CHAPTER 1

Introduction

This study and as well as the aim is about the factors that causes stress and the impacts it

has on student’s performance and some possible management techniques. The main objectives

were to ascertain or identify the extent to which stress affects academic success, health and general

lifestyle, as well as to inquire and bring to light measures to counteract the effect of existing stress

in students. The possible limitation of this thesis is the collection of primary source of data sue to

the population size of the case study which is the Perpetual Help College of Pangasinan.

Stress is a fact of life, wherever you are and whatever you are doing. You cannot avoid

stress, but you can learn to manage it so it doesn’t manage you. Changes in our lives, such as going

to college, getting married, changing jobs, or illness are frequent source of stress. Keep in mind

that changes that cause stress can also benefit you. Moving away from home to attend college, for

example, creates personal development opportunities, new challenges, friends and living

arrangements. That is why it’s important to know yourself and carefully consider the causes of

stress. Learning to do this takes time, and although you cannot avoid stress, the good news is that

you can minimize the harmful effects of stress, such as depression or hypertension. The key is to

develop an awareness of how you interpret, and react to, circumstances. Stress is a part of day-to-

day living. In our daily lives, we are often exposed to situations that produce stress. The

interpretation and reaction to events that make stress are different for different people. For

example, speaking in public can be stressful for some people and relaxing for others. However if

our stress level is too high, it can result in serious medical and social problems. Any event or

circumstance that strains or exceeds an individual ability to cope is called stress. The term “stress”

can be defined in many ways. Generally, a layperson may define stress in terms of pressure,
tension, unpleasant external forces or an emotional response. In fact, layman definition of stress

and the range of stress are very confusing and very multidimensional. Stress is an abnormality in

behaviour, psychology, and emotional outburst, restraint in performing day-to-day routine work

or physiological changes in human being.

Stress is a complex concept. It can be routine stress at home, at school, and at work might

be fairly begun individually, but collectively they could create great strain. Different things cause

stress in different people. It is also a part of every student daily life. From the very start till the

university life, different styles of education and its diverse demands cause stress. A student’s life

is subjected to different kinds of stressors, such as the pressure of academics with an obligation of

success, uncertain future and difficulties envisaged for integration in to the system. These students

face, social, emotional and physical and family problems which may affect their learning ability

and academic.

Stress prevents university students from focusing and enjoying learning from behaving

harmoniously, and from unfolding their unique talents. Accumulate stress causes frustration;

depression and anxiety, and can lead to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, substance abuse,

antisocial behaviours and even violence. Stress has become an important topic in academic circle

as well as in our society. Now it has become common among the university student and it can be

controlled by stress management strategies because stress in academic institution can have both

positive and negative consequences if not well managed. Stress management is the ability to

maintain and control when situation, people and events make excessive demands. Stress in

university students can be traced by adopting different strategies. We must check and monitor the

abnormal or unusual behaviour of the university students. So that suitable measures should be
taken to eradicate the deficiency level of the students. This research evaluates all these factors,

signs of stress and also suggests suitable strategies to solve the problems.

Statement of the Problem

1. What is the respondents profile in terms of:

1.1 Year level

1.2 Gender

1.3 Course

2. In your own perception, should stress awareness be taught in Perpetual Help College of

Pangasinan?

3. What are the comparison of being a freshmen and graduating college student?

4. What is the most possible source of stress in college students that they are exposed to?

5. What are the possible solution to overcome stress?

Scope and Delimitation

This research is to be focused on the comparative study on stress management of freshmen

and graduating College of Perpetual Help College of Pangasinan. This research’s respondents are

the freshmen and graduating in College of Perpetual Help College of Pangasinan. It will help the

researcher’s to know the possible comparison of stress management in freshmen and graduating

College of Perpetual Help College of Pangasinan. The researchers will pick randomly to their

respondents.

Significance of the Study

The following are the beneficiaries of the study:

School. They will be aware of what are the causes of the student’s stress inside the school. Through

this kind of research, they will be able to prevent this kind of situation.

Teachers. They will be aware on every causes of student’s stress and will also help the teachers

to be notified and take some action.

Students. Students will also be aware in having a stress and by this research they can avoid the

struggles or difficulties that they might get through this situation.

Community. It helps the community to the share their ideas and feeling through this research.

Parents. Through this research, the findings of the study will help become aware of what their

child experiencing inside the school. And by that, they will motivate and help their child to become

a better person without stressed.

You as a Researcher. To find out what are the factors and causes of being stressed of the students.

Be able to have more knowledge about this research. And also to become aware in every students

having this kind of stressed.

Definitions of Terms

This part contains definition of words that are used in this study that will further help the readers.

College – a person who has earned a degree or diploma from a school, college or universities.

