The COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably disrupted the education system, prompting many universities and schools to suspend in-person classes in favour of online learning. This transition has been linked to increased levels of academic stress and mental health issues among university students. This study aimed to (i) assess the coverage of articles addressing the challenges faced by students in higher education institutions during lockdown and (ii) identify the coping mechanisms employed by these students. Employing a scoping review methodology, researchers selectively reviewed articles published from 2019 to 2023. Databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Sabinet Africa Journals served as sources for data collection, which was subsequently analysed thematically. Findings indicate that psychology students faced multiple challenges during online learning, including elevated stress and anxiety levels, data limitations, and poor network connectivity. To cope with these challenges, students relied on support from family and friends, self-motivation, and effective time management. Consequently, the study highlights the need for pedagogical adaptations, recommending that educators modify their teaching approaches to better engage students in discussions and mitigate the noted challenges.Keywords: Academic stress; challenges; coping mechanism; online learning; social supportReferencesAbou-Khalil, V., Helou, S., Khalifé, E., Chen, M. A., Majumdar, R., & Ogata, H. (2021). Emergency online learning in low-resource settings: Effective student engagement strategies. Education Sciences, 11(1), 24. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11010024Adnan, M., & Anwar, K. (2020). Online Learning amid The COVID-19 Pandemic: Students' Perspectives. Online Submission, 2(1), 45-51. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.2020261309Adom, D., Chukwuere, J., & Osei, M. (2020). Academic stress among faculty and students in Higher Institutions. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 28(2), 1055-1064.Agyekum, B. (2022). Adult student perspectives toward housing during Covid-19. Wellbeing, Space and Society, 10-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wss.2022.100086Alawamleh, M., Al-Twait, L. M., & Al-Saht, G. R. (2020). The effect of online learning on communication between instructors and students during Covid-19 pandemic. Asian Education and Development Studies, 11(2), 380-400. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEDS-06-2020-0131Babicka-Wirkus, A., Wirkus, L., Stasiak, K., & Kozłowski, P. (2021). University students’ strategies of coping with stress during the coronavirus pandemic: Data from Poland. PLoS One, 16(7), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255041Bantjes, J., Swanevelder, S., Jordaan, E., Sampson, N. A., Petukhova, M. V., Lochner, C., Stein, D. J., & Kessler, R. C. (2023). Covid-19 and common mental disorders among university students in South Africa. South African Journal of Science, 119(1/2), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2023/13594Bataineh, M. Z. (2013). Academic stress among undergraduate students: the case of education faculty at King Saud University. International Interdisciplinary Journal of Education, 1(1033), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.12816/0002919Bozkurt, A., Jung, I., Xiao, J., Vladimirschi, V., Schuwer, R., Egorov, G., & Paskevicius, M. (2020). A global outlook to the interruption of education due to Covid-19 pandemic: Navigating in a time of uncertainty and crisis. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 1-126.Brannon, L., Feist, J., & Updegraff, J. A. (2013). Health psychology: An introduction to behavior and health. Cengage Learning.Cassidy, S. (2016). The Academic Resilience Scale (ARS-30): A new multidimensional construct measure. Frontiers in Psychology, 7(1787), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01787Chandra, Y. (2020). Online education during Covid-19: perception of academic stress and emotional intelligence coping strategies among college students. Asian Education and Development Studies, 10(2), 229-238. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEDS-05-2020-0097Cobham, V., McDermott, B., Haslam, D., & Sanders, M. (2016). The role of parents, parenting and the family environment in children's post-disaster mental health. Curr. Psychiatry Rep. 18 (53), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-016-0691-4Cooper, C., & Quick, J. C. (2017). The handbook of stress and health: A guide to research and practice. John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118993811Cranfield, D. J., Tick, A., Venter, I. M., Blignaut, R. J., & Renaud, K. (2021). Higher education students’ perceptions of online learning during Covid-19—A comparative study. Education Sciences, 11(8), 403-420. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11080403Cranfield, D. J., Tick, A., Venter, I. M., Blignaut, R. J., & Renaud, K. (2021). Higher education students’ perceptions of online learning during Covid-19—A comparative study. Education Sciences, 11(8), 403. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11080403Daniels, L. M., Goegan, L. D., & Parker, P. C. (2021). The impact of Covid-19 triggered changes to instruction and assessment on university students’ self-reported motivation, engagement and perceptions. Social Psychology of Education, 24(1), 299-318. