Main Article Content
Abstract
This study explores the landscape of academic stress and coping mechanisms among married postgraduate students within the Sunyani Municipality, spotlighting the multifaceted challenges these individuals encounter. It highlights the dual burden of academic and non-academic responsibilities, underscoring the significant role of financial constraints, time management issues, and emotional stressors. Through a qualitative research design, the study draws on in-depth interviews from a sample of married postgraduate students at the Catholic University College of Ghana now Catholic University of Ghana, revealing how these students navigate the complexities of balancing family life, academic obligations, and, in some instances, employment. The findings underscore financial stress as a paramount concern, with students grappling with the high costs associated with tuition fees, books, and transportation. Time management emerges as another critical challenge, as students strive to juggle their family responsibilities and academic duties effectively. Emotional stress, exacerbated by relationship dynamics and family member illnesses or losses, further complicates their academic journey. This study contributes to the existing body of literature by shedding light on the unique experiences of married postgraduate students in Ghana, an underexplored demographic in stress research. The study advocates for the development of targeted support mechanisms within academic institutions to address the distinctive challenges faced by this demographic. By understanding and mitigating the sources of stress for married postgraduate students, higher education institutions can enhance student well-being and academic success, fostering an environment that supports all students' diverse needs.
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Article Details
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References
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- Alda, R. (2023). From Onsite to Online: Perspectives on Preservice Teachers’ Instructional Engagement. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(3), 128–140. https://doi.org/10.26803/IJLTER.22.3.8
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- Carlhed Ydhag, C., Månsson, N., & Osman, A. (2021). Momentums of success, illusio and habitus: High-achieving upper secondary students’ reasons for seeking academic success. International Journal of Educational Research, 109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101805
- Cashman, L., Sabates, R., & Alcott, B. (2021). Parental involvement in low-achieving children’s learning: The role of household wealth in rural India. International Journal of Educational Research, 105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101701
- Chen, H., Cheng, R., Pedrycz, W., & Jin, Y. (2021). Solving Many-Objective Optimization Problems via Multistage Evolutionary Search. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems, 51(6), 3552–3564. https://doi.org/10.1109/TSMC.2019.2930737
- Coates, H., & McCormick, A. C. (2014). Introduction: Student engagement - A window into undergraduate education. Engaging University Students: International Insights from System-Wide Studies, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-63-7_1
- Dautov, D. (2020). Procrastination and laziness rates among students with different academic performance as an organizational problem. E3S Web of Conferences, 210. https://doi.org/10.1051/E3SCONF/202021018078
- De Andrade, V., Deriy, A., Wojcik, M., Gürsoy, D., Shu, D., Mooney, T., Peterson, K. M., Glowacki, A., Yue, K., Yang, X., Vescovi, R., & De Carlo, F. (2016). A new transmission x-ray microscope for in-situ nano-tomography at the APS (Conference Presentation). 17. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2239449
- Delattre, B. (2024). Unfolding into each other: Examining the effects of capoeira with specifically anti-racist, social justice-oriented instruction on students’ empathy. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 9, 100848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.100848
- Desie, Y., & Tefera, B. (2017). Doctoral Students’ Academic Engagements in Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia: Nature, Sources, and Challenges. International Journal of African Higher Education, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.6017/IJAHE.V4I1.10251
- Dias de Carvalho Junior, G., & Xavier Zinato de Carvalho, A. (2024). Genetic analysis on color concept construction process: Looking for operational invariants. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 9, 100838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.100838
- Dowarha, D., Chou, R. H., & Yu, C. (2020). S100A1 blocks the interaction between p53 and mdm2 and decreases cell proliferation activity. PLoS ONE, 15(6). https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0234152
- Elgar, F. J., & Klein, R. M. (2004). What you don’t know: Graduate deans’ knowledge of doctoral completion rates. Higher Education Policy, 17(3), 325–336. https://doi.org/10.1057/PALGRAVE.HEP.8300059
- Fetene, G. T., & Tamrat, W. (2021). The phd journey at addis ababa university: Study delays, causes, and coping mechanisms. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 16, 319–337. https://doi.org/10.28945/4744
