strict and fast discipline rules, too many tasks or complex,

teaching methodology, the careless attitude of the teacher and the emphasis on

weaknesses rather than recognizing strengths (Masih & Gulrez, 2006).

12
Academic stress occurs when the academic demands exceed the resources

available to a person whom he or she adapts and this stress should not be

ignored because it negatively affects the general adjustment of students

(Hussain, Kumar & Husain, 2008). Stress can negatively affect a student's

academic performance, so it is important for students to manage stress in order

to overcome the negative effect of stress (Mushtaq, I., & Khan, S.N. 2012).

Theoretical framework

Over the years, several theories have been developed by a number of

authors to help students understand stress, its manifestations and its impacts.

Lazarus stress theory is the main theory supporting our research.

Lazarus stress theory

Lazarus and Folkman (1984) explained that stress is a condition or

feeling that is felt when a person perceives that the demands exceed the

personal and social resources that the person can mobilize to manage the

condition. This is also called the "coping and transactional stress model."

Therefore, the individual perception of the psychological situation is the

critical factor. According to Lazarus, the effects of stress on a person are based

more on the feeling of threat, vulnerability and ability to cope with that person

than on the stressful event itself.

Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) Transactional Model of Stress is used as the

theoretical framework underlying this study. The model describes how an

individual reacts to specific stressors in the external environment. According

to Lazarus and Folkman (1984), no event or situation is inherently stressful.

Instead, the stressor is defined by the subjective judgment of the situation that

13
is considered threatening, damaging or taxing available resources. So, the way

that people react to similar stressors varies due to the different perception that

they have. According to Lazarus, psychological stress is a particular

relationship between the person and the environment that the person evaluates

as taxing or exceeding their resources and endangering their well-being. For

example, too many assignments in a short period of time can make a student

believe that they will certainly not finish within the allotted time.

Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) stress theory is particularly relevant as

an analytical framework, as it will help us better study some key stressors that

can ultimately affect students' academic performance and how to manage or

control these academic stressors.

Lazarus theory of stress believes that academic stress can be assessed in two

main ways, namely:

1. Primary assessment

2. Secondary assessment

The primary assessment is when an individual decides whether a situation is

threatening or positive. There are three things an individual should assess:

1. How serious is the threat to this person?

2. Is it a positive encounter?

3. Is it difficult or harmful?

If a person decides that the situation is threatening, the following effects can

occur: injury, illness, worry, anger, disgust, disappointment, anxiety and fear.

14
For example, when a student perceives a high probability of failing a

particular course, he begins to worry and sometimes he can get sick before the

actual event occurs.

Secondary assessment occurs when we assess the resources available to fight

or cope with the stressor. A person can choose to use internal options

(willpower, internal strength) or external options (peers, professional help).

For example, when a student does not understand a particular lesson, he may

choose to devote more time to this particular lesson or ask for help from

friends or a teacher.

Lazarus theory of stress has also developed two key strategies to handle or

manage school stress. They are:

1. Coping with problems

2. Emotional adaptation

Problem-based coping is used when we feel that we are in control or can

handle the source of the problem. There are four steps to managing this stress:

1. Define the problem

2. Generate alternative solutions.

3. Learn new skills to deal with stressors

4. Re-evaluate and find new standards of behavior.

Emotional adjustment is used when an individual feel that he cannot handle

the source of the problem. Therefore, this leads people to avoid stressful

situations, to distance themselves from stressors, to accept or seek medical

assistance.

15
For example, when a student fails the exam, he feels vulnerable or threatened

by what other people around him are saying, in addition to the stressful event

itself.

According to Laurence, Williams and Eiland (2009), theories of stress

can be classified into three aspects:

1. response theories

2. stimulus theories

3. transaction theories

According to response theories, stress is understood as a response by people to

external pressures or to stressors, such as too many assignments in a short

time. Stimulation theories seek to understand stress from the perspective of

major events such as humanitarian disasters, chronic activities and other life-

threatening activities. In transactional or process theories, stress is studied as a

complex set of interactions and adjustments between the person and the

environment. Lazarus and Folkman (1984) are the most popular transaction

theory. Through their transactional model, they emphasize the “transactional”

nature of stress, by arguing that it is a two-way process by which the

environment produces stressors and the individual finds ways to manage them.

Conceptual Review

Positive effect of academic stress

1. According to experts, stress is an explosion of energy that basically

advises you on what to do. Stress has many benefits in small doses. For

example, stress can help you overcome daily challenges and motivate

16
 you to reach your goals. In fact, stress can help you do things more

effectively. It can even increase memory.

2. Stress is also a vital alert system, which produces the fight or flight

response. When the brain detects a certain type of stress, it begins to

flood the body with chemicals such as epinephrine, norepinephrine and

cortisol. This creates a variety of reactions, such as an increase in

blood pressure and heart rate. In addition, the senses suddenly have a

laser-like focus so that you can avoid situations of physical stress, such

as jumping out of a moving car and being safe.

3. In addition, there are several health benefits with a little stress.

Researchers believe that some stress can help strengthen the immune

system. For example, stress can improve the functioning of your heart

and protect your body from infection. In one study, people who

experienced moderate stress levels before surgery were able to recover

faster than people who had low or high levels.

