Investigating students' emotional stability as a predictor of stress management while engaging in flexible online learning during COVID-19

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions and guidelines are being enacted for the safety of the people, and generally, it has caused difficulties in the daily activities among students. Hence, this quantitative non-experimental study aimed to determine if emotional stability is a predictor of stress management among Senior High School students of the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, Philippines in the school year 2020-2021, who engage in a flexible online modality of learning. Adapted Likert-type survey tools were utilized to gather data online from 80 Grade 12 students who were selected through stratified non-proportionate random sampling. Results using linear regression analysis revealed a significant R and R2 value of .28 and .08(adjusted R2 was .07) respectively, which means highly significant F (1, 78) = 6.79, MSresidual = .31, p < .05 using a 95% level of confidence with a .39 standard error of the estimate from the population standard deviation of the residuals. This means that the independent variable emotional stability (ES) significantly and statistically affects the dependent variable stress management (SM). The modeled equation SM = 1.71 + .50 (ES) predicts that the higher the level of emotional stability, the higher the level of stress management. This implies that emotionally stable students are better at managing their stress. These results encouraged collaboration among the academic and administrative support services in every institution and stronger social support at home. This time, parental involvement plays a vital role in the holistic development and formation of every student.