College STEM Students’ Adjustment, Coping, and Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.1207.19076Keywords:
College adaptation, higher education, STEM, Adjustment, coping, College studentsAbstract
The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected higher education, disrupting both the academic and personal lives of students. This study investigates differences in academic adjustment, perceived stress, and coping mechanisms between STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and non-STEM students during the pandemic. Secondary analyses were conducted on survey responses from 216 participants (n = 108 STEM students, n = 108 non-STEM students) drawn from a larger study focused on university adaptation, perceived stress, coping strategies, and COVID-19-specific factors. The results revealed that non-STEM students adjusted better academically compared to their STEM counterparts, with a greater tendency to use escape-avoidance coping strategies. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in social or personal-emotional adjustment, nor in overall stress levels despite the varying academic pressures. Regression analysis identified academic adjustment, emotional adjustment, and avoidance behaviors as key predictors of perceived stress and COVID-19-related challenges. These findings highlight the need for tailored support systems to address the distinct challenges faced by students in different academic disciplines, particularly during crises. The study concludes with a discussion of the implications, limitations, and future research directions.
References
Son, C., Hegde, S., Smith, A., Wang, X., & Sasangohar, F. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 on college students’ mental health in the United States: Interview survey study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(9), Article e21279. https://doi.org/10.2196/21279.
Lee, J., Solomon, M., Stead, T., Kwon, B., & Ganti, L. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of US college students. BMC Psychology, 9(1), 95. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-021-00598-3.
Li, Y., Zhao, J., Ma, Z., McReynolds, L. S., Lin, D., Chen, Z., Wang, T., Wang, D., Zhang, Y., Zhang, J., Fan, F., & Liu, X. (2021). Mental health among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: A 2-wave longitudinal survey. Journal of Affective Disorders, 281, 597–604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.11.109.
Hamza, C. A., Ewing, L., Heath, N. L., & Goldstein, A. L. (2021). When social isolation is nothing new: A longitudinal study on psychological distress during COVID-19 among university students with and without preexisting mental health concerns. Canadian Psychology / Psychologie Canadienne, 62(1), 20–30. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000255.
Bozkurt, A., Jung, I., Xiao, J., Vladimirschi, V., Schuwer, R., Egorov, G., Lambert, S. R., Al-Freih, M., Pete, J., Olcott, Jr., D. Rodes, V., Aranciaga, I., Bali, M., Alvarez, Jr., A. V., Roberts, J., Pazurek, A., Raffaghelli, J. E., Panagiotou, N., de Coëtlogon, P., Shahadu, S., Brown, M., Asino, T. I. Tumwesige, J., Ramírez Reyes, T., Barrios Ipenza, E., Ossiannilsson, E., Bond, M., Belhamel, K., Irvine, V., Sharma, R. C., Adam, T., Janssen, B., Sklyarova, T., Olcott, N. Ambrosino, A., Lazou, C., Mocquet, B., Mano, M., & Paskevicius, M. (2020). A global outlook to the interruption of education due to COVID-19 pandemic: Navigating in a time of uncertainty and crisis. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 1-126. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3778083
Adedoyin, O. B., & Soykan, E. (2020). Covid-19 pandemic and online learning: the challenges and opportunities. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(2), 863–875. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1813180
Dhawan, S. (2020). Online learning: A panacea in the time of COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 49(1), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239520934018.
Baker, R. W., & Siryk, B. (1984). Measuring adjustment to college. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 31(2), 179–189. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.31.2.179.
Baker, R. W. & Siryk, B. (1999). SACQ: Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire Manual. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.
Newsome, M. L., Pina, A. A., Mollazehi, M., Al-Ali, K., & Al-Shaboul, Y. (2022). The effect of gender and STEM/non-STEM disciplines on remote learning: A national study of undergraduates in Qatar. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 20(4), 360–373.
Selco, J. I., & Habbak, M. (2021). Stem students’ perceptions on emergency online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic: Challenges and successes. Education Sciences, 11(12), 799. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11120799.
