Beyond the Screen: Predictors of Academic Stress and Resilience among University Students in Online Education

Abstract

Online education is a type of distance education in which the entire teaching process is mediated by technology. There are many benefits and challenges to online education, like time management, maintaining social interactions, and motivation. Studying itself is full of challenges that arise from academic activities, which can lead to academic stress. The ability to adapt and respond to such challenges is known as academic resilience. Since the pandemic pushed universities online, there was no time to adapt to such circumstances. Therefore, the first aim of this study was to investigate the similarities and differences between online and in-class education in time management, assessments and group tasks, social interactions, and motivation from the perspective of students in higher education in Croatia. Our second aim was to identify the role of these factors in predicting academic stress and academic resilience. The study was conducted online, and 704 students participated. Most of them believe that they have learned less during online courses, they were less motivated to learn, and they have cheated more during online compared to in-class courses. Time flexibility and lower tendency for procrastination, satisfaction with assessments and group tasks, and higher motivation were highlighted as important factors contributing to lower academic stress and higher academic resilience. There were no associations between social support and changes in academic stress or resilience. Recommendations for online courses and stakeholders in education who care about the mental health of students are discussed.