scholarly journals Challenges and coping strategies of student mothers of ‘ucc’ college of distance education: The case of the Cape Coast centre

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Akomaning ◽  
Abigail Boatemaa Osafo

Student mothers in distance education programmes in Ghana have to combine family roles with work and academic pursuits. Therefore, this study sought to find out the challenges and coping strategies of student mothers at the College of Distance Education (CoDE) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Cape Coast Centre. In this descriptive survey, a questionnaire was used to collect data from 175 conveniently sampled student mothers attending classes at Cape Coast Centre, CoDE, UCC. The data collected was analysed using frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. The findings from the data gleaned that majority of student mothers (a minimum of 71%) performed a lot of laborious non-academic activities daily in their homes and the combination of these roles with their academics pose a negative high effect on their family lives and academics. Unfortunately, the coping strategies they employed were, to a large extent, ineffective. Thus, student mothers have inevitable academic impediments that emanate from the non-academic activities they perform at home, posing challenges to their academic pursuit. Therefore, CoDE, in collaboration with the Counselling Unit of the University of Cape Coast should provide counselling services to these student mothers to be aware of the academic challenges and ways to effectively navigate these challenges to be successful.

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2484-2494
Author(s):  
Joyce Kwakyewaa Dankyi ◽  
Lydia Aframea Dankyi ◽  
Vincent Mensah Minadzi

Author(s):  
Dr. Dominic Owusu ◽  

This study assessed the class level differences in stress experiences and coping strategies among undergraduate students in Ghana. The study employed a descriptive survey design. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 265 undergraduate students out of the 846 student population in the Department of Education and Psychology. The research instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire entitled “Stress Experiences and Coping Strategies” (SECS). Means and standard deviations were used to analyse the research questions. The findings revealed that common stress experiences varied, with lack of social contact with students of other faculties in the University as the most common stress experienced among the respondents. Also the most commonly used coping strategy was having enough rest. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the University should champion and promote inter-faculty, social and academic programmes and activities that would enable students to interact, socialize and build rapport among themselves.


2020 ◽  
pp. 002076402097131
Author(s):  
Heloísa Monteiro Amaral-Prado ◽  
Filipy Borghi ◽  
Tânia Maron Vichi Freire Mello ◽  
Dora Maria Grassi-Kassisse

Background: The current situation due COVID-19 may cause an eminent impact on mental health because the confinement restrictions. Aims: The aim of this study was to analyze and compare perceived stress, resilience, depression symptoms and coping strategies on the members of University of Campinas, in Brazil, before and during the outbreak of the COVID-19. Methods: Volunteers over 18 years of both sexes, members of the University of Campinas (Unicamp) in Brazil answered instruments related to perceived stress, depression, resilience and coping strategies during final exams at the end of semester during 2018 to 2020. Results: We obtained 1,135 responses (893 before COVID-19 and 242 during COVID-19). The volunteers did not show significant differences for perceived stress, depressive signs and resilience before and during the pandemic. In both periods, men exhibited lower scores for perceived stress and depression and higher scores for resilience when compared to women. Undergraduate and graduate students exhibited higher perceived stress scores, more pronounced depressive signs and lower resilience, and employees and professors presented lower scores for perceived stress, depressive signs and greater resilience. Conclusions: These first months of confinement did not directly affect the scores of perceived stress, depression and resilience, however, each subgroup adapted to the new routine by changing the coping strategy used. This study suggests the importance of monitoring the mental health of member in the university, especially in times of epidemic, in the search for policies that aim to improve the resilience of the population and seek positive and effective coping strategies within the university environment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Begotti ◽  
Daniela Acquadro Maran

Aims: The aim of this study was to compare victims of one type of cyberstalking (OneType) with victims of more than one type of cyberstalking (MoreType) regarding (1) the impact of cyberstalking and (2) attitudes related to telling someone about the experience of cyberstalking and the coping strategies used by victims. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to over 250 students at the University of Torino. Results: About half of the participants experienced at least one incident of cyberstalking. Among them, more than half experienced more than one type of cyberstalking. Victims suffered from depression more than those who had never experienced cyberstalking. No statistically significant difference emerged for anxiety. The coping strategies used by MoreType were more varied than those used by OneType victims of cyberstalking. Moreover, MoreType victims told someone about their victimization more than OneType victims. Conclusion: The work presented suggests implications for health care professionals, police officers, and government. For example, our suggestion is to pay attention to cyberstalking victims and provide flyers in schools, universities, and cafeterias that explain the risk of certain online behaviors and their consequences in physical and emotional spheres.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 151
Author(s):  
Sunday Omorohwovo Onojetah

The study investigated the challenges and coping strategies for enhancing the effectiveness of distance learning in achieving the objectives of Business Education in Delta State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey research design was employed. A total of 73 lecturers participated in the study. All the 73 lecturers participated in the study because of their manageable size. The medium of data collection was a 35-item structured questionnaire, which was validated by experts in Measurement and Evaluation and Business Education. The instrument had a reliability index of 0.81.  Mean, standard deviation and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to analyse the data collected for the study. The study identified 10 administrative challenges, 10 technology-based challenges and 13 strategies for achieving the objectives of the Business Education programme under the distance learning education system. The study recommended adequate funding, recruitment of qualified facilitators, production and distribution of course materials to students and lecturers, the appointment of educational administrators and planners as Directors of Centres and regular in-service training for the facilitators in the use of ICT in instructional delivery.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. p87
Author(s):  
Dr Elizabeth Opit ◽  
Dr Nabukeera Madinah ◽  
Ms. Namubiru Aisha