Negative effects of school stress.

1. Stress worsens grades: when a student is stressed and worried, he takes

charge of his ability to concentrate during lessons or studies. Stress can

even cause students to drop out of school or stop school. The National

Health Assessment 2010 of the American University Health

Association reported that more than twenty-five percent of students say

that stress has reduced their grades or the ability to complete a course.

For students experiencing stress at home, attending school homework

may not be a priority. As the research shows, the stress exhibited by

instructors directly increases the stress level of students in the

17
 classroom. Stressors can appear at any time to interrupt learning and

concentration. It is vital for educators to recognize the significant

impact of stress on adolescents and young adults and to work to create

a calm and supportive educational environment. School administrators

who want their students to be academically successful should regularly

check on students and refer students to mental health counselors and

programs if necessary, and inform families of the negative impact of

stress on students.

2. Stress decreases the quality of sleep: there is a link between stress

levels and lack of sleep. According to the Anxiety and Depression

Association of America, 70% of those who report persistent stress have

trouble sleeping.

3. The National Sleep Foundation reports that teens need at least eight

hours of sleep to function at peak performance, but only about 15% of

teens get enough. Lack of sleep makes stress management difficult,

while negatively affecting concentration, learning, listening, memory

and problem solving.

4. Stress enrages students: stress can be to blame for students who are

likely to intimidate others. The Mayo Clinic reports that stress

increases feelings of irritability and anger, increasing the likelihood of

outbursts and social withdrawal. In addition to directing anger at

fellow students, stressed students may be reluctant to follow school

guidelines and engage respectfully with the instructors. They can also

display disrespectful behavior online. His focus on anger can make the

whole job suffer.

18
Factors that causes academic stress

There are many stressors, but several authors have grouped some of the

stressors into three: social, health and academic factors.

Health factors

There are three health-related factors that contribute to student

academic performance. These factors include the amount of exercise, sleep

patterns and nutritional routines that have been shown to contribute to a

student's academic performance (Hammer et al, 1998). These factors are

discussed below.

Exercise

The researchers assessed the effect of exercise on the academic

performance of university students, but came to different conclusions.

Turbow, (1985), in a study of eight hundred and ninety-one senior classes and

graduate students, found that students who worked seven hours or more a

week scored significantly lower than those who worked six hours or more. less

per week or who weren't doing everything. The same results have been

reported by Trockel et al. (2000). They consider that taking time out of the

hours of frequent study to work takes away the marks of the students. Trockel

et al. (2000) also observed that a common phenomenon on university

campuses was that students became almost addicted to exercise, thereby

transforming healthy behavior into a psychologically unhealthy state.

19
Sleep patterns

Reports in the literature indicate that sleep patterns explain the greatest

variance in the students' cumulative weighted average (Lack, 1986). Kelly et

al. (2001) "classified sleep habits into three categories:

1. Short sleepers: individuals who, when left on their own schedule, have

slept six hours or less.

2. Average sleepers: individuals who sleep seven or eight hours.

3. Long sleepers: people who sleep nine hours or more over twenty-four

hours.

The study found that people who were considered to be sleeping long

reported higher GPAs. Indeed, people who sleep fewer hours at night may

suffer from psychological maladjustment and this increases their anxiety and

stress, which has been associated with poorer academic performance. These

factors cause problems for students, such as a reduction in attention span and

an increase in the number of errors students make in tests. Similarly, Pilcher

and Walter (1997) found a negative effect of sleep deprivation on student

achievement.

Nutrition

Another aspect of the health factor that has been shown to be linked to

academic performance is nutrition. One aspect of the relationship between diet

and school performance concerns the consumption of breakfast. Breakfast

seems to predict high GPAs and it seems to influence short-term recall and

spatial memory (Benton & Sargent, 1992). However, Trockel et al., (2000)

20
show that breakfast does not significantly affect the semester's GPA after

controlling for the effects of waking up on weekends and weekdays.

Social factors

A number of social factors that can contribute to stress among

university students have been identified. They understand the lack of time and

support for and from family and friends, family commitments, financial

difficulties and problems with college roommates (Legault, L., Green-Demers,

I., & Pelletier, L. 2006).

Finance

Results from previous studies suggest that financial burdens could be a

potential stressor for students, which contributes to poor academic

performance (Renk, K. & Smith, T. 2007). Pfeiffer, (2001) points out that

there are many students who have to work during their university studies to

pay their fees. It often happens that students have to work late at night, this

can be dangerous for students, because worrying about their financial

problems and their grades can be a huge stress in their university life.

Family and social support

A considerable number of studies have been conducted to examine the

effects of support from parents, family members, friends, academics and peers

on student anxiety and academic performance (Renk, K. & Smith, T. 2007).

However, results on the extent of support received from a particular source are

mixed and inconclusive. William, (1996) found that social support scores were

important predictors of graduates' surrogacy after controlling for various

ethnicity issues. Orpen, (1996) confirms that social support from friends and

21
family members moderated the negative effects on test anxiety and therefore

the results of student exams. Interesting results have been obtained from Smith

and Renk, (2007) where parental support was not significantly linked to

academic stress; however, it is the level of social support received by

university students.

