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ISSN: 1068-3844
Multicultural Education
Research Article

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ACADEMIC STRESS PREDICTORS AMONG FIRST YEAR

TERTIARY STUDENTS: SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT, SELF-
CONCEPT, WORKLOAD AND CLASSROOM SIZE
Adewuyi Habeeb Omoponle
Department of Educational Psychology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Veronica Dwarika
Head of Department, Educational Psychology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

ABSTRACT ARTICLEINFO
In today’s highly competitive world, students face various academic problems,
including disinterest in attending classes, inability to understand the subject taught, Keywords:
and most significantly, academic stress. The alarming rates of academic stress among School environment, Self-
concept, Workload, Classroom
tertiary students constitute grave consequences for educational practitioners and size, Tertiary students,
society. This study, therefore, examined the school environment, self-concept, Academic stress
workload, and classroom size as predictors of academic stress among first-year tertiary
students in Southwestern Nigeria. For this study, a descriptive research design of
survey type was adopted. The study adopted the multistage sampling method. The
simple random sampling technique was used to select one tertiary institution from each
of the six states in Southwestern Nigeria. 300 first-year students were used for the
study. Valid and standardized instruments, including the School environment Scale
(α=0.78), Self-concept Scale (α=.82), Academic Workload Scale (α=.78), and Student
Academic Stress Scale (α=.73), were used for information gathering. Data collected
was analyzed using simple percentages, Pearson product-moment correlation
(PPMC), and multiple regression statistical method at 0.05 level of significance.
Findings revealed that academic stress of first-year tertiary students is significantly
correlated with the school environment, self-concept, workload and classroom size.
Class size made the most significant contribution, followed by workload, School Article History:
Received: 19th Apr 2023
environment and Self-concept. Based on these findings, it is concluded that many of
Accepted: 23rd May 2023
the students were highly stressed due to the large class size and too much academic Published: 08th Jun 2023
workload. Therefore, there is a need for active participation from both the public and
private sectors in the planning of educational facilities in tertiary institutions.
© 2023 The authors. Published by CADDO GAP Press USA. This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0

1. INTRODUCTION

Stress has become a significant impediment to academic performance among students both at the secondary
and tertiary levels as more students than ever before report feeling stressed. The primary source of stress, according
to 55% of students, is academic-related (Busari & Adewuyi, 2018). Stress results from any enormous burden on
a person which exceeds available assets, especially when it is harsh and extended. Stress is the unfavorable
reaction people have to tremendous pressure due to the burden put on them and is a reaction to a situation that a
person perceives as intimidating. It is a means by which the body shows that something is going on that requires
attention. Hence, high stress could prohibit students from achieving their educational objectives. According to
Adam and Aminu (2017), students may find educational pursuits stressful and busy. Students must overcome
 Multicultural Education