Comparative – involving the act of looking at the ways that things are alike or different.

Freshmen – a student in the first year high school or college.

Study – the activity or process of learning about something by reading, memorizing facts and

attending school.

Stress – A state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc.

Management – The act of process of deciding how to use something.

 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents various studies and literature both local and foreign about

comparative study on stress management of freshmen and graduating students of Perpetual Help

College of Pangasinan.

The literature and studies were carefully selected and deliberated upon on the basis of

relatively and reliability of the information presented. The subjects or topics were structured for a

better presentation of the literature and studies needed in this study.

Foreign Literature

In our daily living, we are facing different kinds of stress. Stress is a natural

phenomenon in which simply means that it cannot be controlled (Selye). Usually, this stress

was experienced by nursing student reaching high levels of anxiety. (Goldberger). In the

clinical setting, student need to consider assimilation of current knowledge explosion,

when stress reached high level, it makes the students reach with submissive maladaptive

behaviours which could damage and prevent problems on both students and educators.

Stress is defined as the reaction of the individual to demand from environment that

possesses a threat. Stress is related specific fear of failure, fear of teacher’s evaluations,

fear of harming patient, fear of interaction with patient and families. The people who are

susceptible in psychological stressors are the one who have poor social network, neurotic

disposition, lack of hardness and who have experienced traumatic events in life (Domjan).

In psychobiological stress responses, it may affect the biological and constitutional

prosperities like the student’s background; age and sex, diet, smoking and alcohol intake,
physical fitness and menstrual cycle may also influence reactivity to stress (Duffy).

Prolonged and extreme stress will eventually overwhelm the individual’s physical and

psychological resources, thus the student is unable to think rationally, unable to make wise

decisions that leads the student to failure and decreases his effort and accomplishment

(Bosma). Being a student nurse, it requires to have rational thinking, competence,

assertiveness, patience and most especially, loving and caring to render quality nursing

care.

The stress reaction results from an out pouring of adrenaline, a stimulant hormone,

into the blood stream. This with other stress hormones, produces a number of changes in

the body, which are intended to be protective. The result is often called “the fight –or-flight

response”. It provides the strength and energy to either fight or run away from danger. The

changes include an increase in heart rate and blood pressure (to get more blood to the

muscles, brain and heart) faster breathing (to take in more oxygen), tensing of muscles

(preparation for action), increase mental alertness and sensitivity of sense organs (to assess

the situation and act quickly), increased blood flow to the brain, heart and muscles, (the

organs that are most important in dealing with danger) and less blood to the skin, digestive

tract, kidneys and liver (where it is least needed in times of crisis). In addition, there is an

increase in blood sugar, fats and cholesterol and a rise in platelets and blood clotting factors

(Phipps).

Manifestations of stress are numerous and varied but they generally fall into four

(4) categories (Reinham).

1. Physical: Fatigue, headache, insomnia, muscle aches/ stiffness (especially neck,

shoulders, and low back), heart palpitations, chest pains, abdominal cramps, nausea,

trembling, cold extremities, flushing or sweating and memory.

2. Mental: Decrease in concentration and memory Indecisiveness, mind racing or going

blank, confusion loss of sense of humour.

3. Emotional: Anxiety, nervousness, depression, angers, frustration, worry, fear,

irritability, impatience, short tempers.

4. Behavioural: pacing, fidgeting, nervous habits (nail-biting, foot tapping), increase

eating, smoking, drinking, crying, yelling, sweating, blaming and even things or hitting.

One of the most important thing nursing educators can do to students is to reach them

about stress management. The students maybe advised to change lifestyle such as

decrease caffeine intake, eat and well balance diet, decrease consumption of junk food,

eat slowly, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and relaxation exercises such as self-

hypnosis and meditation. Other effective stress management includes time and money

management, create assertiveness, problem solving approach, refute negative thoughts

and keep a sense of humor (Posen). It is important to note that stress management can be

self-generated and needs time to master.

Local Literature

Stress is an individual theory. What is stressful for one person is not necessarily be

stressful for another because each person perceived stress differently and depends on the

coping and defense mechanism of the individual (Madrigal).

 The easiest way to reduce stress in our lives is to work on and must approachable

problem first. Solve them and then move on the difficult ones. There is no stress reducing

methods that works every time for every person. People are difficult in their reaction to

various sources with stress that can vary to examine various techniques until you find one

that works for you. Moving immediately to reduce even smallest strain with the body is

beneficial because stress is cumulative (Chebato). It is more effective to work on the so-

called minor stress related problem rather than to develop into a crisis.

Stress is a part of life. The absence of stress means the absence of effort. Moderate

tension promotes alertness, effort and learning. Stress often brings the student at its peak,

because he comes nearer to giving one hundred percent of his energy and attention to what

the student is doing. But stress may also cause deterioration in the student’s performance.

