Academic Self-Efficacy And Stress Levels Among Final-Year Students During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between academic self-efficacy and stress levels among final-year students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hypothesis posits a negative and significant relationship between academic self-efficacy and stress levels. The sample consisted of 138 students aged 20 to 25 years. Data were collected using an academic self-efficacy scale and a stress level scale, and the analytical technique applied was parametric correlation (Pearson’s product-moment correlation). The results indicate a correlation coefficient (r) of -0.510 with p = 0.000 (p < 0.01), demonstrating a significant negative relationship between academic self-efficacy and stress levels. The acceptance of the hypothesis in this study yields a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.260, suggesting that academic self-efficacy accounts for 26% of the variance in stress levels. The remaining 74% is influenced by other factors, such as stress coping mechanisms, resilience, optimism, social support, and ethnic identity.

Keywords: Stress levels, academic self-efficacy, final-year students.