some frustrating obstacles while juggling the work of writing, reading, interpreting, verbal communication, and
conducting calculations and this may result in a condition known as academic stress. Moreover, stress can be
linked to or made worse by a number of the emotional and physical symptoms that primarily affect students, such
as headaches, sadness, exhaustion, anxiety, and an inability to cope. Some students are diagnosed with clinical
depression due to excessive workloads. Students who have assignments due for submission may grow anxious,
likely leading to stress. Any student who wants to excel academically and avoid failure must spend most of their
time reading, thereby losing sleep which may also lead to stress in the long run (Kanmodi et al., 2020).
Currently, students are found to be susceptible to stress and its effects, such as anxiety, sadness, and burnout.
Stress can make it more difficult for students to participate in their education, raise their risk of substance abuse,
and their engagement in other potentially dangerous behaviors. Concerning life events, the primary and second
most frequently mentioned issues for people are death and taxes, respectively, with stress coming third (Rosa &
Preethi, 2012). Stress is a part of life regardless of how affluent, muscular, attractive, or joyful a person may be.
However, depending on the circumstances, stress can manifest in several ways. Stress might occur when taking a
challenging exam, being involved in a car accident, standing in line, or when everything goes wrong in one day.
A significant turning point in a person’s academic life occurs during their postsecondary education. At this point,
decisions about the next higher level of school and possibly even a career are heavily influenced by young people’s
academic achievement. Hence, too much stress during this period could increase the incidence of psychological
issues like anxiety and depression, which could ultimately have a detrimental effect on achievements, resulting in
academic stress (Ghatol, 2017).
Busari (2011, 2014) views academic stress as a worldwide phenomenon that affects students’ academic
performance. While people try to deal with or adjust to pressure, academic stress is a damaging emotional,
cognitive, behavioral, and physiological process. Examples of such stressors include the academic obligations that
students have to satisfy, such as school tests, answering questions in class, proving progress in courses,
understanding what the teacher is teaching, competing with classmates, and meeting teachers’ and parents’
academic expectations. These demands or tasks may exceed students’ abilities and resources; as a result, it could
put them under stress. Academic stress is a significant element affecting how academic achievement varies. It also
relates to significant risks for mental health and physical stress-related issues (Adewuyi, 2021). Stress significantly
influences future student performance predictions and is a poor indicator of academic performance for students.
Further, a first-year tertiary student may experience stress for various reasons, including academic pressure,
money woes, health issues, or the death of a close friend or family member. The person’s capacity to handle life’s
obstacles will determine whether they experience stress. Both beneficial and harmful effects might result from
academic stress. Unfavorable stress is an inhibitor of learning and is linked to the suppression of students’
academic performance (Olanrewaju & Omoponle, 2017). Academic stress is acknowledged as a feature of student
life and has the potential to affect how well students manage the demands of their academic lives. This is the case
since academic work is consistently completed through stressful activities (Busari & Adewuyi, 2018).
The first year on campus can be very stressful for many tertiary students. Their academic success could be
determined by how they cope with the stressful events during this first year. New expectations are placed on the
students, particularly concerning their development as independent learners. Many students need help with being
self-directed learners. Students’ dissatisfaction with their teachers and the academic environment at their
university can be a direct result of these new demands. Wintre and Yaffe (2000) affirm that high levels of stress
in the first year of tertiary education predict a poorer overall adjustment and can make students more vulnerable
to social and psychological problems which can lower their grade point average (GPA) in the final year.
Researchers who have studied this issue have found that several psychological issues, such as stress, anxiety, and
depression, have an impact on students’ academic performance. In anxious and depressed young people, stressful
life situations are much more common, which result in low academic performance (Williamson, Birmaher, Ryan,
and Dahl, 2005; Adewuyi and Dwarika, 2023).
Students today deal with various academic issues, such as failure, a lack of enthusiasm for attending courses,
a lack of understanding of the subject or course of study and exam stress which includes feeling anxious or uneasy
about how well one will perform in the exam. Three out of every 10 people needed help falling asleep or skipping
lunch at least once per week. Academic stress is linked to several psychosocial factors, such as depression,
loneliness, anxiety, substance use, mood disturbance, sadness, despair, discouragement, and poor relationship
quality with peers which may lead to experiencing mental health problems (Busari & Adewuyi, 2018). It is
paramount to know that academic stress among students does not only affect the first-year undergraduates but
society at large. Given this gap, this study examined the school environment, self-concept, workload, and
classroom size as predictors of academic stress among first-year tertiary students in Southwestern Nigeria.

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School Environment
The school environment substantially impacts students’ social, emotional, and ethical development and has
an overall effect on academic stress, learning, and progress. Students are less likely to exhibit problem behaviour
and feel stressed when they perceive their learning environment as nurturing and caring. Students become more
motivated, ambitious, and engaged in learning when they perceive their school as a loving community (Yelkpieri,
2009). The location of the schools significantly influences the stress that students experience at school. A few of
the factors that contribute to the academic stress of students in their various institutions include uneven resource
distribution, inadequate school facilities, the problem of qualified teachers refusing appointments or unwilling to
perform well, a lack of good roads, poor communication, and the casual attitude some communities have toward
schools.
Most students attending tertiary institutions approach the change with excitement. The separation from their
parents and the introduction to new setting thrill students. The upbeat tone is frequently replaced with stressed,
unfavorable feelings once students have been in these institutions for a while. Many, if not all, students may feel
stress related to the adjustment and transfer to tertiary education due to environmental circumstances—the
demands resulting from the environmental shift may cause many students to experience significant stress. People
may feel they have little control over their new surroundings during this change and transition. The students need
to adjust to the new surroundings, people, and routines because they will have new characteristics (Williamson,
Birmaher, Ryan, and Dahl, 2005). Early in the first semester, some students may experience higher-than-normal
levels of sadness and forgetfulness.
In other words, students benefit significantly from a conducive learning atmosphere that lowers their stress
levels. Subramani and Kadhiravan (2017) figured out how the school environment and academic stress related to
one another. The researchers affirm that the academic system is restrictive and that there is a connection between
students’ school environments and academic stress. With the need for more support from parents and schools
regarding the learning environment, students are under excessive pressure from their parents and schools to
achieve higher grades. Students with healthy mental health participate actively in academic forums. Bataineh
(2013) examined the academic demands that university students experience in his research. The results show that
heavy academic load, a lack of appropriate study space, and poor environmental conditions are among factors that
contribute to academic stress.
Students need to be in a safe, wholesome, stimulating atmosphere to develop and learn. Students may spend
six to eight hours a day in school during the school year, where the surroundings are essential to their growth.
More time is spent on school-related activities or the shuttle to and from school. Because of this, experiences that
support education, health, and the future must be carefully planned and designed. Thus, the educational setting is
crucial in developing and redeveloping intellectual capacity. Therefore, a comfortable and welcoming school
setting with ample learning resources and a pleasant climate helps children focus more intently on their studies,
achieve outstanding academic results, and lessens the stress associated with the school. As students’ education
takes place in a physical, social, cultural, and psychological setting, for learning to be successful, a suitable setting
is required. The ideal learning environment at school gives students the required motivation to learn.

