Stress and the Desire to Study of Students in Higher Education Institutions During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

During 2020, the world faced the unusual situation of COVID-19 infections outbreak and at the same time people and governments faced the changes in lifestyle that was forced by the measures taken to manage the crises. Measures as social and physical distancing, in addition to self-quarantine, have been imposed by governments worldwide. Education sector was affected by the measures. Students were out of school worldwide. Education moved to the online and remote learning, posing new challenges for students and teachers. The new lifestyle caused stress for many people al around the world, students included. This research aims to investigate students’ behavior during 2020 on the level of stress, desire to study, laziness and concentration and gender differences. Through a cross-sectional online survey among 254 students of higher education institutions in Albania, was found out that stress levels of students in higher education institutions were higher among female students compared to male students. The research shows that stress has negative correlation to the desire to study and concentration and positive correlation to laziness, while the desire to study has negative correlation to laziness and positive correlation to concentration. Through linear regression analysis, this study provides insights on the factors that have influenced students’ feelings during pandemic and what can be done for improvement.