As the level of stress increases, effort, show altering performance in which may lower self-

esteem causing anxiety and confusion.

Students also try to cope with changing environment. Coping is a process by which

an individual deals with stressors on his own unique manner (Lara). People used both form

of coping in virtually every type stressful encounter or any stressful situations. Through

coping, individual decided on actions that are relevant to their welfare.

Problem – focused forms of coping include aggressive interpersonal efforts to alter

the situation, as well as cool, rational, deliberate efforts to solve problems and emotion

focused on distancing, self – controlling, seeking social support, escape avoidance,

accepting and positive appraisal.

Foreign Studies
 The present study compared the academic stress levels of 450 colleges’ sophomore

student at a public university and a public two year college Benson). This investigation

also explored the levels of academic stress by institutional type, age, gender, and ethnicity.

Data were obtained from having the subjects complete the Academic Stress Scale, a

questionnaire in which lists 35 stress items found in the college classroom. Analysis of

variance and t-tests were used to analyze the data.

There were 225 subjects each in the community college group and the university

group. The university group had a statistically significant higher mean stress score than to

the community college group.

Two hundred ninety-four traditional age (23 and younger) and 156 non-traditional

age (24 and over) subjects stress levels were compared. It was found that the traditional

age of college student group experienced a statistically significant higher academic stress

level in both academic settings.

Group means were compared between the stress score of 245 female and 205 male

subjects. At both the community college and university levels, the female group had a

statistically significant higher level of academic stress. The academic stress level was also

compared according to ethnicity. The minority group consisted of 104 subject and 346

subjects comprised the non-minority group. At the community college, the minority group

had a statistically significant higher level of academic stress. However, at the university

level, there was no statistically significant difference by ethnicity.

Examination, final grades, term papers, homework, and studying for examinations

were ranked as being stressful by the largest percentage of all the subjects. It was found in
this study that level of academic stress differ significantly by institutional type, age, gender,

and ethnicity. Implications for college students, instructors, and administrators, based on

this study’s conclusions are offered.

This study had several purposes. The first purpose was to assess perceived levels

of stress experienced by college students. A second purpose was to detect the primary

sources of perceived stress among college student. A third purpose was to find out the

activities students routinely participate in these types of activities. The fourth purpose was

to find out how effectively these preferred relaxing, stress managing, coping activities

reduce perceived stress. A final purpose was to find out if any difference exists among

selected variables (gender, year in school, race and age) for perceived stress levels, sources

of stress, and methods for managing stress (Olpin).

Results were obtained from a survey of 559 students enrolled of Healthful Living

201at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. The subjects for this study were

predominantly white and black males and females between ages of 18-23. The

representation of freshmen, sophomores. Juniors, and seniors was fairly even with the

largest proportion of subjects being sophomores. Survey packets were distributed to section

during November of 1995.

Subjects responded to a questionnaire that gathered information regarding

perceived levels of stress, sources of stress and type and frequency of preferred methods

of dealing with individual stress. The instruments used to gather this data included the

Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), The Inventory of College Students’ Recent Life Experiences

(ICSRLE) and the Relaxation Frequency Inventory (RFI).

 The chief stressors that these students’ experienced had to do mainly with their

academic life. These stressors include many responsibilities, struggling to meet academic

standards, time and money management worries and concerns over grades. As the number

and intensity of these hassles go up, so do the individual’s level of stress.

Students of this survey use social activities, watching television, and leisure

activities more than other methods for managing stress. They tend to use methods that are

specifically designed to reduce stress much less than other activities that had, as a by-

product, relaxation or management of stress. The subsequent analysis of the effectiveness

of stress managing activities suggested that the methods that the students commonly use to

manage stress are not particularly effective at doing so.

This study examined teacher’s perceptions of their relationships with specific

students, their experience of stress in relation to those students, and whether those

perceptions and experience translated into differences in observed teacher behaviour

toward those students in the classroom (Boesen). Thirty teachers from two middle schools

in Virginia were asked to complete three questionnaires in relation to a behaviourally

challenging student and a control student in their classroom: the Index of Teaching Stress

(ITS), the Student – Teacher Relationship Scale (STRS) and the Achenbach Teacher

Report Form (TFR). A simple observation checklist was used to note positive, negative

and neutral teacher behaviours towards their students. The observational data were then

compared to the teacher (ITS) and relationship (STRS) measures to assess the predictive

validity of the instrument.

 The results of the analyses suggest that teachers have different perceptions of and

experiences different stress levels with regard to specific students in their classroom. These

perceptions and stress levels are linked to their classroom behaviours and may bias their

behaviour toward those students. Moreover, the ITS sores were found to be useful in

determining child membership in either group. These findings provide initial validation of

the use of ITS and STRS in understanding teacher stress, the quality of teacher – student

relationship and teacher behaviour, and also have implication for a number of other issues

in the teaching profession.

