Pedagogical aspects of the development of academic stress

Abstract

Stress and its effects bring a number of problems and complications for university students. Long-term and frequent exposure to negative factors can lead not only to students dropping out of studies but also to the development of health complications. The aim of the present study was to analyse the pedagogical aspects that contribute to the emergence and impact of academic stress, with more than half of the respondents reporting that they encountered stressful situations at least twice a week. One of the biggest burdens the students indicated was performance assessment, with the traditional grading system reported as insufficient to their needs. Other elements were reported as contributing to the development of stress, including the attitude of teachers, the lack of information about the university operations as well as the perceived lack of meaning in the presented curriculum. The questionnaire and other tools used for data collection and analysis were suitably adapted to the university context, with the research sample consisting of 984 students. The data were analysed using factor exploratory analysis, the Pearson correlation coefficient and the coefficient of determination. Six factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis: organizational aspects, communication, meaning of study, perceived deprivation, interpersonal relationships, and university environment.