Self-concept
Self-concept is a group of self-perceptions including gender roles, academic success, sexuality, and race
identification. The answer to “Who am I?” is often embodied by one’s self-concept. The way people see their
present selves is related to how they see their past and future selves. The temporal self-appraisal hypothesis states
that in order to maintain a positive self-evaluation, people prefer to concentrate more on their perfect selves and
keep their negative selves at a distance. Abdulnsir (2015), in his research, revealed a significant inverse
relationship between self-concept and academic stress levels. This suggests that the higher the self-esteem, the
lower the level of academic stress. This demonstrates the close relationship these two psychological constructs
have. These findings are consistent with research from Bhatta (2013) and Alam (2016), which found a significant
negative association between academic stress and students’ perceptions of their worth among Nepalese and
Pakistani students, respectively.
Kaur and Kumaran (2016) also concluded that the students’ self-confidence and effort in academic tasks
make up their academic self-concept. Students who are optimistic and self-assured about their academic
performance will not experience crippling academic stress. As a result, individuals are more likely to view
academic stress as a task to be overcome than a danger. The same is true for the component of academic self-
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concept, where students who put enough effort into their coursework will be on the right track to succeed in exams.
Hence, the analysis’s discovery of an inverse association makes sense. In addition, some research stated that the
factors related to students’ efforts, self-concept, and confidence are generally supported by relationships with
academic stress (Putwain, 2010).
Although the two constructs have significant affinities, there has been extensive research in the pertinent
literature on the relationship between academic stress and self-concept in academic contexts. Many studies have
shown a substantial correlation between self-concept and depression and other co-occurring psychological
challenges, including stress and anxiety, as academic stress affects and negatively affects self-concept. The level
of self-concept is “a good indication to examine the level of academic stress among international students,
especially when cultural influences may play a role,” according to Amorim and Lam’s (2013) study. To many,
self-concept is a crucial psychological concept that theoretically underpins and correlates with practically all
psychological concepts and factors related to academic performance (aptitude, achievement, and stress).

Workload
Workload refers to numerous varied but connected activities that students engage in to advance academically,
socially, and physically in school. The workload comprises the time students need to study, how much time is
allotted in the curriculum, and how much and how challenging the study material is (Karjalainen, Alha, & Jutila,
2016). The majority of these works, however, clearly state that they should take at least two hours and at most
three hours to complete work for each credit point. The workload, according to Lal (2014), is the perceived
correlation between the quantity necessary for a task and the amount of mental processing, capability, or resources
needed to complete it. When they have an enormous workload, students experience significant stress. There is a
connection between the students’ sentiments of feeling overloaded and their experiences of challenges, academic
stress, worry, and the desire to give up. Overwhelmed students need to learn more effectively and have satisfying
learning experiences (Karjalainen, et al., 2006). A heavy workload not only makes it more likely that students will
plagiarize, cheat, and experience academic stress, but it also forces them to extend or postpone their studies as a
result of failing and repeating courses.
According to a study by Kember and Leung (2018), there is a correlation between reported workload and
English proficiency, with higher reported workload being associated with poor English proficiency. According to
polls, 60% of students said their coursework was “challenging” or “extremely hard” to handle, resulting in
academic stress. Moreover, 11% of international students studied for 61 to 100 hours weekly. A study by Busari
and Adewuyi (2018) found that when asked why they felt stressed about their academics, students reported
workload (33%) and a lack of desire (28%) rather frequently (almost one-third of the students polled). Particularly
among international students, financial difficulties (15%) and the requirement for part-time employment (42%)
were highly regarded factors. International students were three to four times more likely to struggle with writing
assignments and participating in class because of the higher workload. The study found that the likelihood of
getting sick was significantly positively correlated with the quantity of exams and tasks. College students’ stress
levels and academic performance were significantly inversely correlated by Akgun and Ciarrochi (2003), who
also emphasized the detrimental effects of academic stress on students’ intellectual, social, and emotional
development.