Problem with roommate

It has been shown that the academic motivation given by a roommate

to a student has a positive impact on the student's academic success (Blai,

1972). In fact, students who do better academically can create less stress for

their roommates and, therefore, allow them to perform better (Ryan M.M, et

al., 2004). Based on the study, very little research has been done to determine

whether the problem with the roommate is another contributing factor to stress

and its effect on the academic performance of university students.

Academic factors

Academic problems are the most common source of stress among

students (Struthers et al., 2000). Schafer, (1996) asked students about their

most stressful daily problems. He observed that the most irritating daily

hassles were generally school-related stressors such as constant pressure to

study, too little time, writing course materials, taking tests, plans and boring

instructors. Among the stressors, Fisher (1994) stated that anxiety related to

tests or exams is one of the main causes of school stress and most students

seem to be more emotionally vulnerable to the exam. Another frequently

reported source of stress that most university students are aware of is receiving

a lower score than they expected (Ratana 2003). Stress associated with school

activities has been linked to various negative outcomes such as poor health,

22
depression and poor academic performance (Clark & Rieker, 1986). For

example, Lesko and Summerfield (1989) found a significant positive

correlation between the incidence of the disease and the number of exams and

assignments. Similarly, Aldwin and Greenberger (1987) found that perceived

academic stress was linked to anxiety and depression among university

students. However, even if too much stress can interfere with a student's

preparation, concentration and, subsequently, performance, positive stress can

be helpful to students by motivating them to achieve optimal performance

(Pfeiffer, 2001).

Management of time

Time management plays an effective role as a stressor. Most of the

time, students feel lazy and therefore continue to postpone their homework

and other things. By finishing the job at the end, a person feels the stress of

doing all the homework together. Here, stress is caused by not managing time

in any of the situations the student faces in everyday life, which could affect

performance or concealment.

Finance

He became more familiar with the fact that education has become too

expensive. On the economic level, college education is reaching new heights.

So we conclude here that university fees are expensive. Not all parents can pay

school fees. But parents who cannot pay but are ready to admit their child to

university still manage to pay their fees. They sacrifice their other needs in

front of their children's careers and also for their wants and needs. It is also

one of the causes of stress in the life of the individual. The individual is

familiar with this fact and it can stalk the individual's mind, causing stress. On

23
the other hand, there can be many other ways to cause stress due to financial

problems. If the individual is not satisfied with their monthly pocket money or

cannot meet their own needs or is embarrassed in front of their friends due to

lack of money or continuous sacrifices due to lack of money or losing money

in any situation This can cause financial stress.

Course overload

Contagious classrooms are common in all schools, especially those

overcrowded with students over the age of 40. Most of these classrooms have

little space between students and ventilation is inadequate. Even with good

ventilation, the window and doors are sometimes closed.

As mentioned earlier, an overcrowded conference room can cause stress,

which in turn weakens the immune system, allowing children to get sick faster

than normal.

Students at the University of Cape Coast Business School can manage stress in

several ways. These include:

Finding the sources of stress

Often when a university student is under stress, he or she does not

know the reason for the stress. In this case, that person should be calm and

find out the stressors that are causing them stress. This can be something like

exam stress, laundry load, fighting with friends or family issues. By having a

clear idea of the stressors in the student’s life, the student will be one step

closer to administering the student’s life.

24
Avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs

Few people give reason to relax for smoking. But this is a

misunderstanding. But the point is, nicotine controls an individual's feelings so

they don't know. Alcohol, smoking and drugs are stimulants, which will

increase your stress instead of reducing it. It also causes stress, so a university

student should avoid smoking, using alcohol and drugs. You can instead drink

herbal tea, fresh fruit juices and mineral water to keep yourself hydrated.

The father of stress research, Hans Selye, named the factors that cause stress

as stressors. He mentioned that the stressors could be a factor of time, meeting,

situation and anticipation. In general, stress depends on variables such as time

management, finances and course overload.

Management of time

Often when an individual keeps their tasks on hold, he or she feels

responsible for completing the tasks together at the end. It causes stress. So, to

avoid such stress, a person must manage his time properly. He or she should

prefer to finish the tasks on time and not continue to postpone the work for

whatever reason and which concerns stress until the end. This may give you

time to do other activities. Time management is also important advice for

coping with and avoiding stress.

Talk to your loved ones

Many times, when someone is stressed for some reason, they need to

talk to their family member, best friend and partner. By expressing stress and

sharing problems with loved ones, you can really help reduce your stress.

Also, your family members can give you some tips for dealing with your stress

25
or help you find solutions. Therefore, talking to a loved one can help cope

with or manage stress.

Maintain a healthy and varied diet

Always try to maintain a healthy diet. Food is not only to satisfy

hunger, but its respective vitamins play a role in reducing stress. Fresh orange

and grape juice would be good for an individual's immune system and would

help reduce stress. Therefore, maintaining a healthy diet will also help you

cope with stress.

Benefits of stress management

Managing stress among students is the very important key to success

and happiness. Being able to manage stress will improve the quality of life for

students. Learning to manage stress will be very helpful in a student's personal

and professional life. Stress management will also increase an individual's

patience and quality of work. Some of the benefits of stress management

include better immune function, more relaxation, good mood, and positive

energy.