Through the use of a phenomenological approach this study explored lived experiences of breast-feeding student mothers in the face of missing institutionalized on-campus child care arrangements at Kyambogo University (KyU). Specifically, the study sought to; identify the missing institutionalized on-campus child care arrangements at the university, establish the dilemmas breast feeding student mothers experience in undertaking the dual roles of mother and student hood due to the missing institutionalized on campus child care arrangements at KyU and examine the effect of the missing institutionalized on campus child care arrangements on undertaking of academic activities by breast-feeding student mothers. A total of 10 breast feeding student mothers were interviewed and data was analyzed using themes. Results indicated that the following institutionalized on-campus child care arrangements were missing at Kyambogo University; adequately furnished baby care rooms, baby playgrounds, immunization and pediatric medical services, professional nannies, child care responsive; teaching time tables, teaching sessions, time frames for course work assignments, tests and examinations’ undertakings, and child care responsive-remedial lessons. Dilemmas of breast feeding student mothers’ in this scenario included choosing between; baby-sitting vs attending lectures, completing a lecture vs breastfeeding a crying hungry baby, undertaking child bonding activities vs undertaking academic activities, completing an exam or a test vs breast feeding a crying hungry baby, baby care vs attending academic group discussion and baby care vs completing a coursework assignment in time. Student mothers at KyU have devised means of coping and have learnt how to resolve the tension of combining motherhood and education in an academic environment without on-campus childcare arrangements so as to pave a brighter career and family future. Such strategies included; receiving child care support from family and student friends, use of privately hired nannies, ignoring one of the two roles, time tabling the activities for the two roles, creating extra time to read, and getting help from spouses. The voices of the interviewees revealed that when the two roles were in conflict, they would rather miss academic activities than abandon their babies especially in critical times like when the babies were sick. It was therefore recommended that KyU considers putting in place various instututionalised on campus arrangements as a critical resource that will enhance academic undertakings of breast-feeding student mothers in their pursuit of Higher Education.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 1012-1034
Author(s):  
Moses Segbenya ◽  
George Kwaku Toku Oduro ◽  
Fred Peniana ◽  
Kwesi Ghansah

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the proximity of study centres to the students of College of Distance Education, University of Cape Coast (CoDE/UCC) and whether further studies of distance learners who were teachers and employees could lead to absenteeism in their workplaces. Design/methodology/approach A sequential explanatory strategy was used. A self-administered questionnaire and unstructured interviews as well as observation guides were employed to collect data from 2,077 students pursuing business and education programmes of CoDE in all study centres across Ghana. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics and pattern matching of content analysis. Findings The study found that few teachers and other workers pursuing the distance education do absent themselves from the workplace or classroom on Fridays preceding their face-to-face session because they embarked on their journey to the study centres on Friday morning. Some teachers also absented themselves from work on Mondays after face-to-face sessions for a lack of means of transport on Sunday after lessons. The absenteeism of these respondents directly and indirectly affected their employers, students and customers. Practical implications It was therefore recommended that management of CoDE/UCC should open more study centres in all the regions especially Western, Ashanti, Upper East, Northern and Upper West Regions to reduce number of hours spent by students to their study centres and consider introducing the business programmes at the existing district centres to reduce average distance covered by these students to commute from their places of work to their respective centres in the regional capitals. It was also recommended that online/electronic learning and audio versions (impersonal communication) of the study modules should be introduced so that students would not necessary have to travel to the study centre to participate in lectures/face-to-face sessions. Originality/value The findings of this study will help managers and administrators of both public and private distance educational providers. In addition to providing basis and areas for establishing study centres for geographical proximity, findings of the study should prove helpful for designing and delivering electronic and audio versions of distance education modules to reduce the level of absenteeism in workplace for the students.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5824
Author(s):  
Francisco Manuel Morales-Rodríguez

COVID-19 (2019 coronavirus pandemic) and the resulting confinement has had an impact on mental health and the educational environment, affecting the stress, concerns, fear, and life quality of the university population. This study aimed to examine the correlation between fear of COVID-19, stress with COVID-19, and technological stress in university students, and their resilience, self-esteem, and coping strategies. The final sample comprised 180 Spanish university students, with an average age of 20.76 years (SD = 4.59). The above-mentioned effects were administered a series of self-report scales. We found statistically significant associations between fear of COVID-19 and stress with COVID-19, technological stress (total score), overload, and complexity (subdimensions of technological stress). Likewise, we found inverse relationships between the students’ fear of COVID-19 and the use of the coping strategy, cognitive restructuring. Ascertaining the factors that influence the coping strategies of undergraduate university students and their fears, psychological stress, and resilience provides valuable information for the development of educational interventions. This research has relevant implications for the diagnosis, orientation, and design of psycho-educational and clinical interventions that can improve students’ well-being and training for effective coping strategies for daily stress and this pandemic situation.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel Urbina

There has been a growing interest on the negative influence that the environment of higher education institutions has on the mental health of academics, and there is evidence to suggest that the university environment is jeopardising academics’ physical and psychological health. This study sought to review the international literature with a view to ascertaining what the most commonly used measures are to investigate this topic, including the main stressors and coping strategies reported/used by academics and their lived experiences. A thorough review of the literature was conducted, and 28 studies were identified and critically analysed. The review concludes that there is compelling evidence that the university environment is triggering high levels of stress and burnout and low levels of wellbeing for academics. There is extremely limited research on the perceptions and lived experiences of academic staff. It is virtually unknown, what coping strategies academics use to face job demands, and our knowledge about burnout, seems to be limited by the use of one particular measure without cultural adaptations.


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