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Measuring coping at a university using a Rasch model
1Edith Cowan University, School of Education, Pearson Street, Churchlands, WA 6018, Australia. r.waugh@cowan.edu.au
Journal of Applied Measurement
|October 3, 2003
Summary
University students effectively manage academic challenges using planning and emotional strategies. This study identified key coping mechanisms, highlighting that expected good strategies are easier to implement than stress-reducing ones.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Higher Education Studies
Background:
- Academic difficulties are a significant concern for university students.
- Effective coping strategies are crucial for student success and well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and measure university students' coping strategies for academic difficulties.
- To validate a measurement model for assessing coping behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a Rasch measurement model to analyze data from 337 education students at an Australian university.
- Developed a scale ordering coping items by difficulty and students by coping ability.
- Assessed coping through Motivation and Planning, Friends and Planning, Studying and Planning, and Emotions.
Main Results:
- The study successfully created a reliable measurement scale (0.88 true variance) for student coping.
- Motivation and Planning, Friends and Planning, Studying and Planning, and Emotions were validated as key coping aspects.
- Expected Good Coping Strategies were found to be easier to implement than Actual Coping Strategies, which were easier than Stress Reducing Coping Strategies.
Conclusions:
- Student coping with academic challenges is best understood through planning and emotional regulation.
- The hierarchy of coping strategy difficulty (Expected > Actual > Stress Reducing) provides valuable insights for intervention.
- The findings support a theoretical construct of coping that emphasizes proactive and adaptive strategies.