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-021-09612-3Dhawan, S. (2020). Online learning: A panacea in the time of COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 49(1), 5-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239520934018Green, Z. A., Faizi, F., Jalal, R., & Zadran, Z. (2021). Emotional support received moderates academic stress and mental well-being in a sample of Afghan university students amid Covid-19. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 68(8), 1748-1755. https://doi.org/10.1177/00207640211057729Gumede, L., & Badriparsad, N. (2022). Online teaching and learning through the students’ eyes–Uncertainty through the COVID-19 lockdown: A qualitative case study in Gauteng province, South Africa. Radiography, 28(1), 193-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2021.10.018Hawke, L. D., Hayes, E., Darnay, K., & Henderson, J. (2021). Mental health among transgender and gender diverse youth: An exploration of effects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 8(2), 180-187. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000467Henderson, R. M., Chetty, O., & Gurayah, T. (2021). Coping styles and sources of stress of undergraduate health science students: An integrative review. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 51(2), 29-38. https://doi.org/10.17159/2310-3833/2021/vol51n2a5Ilias, A., Baidi, N., Ghani, E. K., & Razali, F. M. (2020). Issues on the use of online learning: an exploratory study among university students during the Covid-19 pandemic. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(11), 5092-5105. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.081109Jeitschko, T. D., Kim, S. J., & Yankelevich, A. (2021). Zero-rating and vertical content foreclosure. Information Economics and Policy, 55, 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infoecopol.2020.100899Karaman, M. A., Lerma, E., Vela, J. C., & Watson, J. C. (2019). Predictors of academic stress among college students. Journal of College Counseling, 22(1), 41-55. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocc.1211Ko, H.-C., Wang, L.-L., & Xu, Y.-T. (2013). Understanding the different types of social support offered by audience to A-list diary-like and informative bloggers. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 16(3), 194-199. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2012.0297Kuldas, S., Hashim, S., & Ismail, H. N. (2015). Malaysian adolescent students’ needs for enhancing thinking skills, counteracting risk factors and demonstrating academic resilience. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 20(1), 32–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2014.973890Laher, S., Bain, K., Bemath, N., de Andrade, V., & Hassem, T. (2021). Undergraduate psychology student experiences during Covid-19: Challenges encountered and lessons learnt. South African Journal of Psychology, 51(2), 215-228. https://doi.org/10.1177/0081246321995095Lee, J., Jeong, H. J., & Kim, S. (2021). Stress, anxiety, and depression among undergraduate students during the Covid-19 pandemic and their use of mental health services. Innovative higher education, 46(5), 519-538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-021-09552-yLloyd-Jones, B. (2021). Developing competencies for emotional, instrumental, and informational student support during the COVID-19 pandemic: A human relations/human resource development approach. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 23(1), 41-54. https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422320973287Ma, Z., Zhao, J., Li, Y., Chen, D., Wang, T., Zhang, Z., Chen, Z., Yu, Q., Jiang, J., & Fan, F. (2020). Mental health problems and correlates among 746 217 college students during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in China. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 29, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796020000931MacGeorge, E. L., Samter, W., & Gillihan, S. J. (2005). Academic stress, supportive communication, and health. Communication Education, 54(4), 365-372. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634520500442236Makarowski, R., Piotrowski, A., Predoiu, R., Görner, K., Predoiu, A., Mitrache, G., Malinauskas, R., Bochaver, K., Dovzhik, L., & Cherepov, E. (2020). Stress and coping during the Covid-19 pandemic among martial arts athletes–a cross-cultural study. Archives of Budo, 16, 161-171.Mapaling, C. (2023). Academic resilience of engineering students: A case study. [Unpublished doctoral thesis]. Nelson Mandela University.Mapaling, C., Webb, P., & du Plooy, B. (2021). “Everyone plays a key role”: Students, lecturers and support staff in South Africa talk about the academic resilience of engineering students. Proceedings of the 14th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, 7201- 7207. https://doi.org/10.21125/iceri.2021.1615Mapaling, C., Webb, P., & du Plooy, B. (2022). “I would help the lecturer with marking”: Entrepreneurial education insights on academic resilience from the perspectives of engineering students in South Africa. In J. Halberstadt, J. Greyling, A. A. de Bronstein & S. Bisset (Eds.). Transforming entrepreneurship education: Interdisciplinary insights on innovative methods and formats. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11578-3_10Martin, A. J., & Marsh, H. W. (2006). Academic resilience and its psychological and educational correlates: A construct validity approach. Psychology in the Schools, 43, 267–282. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20149Morales, E. E. (2008). Academic resilience in retrospect: Following up a decade later. