An analysis of business students’ stressors and their coping strategies in the post-pandemic era

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a dramatic change in teaching–learning practices in higher education across the world. The post-pandemic era with a new shift of teaching–learning phase raises the concern of students' psychological well-being, especially the novice, i.e., first-year undergraduate students, as first-year students often struggle to adjust to the new environment of higher institutions, thereby depressive symptoms are more prevalent among them. In this regard, a qualitative study was conducted followed by a dyadic approach to explore the symptoms of students’ psychological stressors, their causes, and provide essential remedies for coping with such behaviors in the post-pandemic era. The findings show that students’ stressors were commonly reported due to the academic workload, institutional regulations, lack of resources, and financial constraints. Regarding indications, unusual behavior, lack of confidence, improper sleep, and lack of motivation were identified as the primary symptoms of students’ stress. However, participants reported a lack of understanding regarding stress-related matters. Yet, students and faculty members try to adopt several strategies for reducing such stressors. By examining the perceived psychological stress, indications, and coping behaviors, this study enriches the literature by bridging pragmatic and theoretical gaps regarding students’ stressors of business management. Furthermore, the study mainly suggests that adequate institutional support should be provided to deal with students’ problems that cause stress. Also, universities should organize workshops or seminars to cultivate psychological health awareness among students and faculty members.

Using Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy to Improve Psychological Adaptation among Future Coaches in the Post-Pandemic Era

“…The present research’s results agree with data produced by a previous qualitative study [ 39 ] that explored the symptoms of students’ psychological stressors and their causes and provided essential remedies for coping with such behaviors in the post-pandemic era, revealing that “unusual behavior, lack of confidence, improper sleep, and lack of motivation were identified as the primary symptoms of students’ stress” (p. 240).…”

The Resurrection of the First Accounting Course

“…Previous research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic focused on students' evaluations of pre-and post-pandemic learning, on how to integrate technology during the pandemic, on suggestions for online approaches, or on student learning attitudes and engagement during these challenging times (Sharma & Alvi, 2021;Zou, 2022;Main et al, 2020;Wang, 2022;Weldon et al, 2021;Salas-Pilco et al, 2022;Nooney & Vidal, 2021). Other research focused on the importance of feedback during COVID-19 (Istenič, 2021) and on coping with stress during the pandemic (Armoed, 2021;Akram et al, 2022). There has also been research on faculty lessons learned from the challenges (Shohel et al, 2022;Ngoatle et al, 2022;Westhuizen & Hlatshwavo, 2023), and a reflection of past practices (Perera et al, 2020).…”

An Online Mindfulness Meditation Program as a Means for Mitigating Academic Stress among University Students

“…To achieve sustainability in higher education, understanding the factors affecting student retention and providing conducive conditions for their global success is paramount (Akram et al, 2022). In this sense, mental health students play an essential role in fostering their well-being.…”