Classroom size
Developing countries are negatively impacted by the phenomena of large class sizes in education, as are
developed countries. In recent years, organizations in several nations have accepted that having large class sizes
is a necessary evil. The effectiveness of the instruction and evaluation of the wellness of the students directly
influence how serious the issue is (academic stress in particular). According to Anderson (2010), teaching-related
elements are among the most likely causes of class size and students’ academic stress. Because of population
growth, a desire for higher education, and improved living conditions, the problem of substantial class sizes has
emerged. Large classes have also resulted from rapid population increase and international efforts to provide
universal education (Benbow, Mizrachi, Oliver, & Said-Moshiro, 2007). However, there are several difficulties
that both teachers and students must overcome, especially academic stress in developing nations.
McKeachie, in Muraina’s (2017) study of the education literature, reveals that learning is not significantly
changed by class size because instructors can adjust their teaching approaches to class size. Adewuyi and Oluwole
(2016) estimated how class size affects academic stress using data from a nationally representative survey
collected across middle school reading and math classes. Smaller class sizes were found to be associated with
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improvements in academic performance connected to students’ psychological involvement with the school,
decreasing their academic stress. These adjustments included things like improved interest and motivation,
decreased boredom and anxiety, a sense of belonging, and a generally more favorable reaction to academics,
teachers, and peers. Small classes (in early grades) are advantageous for all sorts of students, according to quantile
regression analyses from Tennessee’s Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR), a project cited by
Konstantopoulos and Chung (2009) to support their claim (e.g., low, medium, and high achievers) across all
achievement tests. Throughout the four years of the study, students were frequently given the Stanford
Achievement Test and scores from the 11 students were tallied and examined. According to research by
Konstantopoulos and Chung (2009), affirmed that poor achievers tend to gain more from being in small classes
for more extended periods, and academic stress lowered in turn, for specific grades, in reading and science.

2. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions guided the study:

1. What is the pattern of relationships that exist between the independent variables (school environment,
self-concept, workload and classroom size) and academic stress among first-year tertiary students in
Southwest Nigeria?
2. What is the joint contribution of the independent variables (school environment, self-concept, workload
and classroom size) on academic stress among first year tertiary students in Southwestern Nigeria?
3. What is the relative contribution of the independent variables (school environment, self-concept,
workload and classroom size) to academic stress among first year tertiary students in Southwest Nigeria?

3. METHODOLOGY

This study used a survey-type descriptive research design as its methodology. It is the systematic empirical
investigation that restricts the researcher from manipulating the circumstances. All first-year tertiary students in
Southwest Nigeria made up the population for this study. Six tertiary institutions were chosen using the simple
random sample technique, one from each state, and 50 first-year students were chosen at random in each of the
identified institutions. Three hundred first-year students in total were sampled for the investigation.

Instrumentation
Data was gathered via a questionnaire. Sections A and B of the questionnaire were separated. The
respondents’ demographic data is shown in Section A. Age, sex, religion, study field, and parental educational
attainment are some of these demographic traits. The remaining standardized tests used in the study are included
in Section B. They are: School environment Scale (α=0.78), Self-concept Scale (α=.82), Academic Workload
Scale (α=.78) and Student Academic Stress Scale (α=.73).

Data Analysis
At a significance level of 0.05, the study’s data was analyzed using simple percentages, the Pearson Product
Moment Correlation (PPMC), and multiple regressions.