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 7(3), 228–248. https://doi.org/10.1177/1538192708317119Mncube, V., Mutongoza, B. H., & Olawale, E. (2021). Managing higher education institutions in the context of Covid-19 stringency: Experiences of stakeholders at a rural South African university. Perspectives in Education, 39(1), 390-409. https://doi.org/10.18820/2519593X/pie.v39.i1.24Morales-Rodríguez, F. M., Martínez-Ramón, J. P., Méndez, I., & Ruiz-Esteban, C. (2021). Stress, coping, and resilience before and after Covid-19: A predictive model based on artificial intelligence in the university environment. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.647964Mpungose, C. B. (2020). Emergent transition from face-to-face to online learning in a South African University in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 7(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-00603-xNaidoo, P., & Cartwright, D. (2020). Where to from here? Contemplating the impact of Covid-19 on South African students and student counseling services in higher education. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/87568225.2020.1842279Olawale, B. E., Mutongoza, B. H., Adu, E. O., & Omodan, B. I. (2021). Covid-19 induced psychosocial challenges in South African higher education: Experiences of staff and students at two rural universities. Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 6(3), 179-193. https://doi.org/10.46303/ressat.2021.37Padmanabhanunni, A., & Pretorius, T. B. (2023). Promoting well-being in the face of a pandemic: The role of sense of coherence and ego-resilience in the relationship between psychological distress and life satisfaction. South African Journal of Psychology, 53(1), 124-133. https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463221113671Pheme, S. (2019). Influence of gender and academic year on stress and coping behaviour of students in a South African university [Doctoral dissertation, North-West University].Prowse, R., Sherratt, F., Abizaid, A., Gabrys, R. L., Hellemans, K. G., Patterson, Z. R., & McQuaid, R. J. (2021). Coping with the Covid-19 pandemic: examining gender differences in stress and mental health among university students. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.650759Rosdialena, R., Zulvia, T., Erna, D., Nurhamsi, D., & Fadil, M. (2021). Investigating students’ academic stress on the transition to online learning during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Al-Ta'lim, 28(3), 204-212. https://doi.org/10.15548/jt.v28i3.676Saha, A., Dutta, A., & Sifat, R. I. (2021). The mental impact of digital divide due to Covid-19 pandemic induced emergency online learning at undergraduate level: Evidence from undergraduate students from Dhaka City. Journal of Affective Disorders, 294, 170-179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.07.045Singh, S., Roy, D., Sinha, K., Parveen, S., Sharma, G., & Joshi, G. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on mental health of children and adolescents: A narrative review with recommendations. Psychiatry Research, 293, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113429Szkody, E., Stearns, M., Stanhope, L., & McKinney, C. (2021). Stress‐buffering role of social support during COVID‐19. Family process, 60(3), 1002-1015. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12618Tambawal, M., & Solomon, B. (2019). Relationship among academic stress, depression and mental health of final year students of tertiary institutions in Sokoto Metropolis. Prestige Journal of Education, 2(2), 1-13.Trout, B. S. (2020). The coronavirus-induced transition to online learning: Perceptions and intentions of first-time online students. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 21(1), 1-11.Tuffah, B. M., & Al-Jubouri, M. B. (2021). Academic stress of e-learning among nursing students during the pandemic of Covid-19. Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research (Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research), 12(4), 353-359.Varma, P., Junge, M., Meaklim, H., & Jackson, M. L. (2021). Younger people are more vulnerable to stress, anxiety and depression during Covid-19 pandemic: A global cross-sectional survey. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 109, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110236Visser, M., & Law-van Wyk, E. (2021). University students’ mental health and emotional wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown. South African Journal of Psychology, 51(2), 229-243. https://doi.org/10.1177/00812463211012219Wang, X., Hegde, S., Son, C., Keller, B., Smith, A., & Sasangohar, F. (2020). Investigating mental health of US college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional survey study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(9), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.2196/22817Yao, S., Shiang-Yi, L., & Kevin Kien Hoa, C. (2020). University Students’ Perceived Peer Support and Experienced Depressive Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Emotional Well-Being. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(9308), 9308-9308. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17249308Zano, K., & Charamba, E. (2021). Covid-19 induced whatsapp platform for EFAL learners in a multilingual context. e-Bangi: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 18(10), 36-49.
Author Biography
Frans Koketso Matlakala, Lifestyle Diseases Research Entity, North-West University, 2745, South Africa