- Fuller, M. B., Wilson, M. A., & Tobin, R. M. (2011). The national survey of student engagement as a predictor of undergraduate GPA: A cross-sectional and longitudinal examination. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 36(6), 735–748. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2010.488791
- Gunuc, S., & Kuzu, A. (2015). Student engagement scale: development, reliability and validity. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 40(4), 587–610. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2014.938019
- Hagel, P., Carr, R., & Devlin, M. (2012). Conceptualising and measuring student engagement through the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE): A critique. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 37(4), 475–486. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2010.545870
- Heng, K. (2014). The Relationships between Student Engagement and the Academic Achievement of First-Year University Students in Cambodia. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 23(2), 179–189. https://doi.org/10.1007/S40299-013-0095-8
- Herut, A. H., & Gorfu, Y. A. (2024). Academic procrastination among PhD students in Ethiopia: An examination of prevalence, associated factors and coping mechanisms. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 9, 100854. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SSAHO.2024.100854
- Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6(1), 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
- Jiranek, V. (2010). Potential predictors of timely completion among dissertation research students at an Australian faculty of sciences. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 5, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.28945/709
- Khamis, A., Sulong, M. S., Apandi, N. I. A., & Alias, A. (2023). Individual student key performance using mobile web apps based on knowledge profile and cumulative grade point average. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 12(3), 1550–1559. https://doi.org/10.11591/IJERE.V12I3.25003
- Kimbonguila, A., Matos, L., Petit, J., Scher, J., & Nzikou, J.-M. (2019). Effect of Physical Treatment on the Physicochemical, Rheological and Functional Properties of Yam Meal of the Cultivar “Ngumvu” From Dioscorea Alata L. of Congo. International Journal of Recent Scientific Research, 10, 30693–30695. https://doi.org/10.24327/IJRSR
- Kuh, G. D. (2003). What We’re Learning About Student Engagement From NSSE: Benchmarks for Effective Educational Practices. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 35(2), 24–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091380309604090
- Kuh, G. D. (2009). What student affairs professionals need to know about student engagement. Journal of College Student Development, 50(6), 683–706. https://doi.org/10.1353/CSD.0.0099
- Kuh, G. D., Cruce, T. M., Shoup, R., Kinzie, J., & Gonyea, R. M. (2008). Unmasking the Effects of Student Engagement on First-Year College Grades and Persistence. The Journal of Higher Education, 79(5), 540–563. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2008.11772116
- Masino, S., & Niño-Zarazúa, M. (2016). What works to improve the quality of student learning in developing countries? International Journal of Educational Development, 48, 53–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2015.11.012
- O’Keeffe, P. (2016). The role of Ethiopia’s public universities in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. International Review of Education, 62(6), 791–813. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11159-016-9599-9
- Oliver, B., Tucker, B., Gupta, R., & Yeo, S. (2008). Evaluate: An evaluation instrument for measuring students’ perceptions of their engagement and learning outcomes. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 33(6), 619–630. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930701773034
- Sirois, F., & Pychyl, T. (2013). Procrastination and the Priority of Short-Term Mood Regulation: Consequences for Future Self. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(2), 115–127. https://doi.org/10.1111/SPC3.12011
- Solomon, L. J., & Rothblum, E. D. (1984). Academic procrastination: Frequency and cognitive-behavioral correlates. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31(4), 503–509. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.31.4.503
- Sverdlik, A., Hall, N. C., McAlpine, L., & Hubbard, K. (2018). The PhD experience: A review of the factors influencing doctoral students’ completion, achievement, and well-being. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 13, 361–388. https://doi.org/10.28945/4113
- Tamrat, W., & Fetene, G. T. (2022). The achilles- heel of doctoral education in African higher education institutions: an Ethiopian university in perspective. Higher Education Research and Development, 41(4), 1294–1308. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2021.1901664
- Truta, C., Parv, L., & Topala, I. (2018). Academic engagement and intention to drop out: Levers for sustainability in higher education. Sustainability (Switzerland), 10(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/SU10124637
- Worthington, R. L., & Whittaker, T. A. (2006). Scale Development Research: A Content Analysis and Recommendations for Best Practices. The Counseling Psychologist, 34(6), 806–838. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000006288127
- Zacks, S., & Hen, M. (2018). Academic interventions for academic procrastination: A review of the literature. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 46(2), 117–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/10852352.2016.1198154