Empirical review

S. Akgun, and J. Ciarrochi, (2003) examined the effect of school stress

and acquired ingenuity on academic performance. It has been hypothesized

that school stress is associated with a low level of academic performance. The

results supported this hypothesis by revealing a significant negative effect of

school stress on school results. This finding is consistent with previous

research results (Felsten & Wilcox 1992) indicating an inverse relationship

between stress and academic performance.

26
 They discover that the negative impact of stress has been moderated by

the ingenuity acquired. More specifically, school stress had a significant

negative effect on the academic performance of low-income students, but had

no effect on high-resource students. This result is consistent with previous

laboratory studies where it was found that the ingenuity acquired was linked to

performance in the face of stressful situations. For example, after being

exposed to a must condition of noise or repeated failures, subjects with high

resources showed a more successful performance in an anagram task than

subjects with low resources (Rosenbaum & Ben-Ari, 1985). One possible

explanation is that the stress felt by the ingenious students was actually less

severe than the stress felt by the others. However, we found no evidence that

ingenuity and the severity of stress were linked. Thus, it seems that ingenious

students experience as much academic stress as others, but are better able to

manage this stress effectively.

Current research has studied the effect of academic stress on student

performance and the consequences of certain demographic variables such as

gender, age, level of education at the start and end of the semester. The

Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to measure student stress, it is made up

of ten elements and the reliability is 0.74, which shows that the scale is

reliable. The perceived stress scale (PSS) assumptions are explained below.

The first hypothesis is that school stress affects student performance.

The result found it significant because with the semester system, the students

have less time but they are required to complete many modules and this leads

to stress (Safree, Yasin & Dzulkifli 2010). They also found that depression,

anxiety and stress were negatively correlated with academic performance. The

27
study found that the ability to deal with stress was just as important. How

students perceive stress is an important factor in its severity. A negative or

excessive perception of stress contributes to the fact that students suffer from

psychological and physical impairments (Murphy & Archer, 1996). Students

who are able to manage stress effectively perform much better than those who

are unable to manage stress (Khan, Altaf, & Kausar, 2013).

The second hypothesis states that academic stress will be higher among

female students than among male students. The result indicated the non-

significant difference between men and women on the perceived stress scale.

It is supported by existing research by Watson (2002) to inspect academic

stress among students enrolled in a public college in the Philippines with

reference to gender differences. The results revealed an insignificant

difference in perceived stress between male and female students, as female

students also learned time management and stress coping strategies like male

students. They value their studies by adopting effective and efficient study

habits. In addition, they are very dedicated, concerned and consistent in their

studies.

The third hypothesis states that academic stress will be higher among

younger students than among older students. The result demonstrated that a

significant difference occurs between younger and older students on the

perceived stress scale. Academic stress is higher among younger students than

among older students, as younger students are not as well adjusted to

academic stress as the university as seniors. They do not adapt to problems,

but older students adapt their time management skills compared to younger

students (Trueman & Hartley, 1996). This is due to the fact that they have

28
learned and adapted to successful time management behaviors, which in turn

reduces academic stress and anxiety.

In addition, the fourth hypothesis suggests that academic stress will be

higher among less qualified students (juniors) than among highly qualified

students (seniors). The result showed a significant difference between junior

and senior students on the perceived stress scale. Juniors scored higher on the

perceived stress scale than seniors. Academic stress is higher among less

qualified students (juniors) than among highly qualified students (seniors);

because less qualified students are less experienced, have a low level of

maturity and are more victims of the academic stress of the university

compared to seniors who are not only mature and experienced but also well

adapted and well adapted to academic stress. According to Porter (1990),

almost sixty percent of University students have left university without having

completed their degrees; the majority of these students leave in the first two

years due to an inability to manage their psychological conditions specially to

cope with stress.

The fifth hypothesis notes that at the end of the semester, academic

stress will be higher between students than at the beginning of the semester.

The result indicated the insignificant difference between the students at the

beginning and the end of the semester because students must remain vigilant

throughout the semester system, whether it is the beginning or the end of the

semester. It is the beginning or the end of the semester, students must above

all remain vigilant throughout the semester. It is the request of the biannual

system to stay active and make extra efforts by studying regularly. Nowadays,

more stimulating and innovative tasks are assigned to students who maintain

29
enthusiasm and competition between them rather than creating boredom and

stress.

Conceptual framework

This framework sorts to give a pictorial view of the effect of academic stress

on students’ performance. It is illustrated in figure 1 below:

POSITIVE
EFFECT

ACADAMIC STUDENTS’
STRESS PERFORMAN
CE

NEGATIVE
EFFECT

Figure 1: Authors Construct

Chapter Summary

This chapter offers a detailed overview of how academic stress in the

University of Cape Coast School of Business affects student success. It

captures a clear theoretical framework, empirical review, concept analysis, and

summary of the chapters.

30
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction

The research methodology forms the third chapter of the study. This

chapter presents processes and procedures used to arrive at the findings of the

study. It considered issues such as research approach research design, study

population, sample and sampling procedures, research instrument, data

collection method data analysis and ethical consideration. The data analysis

methods and the data collection tools are also presented in this chapter.