Many special education students that were once relatively isolated in Resource

rooms are now being sent to the regular education classroom, accompanied by

modifications (Bonesek). The teachers bear the responsibility not only for enforcing every

aspect of the law with regard to how those mainstreamed students are taught, but also for

the outcome of what is learned. The increased number of students with special needs in

regular classroom has impact on the teacher’s behaviour and need attitudes towards those

students’ which became a concern for building administrators.

This study has multiple purpose: (1) to describe the nature of the relationships

between the numbers of students needing modifications in a classroom and the teacher’s

attitudes towards mainstreaming/ inclusion as well as the stress level; (2) to describe the

nature of the relationship between the teacher’s attitude toward mainstreaming/ inclusion

and the teacher’s stress level; (3) to describe the nature of the relationship between the

teacher’s attitudes toward mainstreaming/ inclusion, as well as the teacher’s stress, and

numerous variables.
 The survey instrument consisted of three sections: demographics, teacher attitudes

and mainstreaming and special – needs student, and teacher stress.

This study shows that there is a slight relationship between the numbers of special

– need students. There is evidence to show that there is relationship between the teacher’s

attitude and their stress level, showing that as a teacher’s attitude toward these students

with disabilities becomes more negative, the teacher’s stress level is higher. The research

also indicates that as teacher attitudes become increasing negative, teachers tend to view

less success with special – need students, less availability of support service and lack of

administrative support.

Local Studies

Educational program in nursing nearly always subject the students to a certain

number of stressful as well as certain number of satisfying experiences. Stress is an

inescapable part of life, and one cannot evade on it (Lantican). The rules of cognition in

viewing stress and reacting to it have been well recognized. Mind and body are integrated

parts of whole being, the connection between thinking stress and emotion are seen as

reflecting a battle of mind versus body, logic versus feeling, and rational versus irrational

emotion. A cardinal principle of human functioning is that it is not events in themselves

but how we view them that causes emotional distress, our behaviour, what we do as much

as we think can either add or reduce the stress in our daily lives.

The sources of tension for the nurse in the general area of conflict identified were

nursing administration, scheduling and staffing families, research procedures, other nurses,

patients and physician (Miranda).

 The clinical area is a crisis filled environment and makes great demands on the

nursing staff. The nurse, new to the area who had difficulty in adapting may also

manipulate some of the behavioural response seen from patient like apathy, inappropriate

euphoria, crying, irritability, negativism, complaining, forgetfulness poor judgment etc. the

nurse may feel incompetent and attempt to avoid stress by giving orders, staying at the desk

or being preoccupied with housekeeping or clerical chores.

The role of the professional nurse is undergoing dramatic expansion in relation to

the delivery of health services. There are many stressful demand placed upon the expanding

nursing role in the clinical area. Within the unit forces such as technological environment,

the patient and his care, the patient’s family, staff personnel relationship and administrative

hierarchy of the hospital contribute to the development of stress in the nurse. It is evident

the nurse must be able to manage stress in order to meet high standards of nursing care. it

can be assumed that poor management of stress result in poor nursing care, job

dissatisfaction and diminished potential for further professional development. The nurse is

as vital to quality care as is widely accepted, and then it is important to help her identify

the sources of stress, which makes her difficult work even more trying.

Environment changes are indeed anxiety – provoking, yet change can be positive

in that it stimulates reappraisal of behaviour, alertness, learning and self-actualization.

Various defense mechanisms maybe used unconsciously. Frequent feeling of anxiety in

security or incompetence is handled by displacement or projection. Displacement occurs

when the student nurse “takes our “feelings on someone or something in the environment;

acting in aggressive manner. Human being adapt to various life stresses both internal and

external. When certain stressors make demands on a person, stress will occur only if the
 person anticipates that he will not be able to cope with them adequately or he believes that

he will be able to cope them without endangering other goals. To adequately assess

adaptation to stress, the student nurse cannot rely on only an objective analysis if the

demands and supports of an individual, but must assess the person’s perception of these

demands and supports.

Nursing course is indeed stressful, adaptation or survival in this course must be

established. The above literatures suggest that in order for the student nurse to cope with

stress, he or she must learn how to identify the negative and positive effects of stressors

and most especially the manner of adaptation.

CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The researcher’s used the descriptive

Reference:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042811018611

https://www.eccourts.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Judicial-Retreat-Booklet-Methodologies-for-

Stress-Management-2014-.pdf

https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1053&context=commhealth-

facpubs

https://www.scribd.com/doc/49630853/REVIEW-OF-RELATED-LITERATURE