- Zaw, H. T., Mizunoya, S., & Yu, X. (2021). An Equity Analysis of Pre-primary Education in the Developing World. International Journal of Educational Research, 109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101806
- Zhao, L. T., Wang, D. S., Liang, F. Y., & Chen, J. (2023). A recommendation system for effective learning strategies: An integrated approach using context-dependent DEA. Expert Systems with Applications, 211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2022.118535
References
Abacioglu, C. S., Zee, M., Hanna, F., Soeterik, I. M., Fischer, A. H., & Volman, M. (2019). Practice what you preach: The moderating role of teacher attitudes on the relationship between prejudice reduction and student engagement. Teaching and Teacher Education, 86, 102887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.102887
Alda, R. (2023). From Onsite to Online: Perspectives on Preservice Teachers’ Instructional Engagement. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 22(3), 128–140. https://doi.org/10.26803/IJLTER.22.3.8
Bollom, J. E., Baldé, A., Jandi, Z., Boiro, H., Gunnlaugsson, G., & Einarsdóttir, J. (2023). Equality of opportunity: Social determinants of university expectation amongst school attending adolescents in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. International Journal of Educational Research, 117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2022.102129
Carini, R. M., Kuh, G. D., & Klein, S. P. (2006). Student engagement and student learning: Testing the linkages. Research in Higher Education, 47(1), 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11162-005-8150-9
Carlhed Ydhag, C., Månsson, N., & Osman, A. (2021). Momentums of success, illusio and habitus: High-achieving upper secondary students’ reasons for seeking academic success. International Journal of Educational Research, 109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101805
Cashman, L., Sabates, R., & Alcott, B. (2021). Parental involvement in low-achieving children’s learning: The role of household wealth in rural India. International Journal of Educational Research, 105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.101701
Chen, H., Cheng, R., Pedrycz, W., & Jin, Y. (2021). Solving Many-Objective Optimization Problems via Multistage Evolutionary Search. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems, 51(6), 3552–3564. https://doi.org/10.1109/TSMC.2019.2930737
Coates, H., & McCormick, A. C. (2014). Introduction: Student engagement - A window into undergraduate education. Engaging University Students: International Insights from System-Wide Studies, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-63-7_1
Dautov, D. (2020). Procrastination and laziness rates among students with different academic performance as an organizational problem. E3S Web of Conferences, 210. https://doi.org/10.1051/E3SCONF/202021018078
De Andrade, V., Deriy, A., Wojcik, M., Gürsoy, D., Shu, D., Mooney, T., Peterson, K. M., Glowacki, A., Yue, K., Yang, X., Vescovi, R., & De Carlo, F. (2016). A new transmission x-ray microscope for in-situ nano-tomography at the APS (Conference Presentation). 17. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2239449
Delattre, B. (2024). Unfolding into each other: Examining the effects of capoeira with specifically anti-racist, social justice-oriented instruction on students’ empathy. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 9, 100848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.100848
Desie, Y., & Tefera, B. (2017). Doctoral Students’ Academic Engagements in Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia: Nature, Sources, and Challenges. International Journal of African Higher Education, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.6017/IJAHE.V4I1.10251
Dias de Carvalho Junior, G., & Xavier Zinato de Carvalho, A. (2024). Genetic analysis on color concept construction process: Looking for operational invariants. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 9, 100838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.100838
Dowarha, D., Chou, R. H., & Yu, C. (2020). S100A1 blocks the interaction between p53 and mdm2 and decreases cell proliferation activity. PLoS ONE, 15(6). https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0234152
Elgar, F. J., & Klein, R. M. (2004). What you don’t know: Graduate deans’ knowledge of doctoral completion rates. Higher Education Policy, 17(3), 325–336. https://doi.org/10.1057/PALGRAVE.HEP.8300059
Fetene, G. T., & Tamrat, W. (2021). The phd journey at addis ababa university: Study delays, causes, and coping mechanisms. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 16, 319–337. https://doi.org/10.28945/4744
Fuller, M. B., Wilson, M. A., & Tobin, R. M. (2011). The national survey of student engagement as a predictor of undergraduate GPA: A cross-sectional and longitudinal examination. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 36(6), 735–748. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2010.488791
Gunuc, S., & Kuzu, A. (2015). Student engagement scale: development, reliability and validity. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 40(4), 587–610. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2014.938019
