Transactions on Data Analysis in Social Science

Transactions on Data Analysis in Social Science

The Relationship Between Virtual Education and Perceived Stress in High School Male Students During the Corona Era

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Associate professor, Department of Psychology, Zahedan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zahedan, Iran
2 PhD Student, Department of Psychology, Zahedan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zahedan, Iran
3 Master of Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, Hamedan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a rapid transition from traditional classroom learning to virtual education, which may have affected students’ mental health. This study investigates the relationship between virtual education and perceived stress among male high school students in Tehran. Methods: A descriptive-correlational research design was employed. The statistical population included all male high school students in Tehran during 2021. Using stratified random sampling proportional to school size, 100 students were selected according to Morgan’s table. Data were collected using the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983) and the electronic learning questionnaire (Watkins et al., 2004). Statistical analyses were performed in SPSS version 22, applying descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation tests. Results: Findings revealed a significant positive correlation between virtual education and perceived stress levels (r = 0.639, p < 0.001). Students reporting higher engagement in virtual learning also exhibited greater stress, potentially due to factors such as technological challenges, reduced peer interaction, and increased self-directed learning demands. Conclusion: The results suggest that while virtual education offers continuity of learning during crises, it may increase stress among students. Educational authorities should provide psychological support and enhance digital readiness to mitigate adverse effects. Further research should investigate mediating factors, including socioeconomic background and digital literacy.
Keywords

  • Karki, B. B. (2022). COVID-19: The Pandemic. Nepal Medical Journal.
  • Nazari, F., Ghanizadeh, A., & Mirzaee, S. (2023). EFL teachers’ coping strategies amidst the Covid-19 virtual education and their association with work engagement and teacher apprehension. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 22(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10671-022-09317-0
  • Aristovnik, A., Keržič, D., Ravšelj, D., Tomaževič, N., & Umek, L. (2020). Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on life of higher education students: A global perspective. Sustainability, 12(20), Article 8438. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208438
  • Matizirofa, L., Soyizwapi, L., Siwela, A., & Khosie, M. (2021). Maintaining student engagement: The digital shift during the coronavirus pandemic a case of the library at the University of Pretoria. New Review of Academic Librarianship, 27(3), 364-379. https://doi.org/10.1080/13614533.2021.1976234
  • Bao, W. (2020). COVID-19 and online teaching in higher education: A case study of Peking University. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 2(2), 113–115. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.191
  • Hasan, N., & Bao, Y. (2020). Impact of "e-learning crack-up" perception on psychological distress among college students during COVID-19 pandemic. Children and Youth Services Review, 118, 105355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105355
  • Loades, M.E., Chatburn, E., Higson-Sweeney, N., et al. (2020). Rapid systematic review: The impact of social isolation and loneliness on the mental health of children and adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 59(11), 1218–1239.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2020.05.009
  • Dhawan, S. (2020). Online Learning: A Panacea in the Time of COVID-19 Crisis. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 49, 5-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239520934018
  • Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385–396. https://doi.org/10.2307/2136404
  • Kaparounaki, C.K., Patsali, M.E., Mousa, D.P.V., et al. (2020). University students' mental health amidst the COVID-19 quarantine in Greece. Psychiatry Research, 290, 113111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113111
  • Compas, B.E., Connor-Smith, J.K., Saltzman, H., Thomsen, A.H., & Wadsworth, M.E. (2001). Coping with stress during childhood and adolescence. Psychological Bulletin, 127(1), 87–127. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.127.1.87
  • Lee, J. (2020). Mental health effects of school closures during COVID-19. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 4(6), 421. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30109-7
  • Magson, N.R., Freeman, J.Y.A., Rapee, R.M., et al. (2021). Risk and protective factors for prospective changes in adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 50, 44–57. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-020-01332-9
  • Chen, S., Cheng, Z., & Wu, J. (2020). Risk factors for adolescents’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 277, 55–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.08.034
  • Thakur, A. (2020). Mental health in high school students at the time of COVID-19: A student’s perspective. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 59(12), 1309–1310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2020.08.005
  • Dietrich, H., Patzina, A., & Lerche, A. (2021). Social inequality in the homeschooling efforts of German high school students during a school closure period. European Societies, 23(sup1), S348–S369. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616696.2020.1826556
  • Mheidly, N., Fares, M.Y., & Fares, J. (2020). Coping with stress and burnout associated with telecommunication and online learning. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, 574969. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.574969
  • Creswell, J.W., & Creswell, J.D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
  • Fraenkel, J.R., Wallen, N.E., & Hyun, H.H. (2019). How to design and evaluate research in education (10th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
  • Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics (5th ed.). London: Sage Publications.
  • World Medical Association. (2013). Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. JAMA, 310(20), 2191–2194. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.281053
  • Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385–396. https://doi.org/10.2307/2136404
  • Lee, E.H. (2012). Review of the psychometric evidence of the perceived stress scale. Asian Nursing Research, 6(4), 121–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2012.08.004
  • Taylor, J.M. (2015). Psychometric analysis of the Ten-Item Perceived Stress Scale. Psychological Assessment, 27(1), 90–101. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038100
  • Roberti, J.W., Harrington, L.N., & Storch, E.A. (2006). Further psychometric support for the 10‐Item version of the perceived stress scale. Journal of College Counseling, 9(2), 135–147. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1882.2006.tb00100.x
  • Watkins, R., Leigh, D., & Triner, D. (2004). Assessing readiness for e-learning. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 17(4), 66–79. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1937-8327.2004.tb00321.x
  • Yurdugül, H., & Demir, Ö. (2017). An investigation of the readiness levels of pre-service teachers for online learning. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 16(1), 97–110.
  • Hung, M., Chou, C., Chen, C.H., & Own, Z.Y. (2010). Learner readiness for online learning: Scale development and student perceptions. Computers & Education, 55(3), 1080–1090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.05.004
  • Adnan, M., & Anwar, K. (2020). Online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Students' perspectives. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 2(1), 45–51. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.2020261309
  • Aristovnik, A., Keržič, D., Ravšelj, D., Tomaževič, N., & Umek, L. (2020). Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on life of higher education students: A global perspective. Sustainability, 12(20), 8438. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208438
  • Hasan, N., & Bao, Y. (2020). Impact of “e-Learning crack-up” perception on psychological distress among college students during COVID-19 pandemic: A mediating role of “fear of academic year loss.” Children and Youth Services Review, 118, 105355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105355
  • Tang, Y.M., Chen, P.C., Law, K.M., Wu, C.H., Lau, Y.Y., Guan, J., & Ho, G.T. (2021). Comparative analysis of student’s live online learning readiness during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the higher education sector. Computers & Education, 168, 104211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104211
  • Hung, M., Chou, C., Chen, C.H., & Own, Z.Y. (2010). Learner readiness for online learning: Scale development and student perceptions. Computers & Education, 55(3), 1080–1090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.05.004
Volume 5, Issue 1
Winter 2023
Pages 37-42

  • Receive Date 03 January 2023
  • Revise Date 21 February 2023
  • Accept Date 09 March 2023