Research Approach

According to Cresswell and Cresswell (2016), there are three

approaches to research; (a) qualitative, (b) quantitative, and (c) mixed

methods. Saunders et al. (2016) provides three significant differences between

quantitative and qualitative research methods. The study employed the

quantitative research approach based on the nature of the study purpose under

consideration, specific objectives, hypotheses and the nature of the primary

data to be collected and analysed. Creswell (2014) asserted that quantitative

approach deals with explaining phenomena by collecting numerical data that

are analysed using mathematically based methods (in particular statistics).

This approach typically begins with data collection based on a hypothesis or

theory and it is followed with application of descriptive or inferential statistics

(Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003).

Quantitative methods are frequently described as deductive in nature,

in the sense that inferences from tests of statistical hypotheses lead to general

inferences about characteristics of a population. Quantitative research was

31
chosen for this study because it helps in a broad and comprehensive coverage.

Furthermore, data collected through quantitative research approach are

objective and measurable. Quantitative research permits the researcher to

familiarize himself with the concept to be examined and generate hypotheses

to be tested (Salehi & Golafshani, 2010).

Research Design

Research design is usually a plan or blue print which specifies how

data relating to a given problem should be collected and analyzed. It provides

the procedural outlines for the conduct of any investigation. The research will

take both descriptive and explanatory forms to identify the effect of stress on

academic performance of students in the School of Business of the University

of Cape Coast. The descriptive research involves describing, recording,

analyzing and interpreting conditions as they exist. Explanatory research refers

to the research that focuses on studying a situation or a problem in order to

explain the relationships between variables. It is concerned with how the

researchers goes about answering the research questions by way of knowing

what data to gather, the source of data, the intent behind it and the justification

of the particular research design decision (Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill,

2007).

Study Area

The study was undertaken at the School of Business of the University

of Cape Coast. This is because the study area was closer to the researcher and

access to information was easy.

32
Sample Size (Target Population)

According to Leedy and Ormrod (2010), population can be seen as the

target group about which the researcher is interested in gaining information

and drawing conclusions.

This research will focus on fifty Students in the School of Business of

the University of Cape Coast. The School of Business of the University of

Cape Coast is made up of six departments. These departments are Accounting,

Finance, Management, Procurement and Supply Chain, and Marketing. These

departments are made up of over one thousand students each. A sample size of

four hundred (100) students was chosen due to financial and time constraints

faced in conducting the study.

Sampling method

Owing to the larger number of the total population of the study, the

researcher selected a representative few or unit from a larger group or

population through sampling techniques. According to Malhotra, Birks and

Wills (2013) sampling is the process of selecting a representative few or unit

from a larger group or population, which is used as a basis of estimating

certain characteristics or elements about the group or population. Arnold and

Randall, (2010) also held similar view when it was concluded that sampling

deals with the selection of respondents chosen in such a way that represent the

total population as good as possible.

A convenience sampling method will be used to identify or get in

contact with our respondents. A convenience sampling is a type of non-

probability sampling method where the sample is taken from a group of people

easy to contact or to reach. Then a random sampling technique was used in

33
selecting participants from each group to form our sample size. Self-

administered questionnaires were issued to the respondents.

Research Instruments

The main instruments used to elicit information for the study was

questionnaire. The questionnaire was structured to consist of both closed and

open-ended type questions which were used to get answers from the

respondents. Questionnaire is a set of questions with a definite purpose

designed for a target group of people to be administered by themselves within

a particular time frame. According to Plano and Badiee, (2010), questionnaire

guarantees high efficiency in data collection and high generalizability of

results over the more intensive research designs. However, Creswell and Plano

(2011) emphasize that questionnaire lacks flexibility in that once a

questionnaire has been designed and distributed out it becomes difficult to

change the categories of data collected. The use of carefully structured

questionnaire enabled the collection of large quantities of data and also had a

wider coverage at less cost. Few interviews were also conducted, personal

observations were also made. However, care was taken in order not to be

biased in giving an objective analysis of what was observed.

Administration of Research Instruments

The questionnaire was designed to capture the demographic data of

respondents and their opinion with respect to the research questions. The

questionnaire was divided into four sections, section A was designed to obtain

information on the demographic and personal details such us sex, age and

level, section B consisted of questions to determine the source of stress,

section C elicits on academic performance and section D was structured to

34
know how feel when they are stress. The questionnaire was constructed using

a five-point Likert type scale. The respondents were required to indicate the

extent of their agreement or disagreement with each statement on a score of

one (1) to five (5). A score of one represented strong agreement with the

statement, while a score of five represented strong disagreements.

Data collection techniques

Looking at the nature of the research, primary data was used. The

primary source involved self-administered questionnaire and interviews. The

questionnaires were administered to the sample of students selected out of the

population to obtain information pertaining to the effect of stress on the

academic performance of Students in the School of Business of the University

of Cape Coast. This method was chosen over other research methods based on

the assertion of Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2007) that, surveys are

appropriate and a common strategy in business research which is a highly

economical means of analyzing a large amount of data. The questionnaire was

prepared to provide answers to the research objectives as well as the research

questions. As and when needed, secondary data may be obtained from

journals, books, among others.

