Examining the Academic Stressors Faced by Grade 12 HUMSS Students

and Their Coping Mechanism

Baybayon, Roxanne Y.

Bangalao, Thaierrell

Castillo, Anna Jayne

Buhat, Cristine B.

Bajao, Melanie P.

Mercado, Kris

Paguidopon, Christian Jake

Takiang, Marc Kevin

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

One of the most prevalent mental health conditions that senior high school

Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) students encounter in both their

academic and personal lives is academic stress. Stress is the result of our

reactions to pressure or threats. Usually, it occurs when we feel helpless or

uncontrollable in a predicament. According to the kids' perspective, academic

rivalry can be added to the list of pressures, along with having a tone of

requirements, cramming their schoolwork, chasing deadlines, and meeting

parents' expectations. Stress is also defined as feeling under pressure, despair,

anxiety, and tension, all of which have an impact on a student's mental health,
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according to "Stress and Teenagers," (n.d.). Stress also refers to pressure,

despair, anxiety, and tension, all of which have an impact on a student's mental

health. The techniques people frequently employ to help them manage

uncomfortable or challenging emotions in the face of stress and/or trauma are

known as coping mechanisms. People who use coping methods can keep their

mental health while adjusting to challenging situations.

Coping mechanisms are tools that people use to deal with stress as well

as emotions like loneliness, anger, anxiety, and sadness. (2018, Good Therapy).

Moreover, there are many strategies for managing stress; for example,

mindfulness meditation, yoga, and physical activity are all useful ways to

decompress. However, you cannot simply go away from a heated dispute to go

for a long walk or do meditation. In these situations, you need something more

readily available and more instantaneous. Talking face-to-face with a patient and

empathetic listener can help you to de-stress and release tension right away

(Segal et al., 2022). Pandemic, academic, social, emotional, and behavioral

concerns surfaced as challenges that may be overcome. To sum up, in order to

achieve school-based goals, school counselling services must create and

implement student personality services (Karaman et al., 2021).

Background of the study

Students are facing different challenges in terms of their academic such

as assignments, projects, recitations, examinations, quizzes and many more. It

may affect their academic performances on having this kind of stress. They may
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not be focus and always pushing through their limits to finish and submit it on

time, for they don’t want to have a failing grade. For some students, stress

almost becomes a way of living. However, it is dangerous to let stress become a

student’s way of living in Senior High School because some stress levels can

lead to terrible effect that completely change students’ lives and it may result in

failure. However, Stress is necessary to challenge students to learn. Therefore,

students need to create coping strategies for their stress in order for them to

reduce the negative effects on their learning and performance. Approaches are

needed that reduce the negative aspects of stress which hinder/hamper students'

learning and performance. The key to reducing distress is providing students with

a feeling of control over their education, information about what to expect, and

feedback regarding what can be done to improve their performance. Stress is the

"wear and tear" of student’s bodies caused by frequently changing environment.

It has physical and emotional effects. It can create positive or negative feelings.

Positive influence of stress can help and compel them to action; it can result in

anew awareness and an exciting new perspective. Negative influence can result

in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger, depression, and lead to health problems

such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Stress can

help or hinder us depending on how they react to it. The individual responds to

stress in ways that affect the individual, as well as their environment. Most adults

have forgotten what it was like to experience the stress placed on students, but

students ride the roller coaster every day.

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Indeed, stress symptoms can affect the body, the thoughts and feelings,

and the behavior. Being able to recognize common stress symptoms can give a

jump on managing them. Stress that's left unchecked can contribute in many

health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and

diabetes. In the current study, we found that the most widely employed coping

mechanisms were problem-solving and social support. These findings were

consistent with a past experimental study that indicated that it is strongly advised

to encourage the students' use of social support as coping mechanisms [48].

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to investigate the academic stressors faced by Grade 12

HUMSS students and the coping mechanism they employ to manage these

stressors.

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

1.1. Age

1.2. Gender

1.2.1. Male

1.2.2. Female

2. What are the primary academic stressors faced by Grade 12 HUMSS

students?

1.1. Heavy workload

1.2. High expectations

1.3. Fear of failure

1.4. Self-pressure
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3. What coping mechanisms do Grade 12 HUMSS students employ to manage

academic stress?

1.1. Engaging in relaxing activities

1.2. Seeking social support

1.3. Effective time management

1.4. Practicing healthy habits

Objectives of the study

1. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the academic stressors

experienced by the students and the coping mechanisms they employ to

manage these stressors.