4. RESULTS

Research question one: What is the pattern of relationships that exist between the independent variables
(school environment, self-concept, workload and classroom size) and academic stress among first-year tertiary
students in Southwest Nigeria?
Table 1: Descriptive statistics and inter-correlations among the variables

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Variables N Mean SD 1 2 3 4 5

Academic stress 300 80.51 40.06 1.00

School environment 300 104.38 14.31 .442** 1.00

Self-concept 300 29.34 9.29 .528** .731** 1.00

Workload 300 67.70 37.68 .397** .021 .075 1.00

Classroom size 300 94.40 23.30 .575** .815** .937** .077 1.00
**Correlation significant at 0.01 levels

Table 1 provides inter-correlations between the study variables and descriptive statistics. The table
demonstrates a substantial correlation between academic stress and the school environment, self-concept,
workload, and classroom size for first-year tertiary students. Significant correlations between the independent
variables were also present.

Research question two: What is the joint contribution of the independent variables (school environment,
self-concept, workload and classroom size) on academic stress among first-year tertiary students in Southwest
Nigeria?

Table 2: Multiple Regression Analysis showing joint effect of the independent variables on academic
stress
Analysis of variance
Model Sum of square (SS) DF Mean square F
Regression 219830.122 4 54957.530 62.308
Residual 260198.848 295 882.030
Total 480028.970
299
R = .677
R2 = .458
Adjusted R2 =.451

Standard error of estimate= 29.69899The independent variables (school environment, self-concept,

workload, and classroom size) together led to academic stress among first-year tertiary students as shown in the
table. The value of R Square = .458 and Multiple R2 (adjusted) = .451. With 45.1% of the independent variables
accounting for academic stress among first-year tertiary students, the analysis of variance conducted on the
multiple regressions produced an F-ratio value of 62.308 and was significant at the 0.05 level.

Research question three: What is the relative contribution of each of the independent variables (school
environment, self-concept, workload, and classroom size) to academic stress among first-year tertiary students in
Southwest Nigeria?

Table 3: Relative Contribution of Independent Variables to the Prediction

Unstandardized Standardized coefficients
coefficients
Model B Standard error β t P
Constant -29.02 14.303 -2.029 .043
School environment -.134 .211 -.048 -.635 p>0.05

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Self-concept -.469 .535 -.109 -.876 p>0.05

Workload .375 .046 .353 8.190 p<0.05
Class size 1.185 .252 .689 4.701 p<0.05
The table demonstrates that the independent variables significantly influenced the first-year tertiary students’ academic
stress in Southwest Nigeria. In terms of the magnitude of the influence, class size (β=.689; t=4.701; p<0.05) made the
most contribution followed by workload (β=.353; t= 8.190; p<0.05), school environment (β= -.048; t=-.635; p>0.05), and
self-concept (β = -.109; t=-.876; p>0.05).

5. DISCUSSION

According to the first research question, the school environment, self-concept, workload, and classroom size
are strongly connected with academic stress among first-year tertiary students. This finding is consistent with
Uwaifo (2008), who looked at the impact of students’ self-concept, classroom size, parental participation, and
academic burden on their academic stress in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Five hundred and sixty students from
eight randomly selected schools in two geopolitical zones made up the study’s sample. The t-test statistical
approach was used for the analysis. The findings demonstrated notable disparities between student academic stress
and these noted characteristics. Similarly, Paris and Paris (2001) discovered that school variables, such as the
school environment, classroom size, and equipment, impact students’ academic stress. The study examined the
impact of these variables and consistently discovered that academic activities were widely implemented in schools
where the variables mentioned earlier were considered; students showed significant benefits in several areas, such
as attitudes toward learning, feelings about learning, and feelings about academic success.
In another study, Pintrich and Groot (2010) demonstrated that a positive teaching environment and a positive
self-concept are essential for preventing and minimizing student stress challenges, which is unquestionably
accurate and consistent with the present conclusions. The students’ academic lives were significantly impacted by
their sense of self-efficacy. The things people do with the knowledge and skills they have acquired, and thus what
they are capable of, are influenced by their perceptions of their academic aptitude. Also, individuals with identical
abilities may experience significantly different levels of academic stress (). A student’s self-beliefs are essential
in cognitive engagement and boosting them might result in a rise in the use of cognitive techniques, and thus, a
reduction in academic stress. Their self-perceptions and workloads significantly influence students’ academic
stress and success. The study by Razia (2016), which included more than 90,000 tertiary students in 12 schools,
is relevant. Interviews were conducted with 20,000 research participants and the data from this study showed that
academic stress was a protective element in students’ lives.
The answer to the second research question demonstrates that the classroom size, workload, self-concept,
and school environment all cause academic stress in first-year tertiary students. According to Khatoon’s (2005)
research, most of the academic stress students experience at school is tied to what they learn and how they learn
it. The current generation of university students is under much pressure to learn more than previous generations
did. Some students may experience stress from regular academic work that is not difficult enough, just as
managing a heavy and challenging workload can be stressful. For this reason, the components of academic
activities are identified as curriculum and instruction, teamwork, assessment, and placement. Huanet (2005)
looked into how students’ perceptions of academic stress were affected by their workload, the school environment,
and their gender. Participants in this study included 430 Singaporean secondary school students. Two self-report
instruments, the life orientation exam and the academic expectations stress inventory were used to gather data.
The findings revealed a substantial inverse association between students’ academic stress and their workload,
school climate, and gender.
Further, a study on the impact of class size on the academic stress of children and adolescents was undertaken
by Piel and John (2002). In the study, academic stress is typically predicted by class size, although environmental
demands linked to instrumental competence and behavioral controls are not (i.e., academic stress and deviance).
The findings indicate that children and teenagers from undeveloped environments (low parental demand and
parental responsiveness) have less developed social skills, lower self-esteem, and higher levels of academic stress.
These individuals also tend not to perform moderately well in school and do not refrain from engaging in problem
behavior (Omoponle, 2019).
The last research question examined how each independent variable contributed to students’ academic stress.
The outcome of the study revealed that class size made the most contribution followed by workload, school
environment and self-concept. This finding is supported by Tournaki and Podell (2005), who studied how the
combination of student, teacher, and environmental variables impact academic stress. They collected data from