Hagel, P., Carr, R., & Devlin, M. (2012). Conceptualising and measuring student engagement through the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE): A critique. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 37(4), 475–486. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2010.545870
Heng, K. (2014). The Relationships between Student Engagement and the Academic Achievement of First-Year University Students in Cambodia. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 23(2), 179–189. https://doi.org/10.1007/S40299-013-0095-8
Herut, A. H., & Gorfu, Y. A. (2024). Academic procrastination among PhD students in Ethiopia: An examination of prevalence, associated factors and coping mechanisms. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 9, 100854. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SSAHO.2024.100854
Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6(1), 1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118
Jiranek, V. (2010). Potential predictors of timely completion among dissertation research students at an Australian faculty of sciences. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 5, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.28945/709
Khamis, A., Sulong, M. S., Apandi, N. I. A., & Alias, A. (2023). Individual student key performance using mobile web apps based on knowledge profile and cumulative grade point average. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 12(3), 1550–1559. https://doi.org/10.11591/IJERE.V12I3.25003
Kimbonguila, A., Matos, L., Petit, J., Scher, J., & Nzikou, J.-M. (2019). Effect of Physical Treatment on the Physicochemical, Rheological and Functional Properties of Yam Meal of the Cultivar “Ngumvu” From Dioscorea Alata L. of Congo. International Journal of Recent Scientific Research, 10, 30693–30695. https://doi.org/10.24327/IJRSR
Kuh, G. D. (2003). What We’re Learning About Student Engagement From NSSE: Benchmarks for Effective Educational Practices. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 35(2), 24–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091380309604090
Kuh, G. D. (2009). What student affairs professionals need to know about student engagement. Journal of College Student Development, 50(6), 683–706. https://doi.org/10.1353/CSD.0.0099
Kuh, G. D., Cruce, T. M., Shoup, R., Kinzie, J., & Gonyea, R. M. (2008). Unmasking the Effects of Student Engagement on First-Year College Grades and Persistence. The Journal of Higher Education, 79(5), 540–563. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2008.11772116
Masino, S., & Niño-Zarazúa, M. (2016). What works to improve the quality of student learning in developing countries? International Journal of Educational Development, 48, 53–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2015.11.012
O’Keeffe, P. (2016). The role of Ethiopia’s public universities in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. International Review of Education, 62(6), 791–813. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11159-016-9599-9
Oliver, B., Tucker, B., Gupta, R., & Yeo, S. (2008). Evaluate: An evaluation instrument for measuring students’ perceptions of their engagement and learning outcomes. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 33(6), 619–630. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930701773034
Sirois, F., & Pychyl, T. (2013). Procrastination and the Priority of Short-Term Mood Regulation: Consequences for Future Self. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(2), 115–127. https://doi.org/10.1111/SPC3.12011
Solomon, L. J., & Rothblum, E. D. (1984). Academic procrastination: Frequency and cognitive-behavioral correlates. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31(4), 503–509. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.31.4.503
Sverdlik, A., Hall, N. C., McAlpine, L., & Hubbard, K. (2018). The PhD experience: A review of the factors influencing doctoral students’ completion, achievement, and well-being. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 13, 361–388. https://doi.org/10.28945/4113
Tamrat, W., & Fetene, G. T. (2022). The achilles- heel of doctoral education in African higher education institutions: an Ethiopian university in perspective. Higher Education Research and Development, 41(4), 1294–1308. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2021.1901664
Truta, C., Parv, L., & Topala, I. (2018). Academic engagement and intention to drop out: Levers for sustainability in higher education. Sustainability (Switzerland), 10(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/SU10124637
Worthington, R. L., & Whittaker, T. A. (2006). Scale Development Research: A Content Analysis and Recommendations for Best Practices. The Counseling Psychologist, 34(6), 806–838. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000006288127
Zacks, S., & Hen, M. (2018). Academic interventions for academic procrastination: A review of the literature. Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, 46(2), 117–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/10852352.2016.1198154
Zaw, H. T., Mizunoya, S., & Yu, X. (2021). An Equity Analysis of Pre-primary Education in the Developing World. International Journal of Educational Research, 109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101806
Zhao, L. T., Wang, D. S., Liang, F. Y., & Chen, J. (2023). A recommendation system for effective learning strategies: An integrated approach using context-dependent DEA. Expert Systems with Applications, 211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2022.118535