Ethical Considerations

Ethical issues were considered to be very important in conducting a

research of this kind. For this reason, the researcher took into considerations

the ethical issues in the study. This was done in an ethical manner, and was in

line with both moral and practical issues in a research. The consent of the

respondents was sought before the study was carried out. In gathering data for

the study, the respondents were about the purpose of the research and the

35
objective it meant to achieve. Respondent were encouraged to feel free and be

objective as possible in given out their responses as outmost confidentiality

was assured and they had the option to either participate or not. The

participants for the study were also assured of anonymity and confidentiality

in terms of how the findings were revealed. Participants were also assured that

names would not be used and specific reference would not be made to

individuals to allow anyone to discern the real persons being referred to in the

study.

Data Collection Procedure

The questionnaire was self- delivered to the respondents. The

respondents were taken through the questions to avoid any doubts that could

have occurred. The answered questionnaires were retrieved from the

respondents a week after it had been administered to them. Some of the

questionnaire were delivered in the lecture halls and were retrieved

immediately after the lectures.

Data analysis

The data obtained from the questionnaires was grouped on the basis of

their connection with various research objectives. Data was analyzed using

descriptive statistical tools such as mean, mode, regression and correlation

analysis and advanced statistical analysis software packages such as Microsoft

Excel and SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Scientist). Descriptive statistics

by percentages, figures and tables will be generated from the software to

establish relationship among the variables. The relevant information will be

obtained in a standard form using tables, frequencies and percentages to

analyze and interpret the information. The results will be finally presented in

36
charts and tables. These will be used to ensure easy understanding of the

analyses.

Field work Challenges

Some of the respondents were reluctant in providing the needed

information as they saw the exercise as a waste of time and also scared of

being victimized. While some of the respondents took few days to respond to

the questionnaire, it took others a week or more in getting back their responses

for the study. It also worth mentioning that due to some of these challenges,

the research work was delayed.

Chapter Summary

This chapter explains the various methods that will be used to unravel

the effect of stress on the academic performance of University of Cape Coast

School of Business students. The methodology examined at the research

design, population of the study, sample population, data collection and

analysis.

37
 CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

This chapter is to analyze the data obtain as responses to the impact of

stress on the academic performance of University of Cape Coast School of

Business students.

Primary data collection was based on information obtained from

students from the University of Cape Coast school of Business. One- hundred

and twenty (120) questionnaires were administered to some of the students

and we had 100 respondents respectively.

Analysis is done based on the information received from the students

and interpreted to know the impact of stress on the academic performance of

the University of Cape Coast school of Business students.

“The main objective of this study is to examine the effect of stress on the

academic performance of University of Cape Coast School of Business

students”

GENDER

The bar chart below is the gender of students who took the part in the

survey. A total of 100 respondents were involved, out of this, males had the

greater percentage which is 64% and the remaining 36% were females. The

survey was conducted among some students in the University of Cape Coast

School of Business.

38
 Male Female

Figure 2 Gender (N=100)

AGE

The slice of the pie chart shows the percentage of students with regards to

their age. Those within the ages of 21-25 had the greater portion of the chart

with 86%, they were followed by those within the ages of 26-30 with 10%,

and the least percentage was taken by those less than 20 with 4%. There were

a total of 100 respondents.

39
Figure 3 Age of students (N=100)

OPTION IN BCOM

The pie chart below illustrates the option of study in BCOM of the

respondents. Management and Accounting had the highest percentage with

34% followed by Finance and others with 32%

40
Figure 4 Option in Bcom (N=100)

LEVEL OF STUDY

The slice of the pie chart below shows the percentage of respondents with

regards to their level of studies. Final years took the greater portion of the

chart with 82%, they were followed by the second years with 12%, next was

the third years with 4% and the least percentage was taken by the first years

with 2%. The respondents were 100 in total.

41
Figure 5 Year of Studies ( N=100)

SOURCES OF STRESS

The chart below explains the sources of stress. There were 100 respondents

with regards to this chart. How often do you hear from your family while on

campus had the greatest percentage with 13.40%, followed by taking in a well-

balanced diet with 13.18%, how often have you been following your time

table had 13.07%, followed by distractions or disturbances from roommate on

campus, and the least was how often have you been angered because of things

that were beyond your control on campus with 10.57%.

In this regard, “how often do you hear from your family whiles on campus” is

a great or major source of stress on students of the University Of Cape Coast

School Of Business.

42
Figure 6 Sources of stress (N=100)

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

The pie chart illustrates the impact of stress on academic performance. A total

of 100 respondents were involved. From the charts below, stress does not

distract students’ attention during lectures, and it had the highest percentage

with 24.02%, followed by stress not reducing students’ academic morale with

22.55%. Stress does not lead to failure in completing an assignment on time

which is third on the chart with 22.30% , followed by stress does not lead to

my absenteeism in class with 17.89%. And lastly stress does not help the

students to get good grades in all courses. With regards to the chart below, we

can conclude that stress does affect the performance of students in the

University Of Cape Coast School Of Business since it had the lowest

percentage. Thus, from the previous analysis above, the source of stress,

43
which is not hearing from your family, does not help the students to get good

grades in all courses

Figure 7 Academic Performance (N=100)

STRESS ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC LIFE

The chart shows the respondents opinion on whether stress influences

students’ academic life. There were 100 respondents. And with the first bar

which represent “strongly agree”, shows stress really influences students’

academic life since it recorded the highest percentage with 55%.