2. To assess the prevalence of different coping mechanisms employed by

grade 12 HUMSS students to manage academic stress.

3. To identify and examining the primary academic stressors faced by grade

12 HUMSS students including their mental health.

Significance of the Study

This study aims to identify the common academic stressors faced by

grade 12 HUMSS students and the coping mechanisms they employ to manage

stress. The findings of this study can be used to develop interventions and

support programs to help students cope with stress and improve their academic

success.

Particularly, this study can provide valuable insights into the following:

Grade 12 Students. This research provides insights on how graduating

students of Senior high school manage their stress inside and outside the school.
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Teachers and Staff. This research study will provide knowledge for them about

how then can help their students improve their academic performance by

addressing their stressors. This study also be a basis in guiding the students

who is struggling in school.

The Readers of this Study. People who will read this research will have

awareness about their current level of stress and the situations that could lead to

stress. This could also help them to give idea of what coping mechanism they

should employ in order to manage their stressors.

The future researcher (s) with the same topic of this study. With this study, it

can serve as guide for the future researchers that will tackle the same topic and

get some information from it.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

This Study focuses only on examining the stress levels and how the Grade

12 students cope up or manage their stressors. This Research wanted to know

their coping mechanism on stress inside and outside the school.

The study is limited at the factors that affect these students on how they

engage on those stresses, those who can't manage it well and those who don't

know how to cope up it. The study will not aim to give them another stress but

wanted and help the students conquer it.

The Data Gathering techniques of the researchers used varies on standard

survey questionnaires only, with the permissions of the students conducted and

questions that varies the study.

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Definition of Terms

To provide a better understanding of the research, the following

terms/words are given definitions as to how it is used in the paper.

1. HUMSS - Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) a strand in the

Senior High School (SHS) curriculum in the Philippines that focuses on

the study of human behavior, society, and culture.

2. Stressors- Factors that cause stress, a state of mental or emotional strain

or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.

3. Coping Mechanism- A behavioral or mental strategy that an individual

uses to manage stress or difficult situations.

4. Prevalent- Existing in large numbers or amounts; widespread or common.

5. Predicament- A difficult, perplexing, or embarrassing situation.

6. Rivalry- Competition or antagonism between two or more individuals or

groups. Decompress- To reduce tension or pressure, especially after a

stressful or demanding experience.

7. Dispute-A disagreement or argument, especially one that is prolonged or

heated.

8. Instantaneous- Occurring without delay or hesitation; immediate.

9. Interventions- Actions or measures taken to interfere in a situation or

process, especially in order to prevent or correct something.

10. Insights- The ability to understand something deeply and thoroughly; a

deep understanding.

11. Empathetic- Able to understand and share the feelings of another.

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12. Comprehensive- Inclusive of all or nearly all elements or aspects of

something.

13. Assess- To evaluate or estimate the value, importance, or condition of

something.

14. Prevalence- The extent to which something is present or exists.

15. Implement – To put into effect or practice; carry out.

16. Terrible – Extremely bad; dreadful

17. Hinder – To make it difficult for someone to do something or for

something to happen.

18. Frequently – Often; happening many times.

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Review of Related Literature

Stress has become an inevitable aspect of our daily lives; anything that

presents a difficulty or a risk to our health qualifies as stressful. Everyone in

our more competitive environment strives to achieve greater success in their

personal lives (Reddy K.J., 2018). Stress is defined as a feeling of emotional or

physical stress. A number of incidents occur in a person's life that cause

unpleasant feelings such as rage, frustration, and anxiousness, which further

increase stress. The body's reaction to a challenge or demand is called stress. It

is possible to be good at times, but chronic stress might lead to serious health

problems.

Academic pressure has increased in recent years, with examinations,

assignments, and several other activities that a student must handle. Not only

the design, but teachers and parents also put a lot of pressure on pupils to earn

good scores. These expectations force pupils to work tirelessly, resulting in

increased stress. In addition to academics, parents and institutions expect kids

to participate in extracurricular activities; the current expectation from

students is to be an all-rounder. The lack of suitable counseling channels leads

to greater confusion, and students are unable to choose a career for themselves

despite hard study habits.

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Additionally, academic stress is characterized by a student experiencing

increased mental strain due to their failure to satisfy expectations for their

academic achievement. The majority of parents and educators have higher

expectations for their kids, yet this pressure puts additional strain on the

pupils and causes them to become more stressed. These pressures interfere

with a student's everyday routine and raise the risk of disorders linked to

stress, anxiety, and depression (Topor DR, 2010).