Wester, E. R., Walsh, L. L., Arango-Caro, S., & Callis-Duehl, K. L. (2021). Student engagement declines in STEM undergraduates during COVID-19-driven remote learning. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, 22(1), 22.1.50. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v22i1.2385.
Aarntzen, L., Nieuwenhuis, M., Endedijk, M. D., van Veelen, R., & Kelders, S. M. (2023). STEM students’ academic well-being at university before and during later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross- 335 sectional cohort and longitudinal study. Sustainability, 15(19), 14267. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914267.
Raaper, R., & Brown, C. (2020). The Covid-19 pandemic and the dissolution of the university campus: Implications for student support practice. Journal of Professional Capital and Community, 5(3/4), 343–349. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPCC-06-2020-0032.
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal and coping. Springer.
Pester, C. W., Noh, G., & Fu, A. (2023). On the importance of mental health in STEM. ACS Polymers Au, 3(4), 295–306. https://doi.org/10.1021/acspolymersau.2c00062.
Beiter, R., Nash, R., McCrady, M., Rhoades, D., Linscomb, M., Clarahan, M., & Sammut, S. (2015). The prevalence and correlates of depress- sion, anxiety, and stress in a sample of college students. Journal of Affective Disorders, 173, 90–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2014.10.054.
Jensen, K. J., & Cross, K. J. (2021). Engineering stress culture: Relationships among mental health, engineering identity, and sense of inclusion. Journal of Engineering Education, 110(2), 371–392. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20391.
Desrochers, M., Naybor, D., & Kelting, D. (2020). Perceived impact of COVID-19 and other factors on STEM students’ career development. Journal of Research in Stem Education, 6(2), 138–157. https://doi.org/10.51355/jstem.2020.91.
Soysal, D. E., Bani-Yaghoub, M., & Riggers-Piehl, T. A. (2022). Analysis of anxiety, motivation, and confidence of STEM students during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 17(2). https://doi.org/10.29333/iejme/11836.
Gillis, A., & Krull, L. M. (2020). COVID-19 remote learning transition in spring 2020: Class structures, student perceptions, and inequality in college courses. Teaching Sociology, 48(4), 283–299. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X20954263.
Prowse, R., Sherratt, F., Abizaid, A., Gabrys, R. L., Hellemans, K. G. C., Patterson, Z. R., & McQuaid, R. J. (2021). Coping with the COVID-19 pandemic: Examining gender differences in stress and mental health among university students. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 650759. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.650759.
Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R. S. (1988). Ways of coping questionnaire.
Folkman, S., & Moskowitz, J. T. (2004). Coping: Pitfalls and promise. Annual Review of Psychology, 55, 745–774. http://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.55.090902.141456.
Cohen, S. (1994). Perceived stress scale. Mind Garden. http://www.mindgarden.com/documents/PerceivedStressScale.pdf.
Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385–396. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2136404.https://doi.org/10.2307/2136404.
Lazarus, R. S. (1993). Coping theory and research: Past, present, and future. Psychosomatic Medicine, 55(3), 234–247. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-199305000-00002.
Folkman, S., Lazarus, R. S., Dunkel-Schetter, C., DeLongis, A., & Gruen, R. J. (1986). Dynamics of a stressful encounter: Cognitive appraisal, coping, and encounter outcomes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50(5), 992–1003. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.50.5.992
Liu, R.-D. (2020). Epidemic-Related Questionnaire Scale [Unpublished survey]. Psychology, Beijing Normal University.
Pallant, J. (2016). SPSS survival manual: A step by step guide to data analysis using IBM SPSS (6th ed.). Open University Press.
Fennie, T., Mayman, Y., Van Louw, C., Useh, E., & Kombora, M. (2020). Psychosocial factors impacting the college adjustment of undergraduate students: A scoping review. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 30(2), 96–105. https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2020.1716548.
Li, L., Zhang, R., & Piper, A. M. (2023). Predictors of student engagement and perceived learning in emergency online education amidst COVID-19: A community of inquiry perspective. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 12, 100326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2023.100326.
eKrypotos, A., eKrypotos, A., eEffting, M., eEffting, M., eKindt, M., eKindt, M., eBeckers, T., eBeckers, T., & eBeckers, T. (2015). Avoidance learning: a review of theoretical models and recent developments. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00189
Roth, S., & Cohen, L. J. (1986). Approach, avoidance, and coping with stress. American Psychologist, 41(7), 813–819. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.41.7.813.
