Perceived Effect of Post-pandemic Experiences on Student’s Academic Stress and Mental Health: A Case Study of Social Science Education Students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka

Abstract

The study investigated the perceived effect of post-pandemic experiences on students’
academic stress and mental health: A case study of Social Science Education students of the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The study adopted a descriptive design. The sample size
consists of 165 (26 male and 139 female) students. The study was guided by four research
questions and two null hypotheses. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire.
The instrument was validated by three experts from the Departments of Social Science
Education and Science Education of the University of Nigeria. The Cronbach alpha
coefficient was 0.76. Data were analyzed using mean, while the null hypotheses were tested
with a t-test at p ≤ 0.05. The result showed that the students experienced class extension
beyond school hours (x̄ =3.60), missed lectures (x̄ =3.54), inadequate time to study materials
(x̄ =3.52), and frequent and congested lectures (x̄ =3.50), among others. On the perceived effect
on mental health, the study found that students experienced tense feelings severally during
class presentations due to lack of time to prepare (x̄ =3.27), frequent panic after the pandemic
due to academic work overload (x̄=3.22), feelings of disinterest in academic activities
(x̄ =3.21), among others. Results from the hypotheses show that significant gender difference
was found in the perceived effect of post-pandemic experiences on students' academic stress
but not on their mental health. The study recommended among other things that students
should employ effective and positive strategies in managing their activities to reduce the
occurrence of academic stress and mental health challenges.