Posted: May 24th, 2022

Does Stress Affect Academic Performance in University Students?

Does Stress Affect Academic Performance in University Students?

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HLSC122 Semester 1, 2020
Assessment 3: Research Study 1 or 2
Word count: 1212

Does Stress Affect Academic Performance in University Students?
Introduction
There is a growing need to conduct extensive research studies on the effect of stress on academic performance among university students. An increasing rate of students who fail to graduate, complete semesters, or receive high grades is an indicator of the need for further study and analysis of the available studies. According to a report by an American health college, 25 percent of students indicate that stress lowers their academic performance (Jackson & Sherman, 2019). Similarly, stress causes students to drop out of school or drop classes which are essential in their career. This paper will critically evaluate the initial research studies on this subject using various sections including authorship, research question. It will also focus on justification as well as research design, results, and limitations. The study will also outline the enablers plus barriers in the study to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses.
PART A – Critical appraisal
Authorship
Glasofer and Townsend (2019) state that a critical appraisal of research should focus on two important parts including study design and research methodologies. Quality of authorship and expertise of an author are also essential considerations. The authorship of the study comprised Mehfooz and Haider (2018). Qurrat Ul Ain Mehfooz works as s a professor at Sheikh Zayed Medical College while Sonia Ijaz Haider works at Aga Khan University. The qualifications and affiliations of the research provide credibility to the study. However, the study had one major weakness since it did not have a disclosure statement. According to Glasofer and Townsend (2019), a disclosure statement is essential since it shows a research study has no legal, commercial, or financial inclination. It also shows that the study is professional and all the relevant requirements are fulfilled satisfactorily.
Research Question & Justification
The study by Mehfooz and Haider (2018) on the effect of stress on academic performance focused on medical students. The research question was, what is the effect of stress on the academic performance of medical students? The justification of the research had a few weaknesses since it utilized research studies that were almost 10 years older. The research studies may present a weak argument compared to studies that were recently conducted. However, justification of the research by Mehfooz and Haider (2018) was still concrete since the researchers utilized various concepts to develop solid arguments. The justification was also hinged on the objectives which focused on the sources of stress, effect of stress, and level of stress among medical students. The study thus served a crucial role in adding value to the field of knowledge in literature in the academic field.
Research design
The authors indicate that they utilized a cross-sectional research design to understand the relationship between the two variables. According to Bell et al. (2018), a cross-sectional research design is a quantitative design that analyses the variables of a study across a specific population. It is an essential research design in comparing different sets of a population in a study. For example, the study focused on comparing the effect of stress on medical students to understand the varying impact. A quantitative approach was also an important decision for the researchers due to elaborate data collection. The quantitative data collection would involve the academic performance of students and their relationship to the different levels of stress. However, the researchers did not expressly elaborate on the reasons why they selected the approach which adds to the weaknesses of the study.
Research methods
The researchers utilized a quantitative survey method to carry out the study. They utilized a medical questionnaire to examine the effect of stress on academic performance among medical students. The tool is essential since it comprises 40 items that represent the six stressor domains. However, the method and approach have several weaknesses including a small number of students. Only 200 students participated in the study thus the study may not be replicated in other scenarios. However, the study one strength of gaining approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee of the university. They also gained informed consent from the participants. The publication of the study thus shows it has a good standing in the research field. However, the study had an aspect of bias since it only relied on the Medical Student Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ) which is limited.
Results and Limitations
Mehfooz and Haider’s (2018) findings suggested that medical students undergo intense pressure and stress before examinations. The findings also revealed that female students were more affected by stress. It also shows that undergraduate learners at the institution experience considerable stress especially in the third year. Results also indicate that lack of counselling and training on how to manage stress are some of the major factors which exacerbate the condition. Mehfooz and Haider (2018) identify two major limitations which include a limited number of students and researching a single medical institution. Another limitation was the lack of elaborate sources of stress and how to manage them. The limitations impact the application of the study findings. Mehfooz and Haider (2018) also did not explain the effect of stress which could show the impact on academic performance.
PART B – Enablers and Barriers
The application of the recommendations and findings is essential since Mehfooz and Haider (2018) present the reality of the effects among medical students. The researchers identified various sources of stress which are evident in various medical institutions. The various sources include lack of sufficient time for revision, insufficient skills, heavy workload, examination, and tests. The reality in other medical institutions is almost similar and thus making it easy to apply the findings of the study. Conversely, there are several barriers to the adoption of the findings. One of the barriers is that the researchers did not portray the impact of the sources of stress on academic performance.
The study lacks some level of clarity that should be present for a successful and evidence-based implementation of the study. They also did not explain the impact on exposure to stressful situations such as emotional, physical, and mental conditions. Another barrier is drawn from the limitation of the study since it only utilized the Medical Student Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ). Using one approach to collect data is a way of creating a loophole for bias. The study also fails to address the bias. Therefore, the application of the study should be done cautiously due to the significant weaknesses in the study design and methodology.
Conclusion
The critical appraisal of the research shows that Mehfooz and Haider (2018) selected an essential topic in the academic field. Although there is existing literature on stress and academic excellence, the rate of tension and depression among students continues to rise. Therefore, further study is required to appreciate the connection between stress and academics. The current research also provides an opportunity for further research to explore the sources of stress and skills for managing stress among medical students. One of the major weakness of the study is a small number of respondents in one medical institution. Another limitation was using Medical Student Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ). The questionnaire only provides six domains of stressors thus leaving an opportunity for bias. The weaknesses in the study thus provide a springboard for carrying out future research studies that will elaborate on the topic further.

References
Bell, E., Bryman, A., & Harley, B. (2018). Business research methods. Oxford University Press.
Glasofer, A., & Townsend, A. B. (2019). Determining the level of evidence: Experimental research appraisal. Nursing2020 Critical Care, 14(6), 22-25.
Jackson, Z. A., & Sherman, L. D. (2019). National college health assessment sampling: Organizational barriers preventing black participation and organizational solutions for appropriate representation. Journal of American College Health, 67(6), 501-504.
Mehfooz, Q. A., & Haider, S. I. (2018). Effect of Stress on Academic Performance of Undergraduate Medical Students. Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education, 7(6).

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