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384 students who completed a 16-item academic stress assessment with one of 32 possible case studies
representing a student in which gender, reading proficiency, social behavior, and attentiveness were
experimentally improved. Their research showed that school environments predicted student academic stress level
negatively. It is comparable to the research by Piel and John (2002) on the impact of class size on children’s and
adolescents’ academic stress. Academic stress is typically predicted by class size, while parental expectations are
connected to instrumental competence and behavioral control (i.e., academic stress and deviance).
Deb, Esben and Jiandong, (2014) also discusses a variety of academic stressors concerning students’ general
attitudes toward studying. Students frequently used their experiences with excessive workloads or improper modes
of evaluation to justify their negative attitudes. The learning process was made less enjoyable because of
insufficient assessment practices. High accomplishment in conventional terms may conceal this unhappiness and
the reality that students may not fully absorb the subject content they have learned. In another study by Onyemah
and Adewuyi (2022), 400 male students in grades 10 and 12 from five private schools were the subject of the
research. High levels of academic anxiety and stress were found in 35% and 37% of students, respectively. This
study has shown that students who go to lectures in environments with adequate facilities in terms of class size
are less stressed. In addition, it was discovered that students who engaged in extracurricular activities having more
workload were more stressed than their non-participating counterparts.

6. CONCLUSION

This study focused on tertiary students since it is thought they experience different types of academic stress
due to the transition from secondary education. This research has provided an in-depth understanding of tertiary
students’ academic stress profiles. According to the study’s findings, many students were stressed because of their
heavy academic workload and inadequate class sizes. However, the study found an important association between
the school environment and self-concept, but it was not statistically significant. Because of this, students
experienced uncontrollable academic stress when they could not cope with unpleasant circumstances and felt that
the task at hand was beyond their capacity to succeed. The answer is to adjust to the circumstances and work
through the tension. In this way, stress can inspire students and keep them motivated to produce their best work.

7. RECOMMENDATIONS

Parents, educators, education specialists, school administrators, non-governmental organizations, and

policymakers are encouraged to take into account the following recommendations:
1. Every tertiary institution should include counseling services to assist students in developing a healthy self-
concept and coping with stress.
2. The government should create beneficial regulations that will aid students in performing well academically
in their academic settings. Also, the infrastructure and resources needed to improve teaching and learning
should be made available
3. There is an urgent need for involvement from the public and commercial sectors in school planning, funding,
provision, implementation, supervision, and monitoring. To help students cope with stress and improve their
academic performance, competitions for quizzes, class presentations and interschool debates should be held.

Ethics Statement
The University of Ibadan examined and authorized the investigations that used human subjects. The
participants gave their written informed consent to take part in this study.

Acknowledgments
The authors appreciate the students who replied to their instrument and the authors whose works they used
as a resource.

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Availability of Data Statement

The article and supplementary materials contain the original contributions to the study; for further
information, contact the corresponding author.

Competing Interests
The authors of the study declare that there was no business or financial connections that may be interpreted
as having a potential conflict of interest.

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