Gender and Academic Resilience as predictors of Academic Stress among In-School Adolescents in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria

Abstract

The current study examined the extent to which gender and academic resilience are predictors of academic stress in adolescents pursuing secondary education in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The objectives were to (i) determine the relationship between academic resilience and academic stress, (ii) determine the degree to which gender predicts academic stress, and (iii) determine gender-based differences in academic stress. 

Academic stress is an over-riding problem of adolescents, and it is largely due to the pressure of examinations, academic workload, parental expectations and school demand. According to previous literature, academic resilience serves as a protective factor in stress response and that female students are more likely to report high levels of stress, although there is a wide range of empirical evidence across cultures and educational settings, especially in the Nigerian secondary school setting. 

The survey design used was a correlational, descriptive survey. The sample consisted of 100 adolescents who were chosen through a simple random sampling method. Measurements were made using Academic Resilience Scale (ARS-30) and Academic Stress Inventory. Pearson product-moment correlations, multiple regression, and independent samples t-tests were used, with a significance level of 0.05. 

The results of the analyses showed no statistically significant correlation between academic stress and academic resilience. Gender was also not a major predictor of academic stress. However, the independent samples t-test showed that the difference between the academic stress levels between genders was statistically significant, but only slightly with male students reporting slightly high academic stress levels compared to female students. 

The results indicate that academic resilience may not have a pronounced effect on academic stress in the analysed group, and gender is not a very relevant predictor. These findings challenge existing assumptions about the universal buffer effect of resilience on stress and the reliability of gender-based differences in academic stress. 

The following recommendations, in turn, are offered in the study: the delivery of individualised counselling services, adoption of balanced academic policies, the use of gender-neutral stress-management interventions, increased parental involvement, and additional research on contextual determinants of academic stress in adolescents.