Furthermore, prolonged stress can cause physical and emotional

problems, as well as anxiety and depression. It is critical to have a way to ease

anxiety. According to Mckean et al. (2000), stressors are not the only cause of

anxiety, tension, or depression; rather, a synergy between stressors and the

person's behavior and attitude toward these stressors creates stress.

In addition to that, bad stress must be avoided and prevented (Linn and

Zeppa, 1984). It is worth noting that different students may view the same

pressures differently, based on their cultural background, personality traits,

experience, and coping skills (Kaufman et al., 1996).

Causes of Stress Among Students

Peer Pressure
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Peer pressure may be both harmful and beneficial. It can either assist

introverted kids in growing their personalities in a positive way or act as an

impediment and cause tension. It is critical for pupils to acquire wisdom and

surround themselves with positive individuals in order to overcome most peer

pressures. Additionally, conflict and disagreements with others are reported to

be among the most upsetting daily stressors that students face while attending

school (Lui, 2016). Students have claimed that relationships and interpersonal

conflicts are a major source of stress, even though these are not the most

serious stress issues are currently present in the life of the students (Abouserie,

1994). This could result in major substance abuse such as smoking, drinking,

cheating on tests, and lying.

Subramani and Kadhiravan (2017) discovered a relationship between academic

stress and student mental health. He agreed that academic stress and mental

health are linked, and that pupils feel suffocated by the academic framework.

Parents and schools place far too much pressure on pupils to achieve higher

grades, which demoralizes them; also, there is insufficient assistance from

parents and schools in terms of guidance. When students perform productively

in academic venues, they are mentally well.

Time Management

Students with hectic schedules can easily become overwhelmed because they

have no time to breathe. As a student moves from elementary to high school,

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the number and degree of schoolwork increase, and learners who do not have

adequate time management skills may feel additional stress.

Students who fail to organize their time well may find that academic difficulties

become a reality that they must face. To alleviate the stress associated with

academic difficulties, efficient time management is an essential strategy that

should not be neglected. A study on the development of college students found

that the time and energy students put into educational activities can be the

best source of information their own development and learning (Astin, 1993;

Pace, 1980; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991).

Bataineh (2013) examined academic pressures encountered by university

students in his study. The findings of the analysis revealed that unreasonable

academic overload, insufficient study time due to the enormous course content

being covered, high family expectations, and low motivation levels are some of

the causes of stress. Fear of failing is another major source of stress.

Emotional Issues

Individuals' psychological states might change as a result of stress over time. It

can lead to sadness and anxiety, both of which are significant psychological

issues for college students. Anxiety and sadness can both have a negative

impact on the social and educational lives of students. According to a study

conducted in June 2013 by the American Psychological Association, 41.6% of

college students cited anxiety as a serious issue. It was ranked as the number
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one psychological stress among college students. Depression was ranked

second on the list.

Academic stress, according to Kaur (2014), has a negative impact on

adolescents' mental health. Girls experiencing academic stress were found to

have poorer mental health than males. According to the study, parents

sometimes put pressure and strain on their children, which leads to poor

mental health.

Relationships

Many students are stressed out because of romantic relationships. Some

pupils may find themselves in an institution with a far larger population than

their primary and secondary schools. Stress and life happiness, as well as a

student's gender and age, can all have a significant impact on the variables

connected to relationship development. Students prefer social contacts with

their friends, and romance is frequently on their minds during these

conversations (Coccia & Darling, 2013).

Students who initiate relationships while attempting to focus on their studies

may experience stress from their significant other. Students can become

impatient and annoyed while attempting to react to their stress, which can lead

to unneeded disputes between couples in their relationship (Smith, 2011).

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When students are fighting with a significant other, they tend to say things they

do not intend in the heat of the moment (Arslan, 2010). When told that their

significant other requires time to study for tests, attend class, or finish

homework, romantic partners may not be understanding.

Health Issues

Students may discover that existing or new health conditions cause an

unexpected level of stress. When students live at home, all of their basic needs

are met; however, those same basic needs: getting enough sleep, eating a

nutritious diet, and getting enough exercise often take a back seat in a

student's life as they try to balance their studies, jobs, and interactions with

others (Balancing Work and School, 2018). Health-related stress can have a

severe impact on learner’s academic performance.

