Exploring university students' subjective experiences of stress, coping, perceived social support, and psychological well-being in the context of teaching and learning during COVID-19

dc.contributor.authorOlaniyi, Ifeoluwa Ayooluwa Jesuloba
dc.date.accessioned2025-09-11T11:34:27Z
dc.date.available2025-09-11T11:34:27Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the lives of individuals globally, and university students have faced unique challenges due to disruptions in their academic, social, and personal lives. In a pre-COVID-19 survey, first-year students from 19 universities in 8 countries (Australia, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Spain, and the United States) had prevalence rates for suicidal ideation, plan, and attempt of 17.2%, 8.8%, and 1.0%, respectively over a 12-month period. University enrolment is an important moment when students face new obstacles such as making independent decisions, adjusting to academic expectations, and developing relationships with unfamiliar people. This research is important to understand how to encourage mental health in different populations. Students experience new problems after moving into the university setting, including decision-making, adjusting to academic obligations, and socializing with strangers. Located within Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (TMSC) as a framework, the present study used qualitative research methods, the present study aimed to explore the subjective experiences of stress, coping strategies, perceived social support, and psychological well-being among university students within the context of teaching and learning in the COVID-19 pandemic at a university in the Western Cape. Semi-structured, individual interviews were conducted to gain deeper insights into subjective experiences of stress, coping strategies, perceived social support, and psychological well-being among university students. The Humanities and Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee (HSSREC) approved the research before it was conducted at the University of the Western Cape (Ethics reference: HS23/7/34; Appendix A). The Office of the Registrar granted institutional permission to conduct research on students. The present study complied with all applicable data protection laws, including the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), and the University’s Research Policy and Data Management Policy.
dc.identifier.citationN/A
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10566/20895
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherUniversity of the Western Cape
dc.relation.ispartofseriesN/A
dc.subjectCOVID-19
dc.subjectFace-to-face learning
dc.subjectOnline learning and teaching
dc.subjectPsychological well-being
dc.subjectUniversity students
dc.titleExploring university students' subjective experiences of stress, coping, perceived social support, and psychological well-being in the context of teaching and learning during COVID-19
dc.typeThesis

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
olaniyi_m_chs_2025.pdf
Size:
2.1 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: