Academic rope to cope: Teachers’ coping strategy to academic anxiety

Abstract

ABSTRACT The pandemic drove an abrupt global change that brought anxiety and distress to individuals. As such, the study explored the coping strategies used by higher education faculty members in dealing with academic anxiety. A concurrent triangulation mixed method was employed. Data were gathered from the faculty members of a state university using questionnaires and interviews. The faculty members primarily employed religiosity, problem-solving, cognitive reappraisal, and relaxation/recreation as their coping mechanisms. Furthermore, the females were more inclined to use emotional release, and the young adults employed social support and overactivity. Henceforth, the female faculty members may be exposed to peer counseling where they will be able to freely release their anger because of academic anxiety and the young adults may be showered with care and understanding from the people who are close to them and they may be provided with activities to do that may lessen their academic anxiety.