44
Figure 8 Students’ academic life ( N=100)

STRESS AWARENESS

Below is a chart which represents the respondents’ opinion on whether stress

awareness should be taught in the university. There were 100 respondents. .

And with the first bar which represent “strongly agree”, shows stress

awareness should be taught in the University since it recorded the highest

percentage with 70%

45
Figure 9 Should stress awareness be taught at the University ( N=100)

11. In your own view how can stressed be managed?

Views from the respondents:

 Break, meditation

 Students taking some time off and relaxing their minds

 By calming down and getting your mind off stressing things, for

example, different hobbies and sports. - exercise, time outs and time

management

 A work life balance practice

 Stress can be managed by external factors, for example: the situation is

getting better and causing no worries. However, it is more important

46
 for the people themselves to deal with stress on their own: try to solve

the problem, arrange the time for busy schedule, meet with doctor or if

they cannot change anything, accept it as a matter of life

 Sports and physical activity

 Individuals should find their own ways of decreasing stress levels. For

example, involving in your favorite hobbies like jogging, yoga or

bicycling etc or playing video games for reasonable time. Maybe even

hanging out with friends.

 Engage in fun and entertaining activities

Depending what causes the stress and how it affects each person, it is

important to remember even in the middle of rush day or week, have a

moment for yourself and do something that you like and that takes

your mind out of the stressful things, such as reading a book you like.

In case the stress has effects on your mental health, it is important to

see a doctor.

 . Handling problem gently and positively.

 Deep breath and repeat Jedi code 3 times

 Attending parties with friends by accepting the situations, by sharing

with close friends

 Seek for guidance on stressful issues and give yourself a "me time".

 To organize school activities like games and entertainments programs

this will involve most students.

 Through good structured counseling and stress management education

 Staying focused and having enough rest

47
  Having enough time for yourself and talking to others if there becomes

the need.

 Handling situations positively

 Reduce the number of hours for lectures to at least two hours

 Minimizing quizzes and assignments

 Gaining much leisure time

 When you are being taught on how to manage it

 Give each students a personal psychologist

 By having enough sleep

 Workload on students in terms of lecture and quizzes should be

reduced

 Planning what to do

 Proper time management

 Eating well

 Education on the need for resting etc

The above responses were related to how stress can be managed. Majority of

the respondents argue that having enough time and getting engaged in

extracurricular activities like sports and other entertaining hobbies play

significant role in helping to deal with stress. Also seeking guidance and

counseling or discussing with friend helps a lot.

12. How do you feel when you are stressed?

Here, respondents could choose more than one option. We had a total of 100

respondents. Majority of the students said they occasionally do not feel well.

Others said they cannot sleep at night. Average number of students said

feeling tired during the day and the least number said other things.
48
From the above information, we can conclude that most students of the

University Of Cape Coast School Of Business do not feel well when they are

stressed up.

49
 CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION

Discussion

The purpose of this study was to discover the impact of stress on the

academic performance of University of Cape Coast School of Business

students. The study found that all the respondents have experienced one form

of Academic Stress or the other. This shows that academic stress is a common

phenomenon among the University of Cape Coast School of Business students

and we observed that it affects students’ academic performance.

The study further found that, students’ not hearing from their family

while on campus was the major source of academic stress even though there

were other sources such as how often they had enough money on them and

enough sleep.

More so, this study examined the relationship between academic stress

and academic performance. It found that overwhelming majority of the

students affirmed that academic stress affected their academic performance.

The findings are in agreement with Linn and Zeppa (1984) who claimed that

academic Stress can inhibit and suppress learning.

Finally, the findings concluded that, majority of the respondents argue

that having enough time and getting engaged in extracurricular activities like

sports and other entertaining hobbies play significant role in helping to deal

with stress. Also seeking guidance and counseling or discussing with friend

helps a lot. This finding is also in agreement line with Kaplan and Sadock

(2000) who claimed that academic stress can be positive thereby enhancing

learning.

50
 The research method used to elicit information for the study was

questionnaire. The questionnaire was structured to consist of both closed and

open-ended type questions which were used to get answers from the

respondents. The use of carefully structured questionnaire enabled the

collection of large quantities of data and also had a wider coverage at less cost.

Few interviews were also conducted, personal observations were also made.

However, care was taken in order not to be biased in giving an objective

analysis of what was observed.

Conclusion

The study findings concluded that University of Cape Coast School of

Business student experience various degrees of academic stress which affects

their academic performance in school. The study established symptoms and

signs with which one can be able to identify students under Academic stress.

These were; not having enough sleep, feeling tired during the day and

occasionally do not feel well.

Further findings from the study indicated that students believe

academic stress has a big effect on their performance. Stress leads to

absenteeism in class, reduces academic morale of students and also leads to

failure in completing assignments on time. Hence, academic stress has an

inverse relationship with students’ performance. The more the stress, the less

the student will perform at school.

