Magnitude of stress and academic achievement of female students of the university of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

Stress is a universal phenomenon which no human being is free from. This paper examined the magnitude of stress and academic achievement of female students of the University of Ilorin. It was a description survey type. The target population comprised the 400 level female studentsfrom the four randomly selected faculties (Arts, Education, Law and Sciences) in the University. Two hundred female students out of a total of 425 constituted the sample for the study. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled “Stress Magnitude Questionnaire”(SMAQ). Two hypotheses to guide the study were tested at .05 significance level, using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and t-test statistics. The findings revealed that there was a significant relationship between magnitude of stress and female student’s academic achievement.It was also revealed that no significant difference existed in the academic achievement of students who experienced low magnitude of stress and those who experienced high magnitude of stress. Based on these results, it was recommended that school administrators, counsellors andpsychologist should put in place a more enduring and coordinated social coping skills inform of quizzes, debates, games etc and be integrated into the University curriculum. In addition psychological support services including information centre, guidance and counselling servicesbe made available to students.