Almén, N., Lisspers, J., Öst, L.-G., & Sundin, Ö. (2020). Behavioral stress recovery management intervention for people with high levels of perceived stress: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Stress Management, 27(2), 183–194. https://doi.org/10.1037/str0000140.
Dissing, A. S., Jørgensen, T. B., Gerds, T. A., Rod, N. H., & Lund, R. (2019). High perceived stress and social interaction behaviour among young adults. A study based on objective measures of face-to-face and smartphone interactions. PLOS ONE, 14(7), e0218429. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218429.
Berdahl, R. M. (1995). Educating the whole person. In A. G. Reinarz & E. R. White (Eds.), Teaching through academic advising: A faculty perspective (pp. 5–12). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Han, J., Kelley, T., & Knowles, J. G. (2021). Factors influencing student STEM learning: Self-efficacy and outcome expectancy, 21st century skills, and career awareness. Journal for STEM Education Research, 4(2), 117–137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41979-021-00053-3.
Madigan, D. J., Kim, L. E., & Glandorf, H. L. (2024). Interventions to reduce burnout in students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 39(2), 931–957. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-023-00731-3.
Nardi, W. R., Elshabassi, N., Spas, J., Zima, A., Saadeh, F., & Loucks, E. B. (2022). Students experiences of an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention at a college of opportunity: A qualitative investigation of the mindfulness-based college program. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 2331. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14775-5.
Pan, Y., Li, F., Liang, H., Shen, X., Bing, Z., Cheng, L., & Dong, Y. (2024). Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction on mental health and psychological quality of life among university students: A GRADE-assessed systematic review. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine: eCAM, 2024, 8872685. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/8872685.
Smit, B., & Stavrulaki, E. (2021). The efficacy of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for college students under extremely stressful conditions. Mindfulness, 12(12), 3086–3100. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-021-01772-9.
Amanvermez, Y., Rahmadiana, M., Karyotaki, E., De Wit, L., Ebert, D. D., Kessler, R. C., & Cuijpers, P. (2020). Stress management interventions for college students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 30(4), 423–444. https://doi.org/10.1111/cpsp.12342.
Palamarchuk, I. S., & Vaillancourt, T. (2021). Mental Resilience and Coping with Stress: A comprehensive, multi-level model of cognitive processing, decision making, and behavior. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 15, 719674. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.719674.
Scribner, M., Sasso, P., & Puchner, L. (2020). Stress Management and Coping Strategies in Undergraduate Students at a Midwestern State University. The New Y ork Journal of Student Affairs, 20 (1). Retrieved from https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/nyjsa/vol20/iss1/6
DeWitz, S. J., Woolsey, M. L., & Walsh, W. B. (2009). College Student Retention: An exploration of the relationship between self-efficacy beliefs and purpose in life among college students. Journal of College Student Development, 50(1), 19–34. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.0.0049. 337
Sommer, M., & Dumont, K. (2011). Psychosocial factors predicting academic performance of students at a historically disadvantaged university. South African Journal of Psychology, 41(3), 386–395. https://doi.org/10.1177/008124631104100312.
Collier, P. (2017). Why peer mentoring is an effective approach for promoting college stuWnt success. Metropolitan Universities, 28(3). https://doi.org/10.18060/21539.
Richardson, M., Abraham, C., & Bond, R. (2012). Psychological correlates of university students’ academic performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 138(2), 353–387. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026838.
Mohamed, N. H., Beckstein, A., Hutchings, P. B., Pang, N. T. P., Dawood, S. R. S., Fadilah, R., Sullivan, K., Yahaya, A., & Baral, J. E. V. (2022). Cross-cultural differences in psychological health, perceived stress, and coping strategies of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. European Journal of Mental Health, 17(2), 65–77. https://doi.org/10.5708/EJMH.17.2022.2.8.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Yi Ding, Anqi Zhang, Xiaoyan Hu, Qian Wang
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