Coping Strategies used by Students

There are several approaches and techniques that students

can use to relieve stress, such as implementing any type of exercise into

their daily routine; this tiny modification will go a long way toward

ensuring a happy environment that lasts. Breathing techniques and

meditation can also be used to help learners relax during tests and

prevent anxiety. It is also critical to ensure that students get sufficient

rest because this will allow them to be more patient and attentive.

Additionally, music is beneficial whether played under stress or not.

Listening to music has numerous advantages and can significantly

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reduce stress. The way one talks to oneself makes a major influence in

one's mindset, so good self-talk is essential which will further lead to

harmonious surroundings

Self-Medicating and Substance Abuse

Self-medication for stress can lead to substance dependence. Students

frequently seek relief with prescription medications, alcohol, or

recreational drugs. Finding a coping mechanism for stress can be

challenging, and learners frequently try any coping method available.

When students self-medicate, they may believe that their stress has been

lifted when, in reality, it has merely been hidden.

When all other options have been exhausted, substance misuse may

become the chosen approach to coping. When seeking stress coping

strategies, alcohol may be the most commonly abused substance.

Students who reported having a more stressful day had a greater alcohol

conception than students who considered their stress as typical (Park,

Armeli, & Tennen, 2004). College students will drink in order to become

less aware of the situation. On the days when they believed that the

day's event was unfavorable, they were less concerned with the stress

that they were coping with (Armeli, Todd, & Mohr, 2005).
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Diet and Exercise

Students who maintain an improper diet may endanger their health.

Changes in eating choices and regular physical activity can help

students cope with stress. Exercise as a stress-reduction strategy can be

both physically and psychologically beneficial to the student. Dr. Michele

Johnson Moore and Dr. Chudley Werch (2008) conducted a study to

determine the relationship between self-reported intense exercise and

substance use among college students. Regular exercise and a balanced,

healthy diet can be crucial in lowering stress in college students, and

counselors who make these recommendations may anticipate a beneficial

influence on stress reduction when these behavior changes are

implemented.

Dimitrov (2017) argued in his study that stress can be alleviated by

ensuring that students prioritize their well-being. Some areas to

concentrate on are food, exercise, work, and recreation. He also found

that the educational system is primarily concerned with academic

qualifications and fails to contribute enough to students' entire growth.

Social engagement
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Social involvement can be another effective way for students to reduce or

eliminate stress. Given that stress can create social disengagement

among college students, social adjustments can be beneficial in dealing

with stress. Student trauma, financial stress, academic achievement,

perceived stress, and stress coping strategies all have a direct

relationship to student stress, and coping with student stress through

social development and therapy can lead to better outcomes.

Social interactions may help solitary children acquire self-confidence,

resulting in a more optimistic attitude. When students living with stress

employ social connections as a coping mechanism, stress may begin to

lessen, allowing the students to enjoy previously difficult activities (Fitz-

Gerald, 2017). Withdrawn students may not find stress reduction unless

they engage in social connections that were previously considered as

unachievable or impractical. Extending social relationships to previously

uncharted places can be beneficial in relieving stress. Using social

engagement as a stress-reduction strategy can lead to better outcomes

and improved mental health in students.

Counseling

College students who are stressed out should seek help from school counselors

for stress control. Students may believe that seeking therapy from their
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institution is not an option, although schools provide these services through

their student support service systems. Counseling services may differ between

schools, however, many concerns that students confront may be addressed by

counseling services. Students that want additional assistance to succeed in

class frequently require counseling to demonstrate a good response to their

perceived stress (Thomas & Borrayo, 2016). More pupils are looking for coping

mechanisms to prevent academic failure. Counseling may be the answer.

Using school Counseling assistance programs, both academic and non-

academic strain can be managed. Students may feel embarrassed to seek aid in

dealing with their stress, but once a counselor is involved, they may discover

that requesting help from the school's Counseling assistance group is more

useful than the coping method employed previous to counseling. Counseling

may be beneficial for students experiencing stress relating to their academics,

social lives, personal lives, college transition, or even the illness or death of a

relative or friend.

When students seek assistance from counselors, the outcomes can differ from

one student to the next. Individuals who wish to conquer stress, on the other

hand, may discover that counseling is the best alternative for relief (Thomas &

Borravo, 2016). Students who try drugs and/or alcohol as stress relievers may

find that counseling is required not just to alleviate the tension, but also to

manage the new substance abuse that resulted from the initial attempt to battle

stress.
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