University Students' Good Practices as Moderators Between Active Coping and Stress Responses

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Higher Education Studies

Background:

• Academic stress is a significant concern for university students within the European Higher Education Area.
• Good student practices are recognized as crucial indicators of educational quality.
• Existing research highlights high levels of academic stress in university populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the moderating role of four specific student good practices on the relationship between active coping strategies and academic stress responses.
• To determine if feedback-seeking, cooperative work, time management, and active learning influence how effectively students manage stress.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 1014 university students.
• Utilized validated scales: Academic Stress Coping Scale (A-CEA), Academic Stress Response Scale (R-CEA), and Inventory of Good Practices in University Students (IBPEU).
• Employed moderation analyses using linear regressions with interaction terms and simple slope analyses.

Main Results:

• Feedback-seeking, cooperative work, and time management significantly strengthened the stress-reducing effect of active coping.
• Higher levels of these practices amplified the benefits of active coping strategies.
• Active learning demonstrated a threshold effect; active coping was effective in reducing stress only when active learning was implemented.

Conclusions:

• Promoting good student practices, such as feedback-seeking, cooperative work, and time management, can enhance the effectiveness of active coping strategies.
• The effective implementation of active learning is crucial for its role in stress reduction.
• Integrating these practices into psychoeducational programs may improve students' resilience and reduce psychological distress.