Year: 2013
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The aim of this study was to demonstrate how postgraduate students cope with the stress induced \n \nwhile adjusting to the various proposal and research report writing phases they are involved in. \nIt is further purported that difficulties in adjusting to the various proposal and research report \nwriting phases and lack of support lead to students experiencing stress. The population consisted \nof 815 students enrolled for masters and doctoral programmes at Unisa for the 2012 academic year. \nThis study employed the Stress and Support Questionnaire for University Students to determine the \nstress postgraduate students encountered while adjusting to the proposal and research report \nwriting phases they were in. Furthermore, this questionnaire was also used to understand how these \nstudents use support as a coping mechanism. The various research hypotheses were tested using an \nexplanatory mixed method research design. The population consisted of 815 students enrolled for \nmasters and doctoral programmes at Unisa for the 2012 academic year. Data was analysed using \nStatistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Strata software and Microsoft Excel. Statistical \nanalyses included tests, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and chi-square tests. The results \ndemonstrated that students experience stress during the adjustment process to the various research \nreport writing phases. However, masters students showed higher levels of stress while adjusting to \nthe research report writing phases, compared with doctoral students. Some of the doctoral students \nreported that they felt fewer levels of stress, because they were already exposed to postgraduate \nstudies and were aware of what is expected. Furthermore, students who reported feeling stress to a \nlarge extent indicated the reasons to be a lack of support from supervisors, delayed and \ninsufficient feedback, lack of financial support, \nlack of social support, procrastination, and balancing work and studies. Some of the students \niv \nindicated that they do not feel any stress at all because they have surrounded themselves with \n \npeople who have travelled the path, and their environment is conducive to study. Support from \ncolleagues at work, supervisors, friends and family have also shown to help students adjust to the \nresearch report writing phases of their programmes. Although some of the students indicated that \nthey do not experience stress, it is imperative that interventions be designed for those students \nwho do experience challenges when adjusting to the research report writing phases.
Author: Fortunate Tintswalo Silinda
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: National Research Foundation
OpenAlex ID: W1590434999