In addition to that, the study indicated that by educating students on

how to manage stress, staying focus, having enough rest, exercising a lot and

effective time management can help to manage stress in order to enhance

students’ academic performance.

51
Recommendations

Having concluded that academic stress has a negative effect on

students’ academic performance; it is also pertinent to make certain

recommendations and suggestions to help reduce academic stress on students.

Based on the results of the study, the following recommendations have been

made:

University authorities should ensure good academic environment for

the students and ensure that measures to minimize academic stress are put in

place, measures such as: appropriate course load, appropriate lecture hours,

proper lighting in lecture halls, proper lecture schedule, non- congested lecture

halls, and reduce load on assignment.

Guidance programs such as seminars and public lectures on stress

awareness should be organized periodically for students so that they can be

adequately equipped with the needed skills to handle issues related to

academic stress.

Students should be encouraged to make use of the counseling centers

provided by the university to help them build positive perception on academic

stress.

Lecturers and educators should focus on intrinsic motivation which

will have greater impact on students in achieving high academic performance

amidst academic stress.

Finally, Sports competition like football, volleyball, tennis and other

social activities like picnics, talent shows etc. should be organized for students

in order to release them from distress and enhance their academic

performance.

52
Suggestions for Further Study

The following suggestions are made for further study: Researchers

should research more on inter disciplines in order to find out how different

programs are perceived by students in terms of their stress levels, future

research should use larger sample size from other institutions to validate these

findings.

More research should be done to examine the effect of academic stress

on university student’s performance as a whole in relation to other universities

in order to investigate university activities that induce stress. Also an

investigation should be done on the effect of academic stress on students’

health.

Finally, more studies can be carried out using longitudinal method to

find the role culture and social class play in academic stress.

53
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adolescence and academic performance three years later: The

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personality and performance. Journals of medical education 59.7-12

Malik, P. & Balda, S. (2006). High IQ adolescents under stress: Do they

perform poor in academics? Anthropologist, 8(2): 61-62

Misra, R., McKean, M., West, S. & Russo, T. (2000). Academic Stress of

College Students: Comparison of Student and Faculty Perceptions.

College Student Journal, Vol. 34(2), 236-245

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64
 APPENDIX

QUESTIONNAIRE

STATEMENT OF CONFIDENTIALITY

The researchers are final year students of the University of Cape Coast, School of
Business (Management Department) whose aim is to examine the impact of stress
on the academic performance of students of the University of Cape Coast School
of Business.

Respondents are encouraged to provide accurate information as possible. Responds

provided will be reviewed for the purpose of this research only and the identity of
respondents will as well be kept confidential.

Thank you for your time and cooperation

SECTION A: DEMOGRAHIC INFORMATION – Please indicate with a mark

(√).

1. Sex

Male ( )

Female ( )

2. Age

Less than 20 ( )
21-25 ( )
26-30 ( )
31-39 ( )

3. Option in BCOM
Management ( )
Accounting ( )
Finance & others ( )

4. Level ……………………………….

65
5. Marital Status
Married ( )
Single ( )
Divorced ( )

SECTION B: SOURCES OF STRESSS

In this section, please use a mark (√) to indicate the extent to which you agree to each
of the items or questions. 0 = Never, 1 = Almost Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Fairly
Often, 4 = Very Often
No. Items/Questions 0 1 2 3 4

1.
How often do you exercise?
2. Do you have enough sleep?
3.
How often do you take in a well-
balanced diet?
4. Do you always have enough money on
you?
5.
How often do you hear from your family
whiles on campus?
6.
How often have you been able to
control distractions or disturbances of
friends and roommate on campus
7. How often have you been angered
because of things that were outside of
your control on campus
8. How often have you been following
your personal time table to help manage
your time?

66
SECTION C: ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
Please on a scale of 1 to 5, indicate the extent to which you agree to the following
statements, where , SA– STRONGLY AGREE A – AGREE N – NEUTRAL D –
DISAGREE SD – STRONGLY DISAGREE
No. SA A N D SD
Stress on Academic Performance

9. Stress does not help me to get good

grades in all courses

10. Stress does not lead to my absenteeism

in class

11. Stress does not reduce my academic

morale

12. Stress does not lead to failure in

completing an assignment on time

13. Stress does not distract my

attention during lectures

SECTION D: PLEASE YOU CAN TICK MORE THAN ONE ANSWER

14. How do you feel when you are stressed?

Feeling tired during the day ( )

Cannot sleep at night ( )

Occasionally do not feel well at times ( )

Others ( )

15 . In your opinion rate from 1-5, does stress influences students’ academic life?

1= strongly agree ( )

2=Agree ( )

3= Neutral ( )

4= Disagree ( )

5= Strongly Disagree ( )

67
16. In your opinion rate from 1-5, should stress awareness be taught at the
University?

1= strongly agree ( )

2=Agree ( )

3= Neutral ( )

4= Disagree ( )

5= Strongly Disagree ( )

17. In your own view how can stress be managed?

…………………………………………………………………………………………
……………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………
………………….

68
 69

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