Pakistan Journal of Education

Vol.38, No.2, 2021, 1-24

Construction and Validation of Academic

Stress Scale for University Students
Saima Noreen*
Saba Ghayas**
Shaista Khalid***
Shumaila Mazhar Awan****

Abstract

The present study aimed to construct and validate an instrument to

measure the academic stress among university students of Pakistan. Item
construction of this instrument was based on literature review, interviews
from university students and expert’s opinion. After pilot study
exploratory factor analysis was performed on a sample of 477 student (226
men and 251 women), recruited from different departments of University
of Sargodha, Pakistan. 26 items were retained after exploratory factor
analysis with three well defined factors (1. Personal, Parental and
Teachers’ attitude, 2. Perception of workload and examinations, 3.
Concerns about education system and management) Range of Alpha
coefficients for scale and its subscales was .72 to .87. Results of
Confirmatory factor analysis performed on an independent sample
revealed excellent model fit to present data. Three factor structure of
Academic Stress Scale was confirmed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis.
Convergent validity of Academic Stress Scale was proved by finding its
positive correlation with UCLA Loneliness Scale, Depression Scale and
Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale. Excellent reliability and validity
evidences proved this scale as a promising measure of academic stress.

Keywords: academic stress, construction, factor analysis, psychometric

properties, validation

* Department of Psychology, University of Sargodha, Pakistan. Email:

[email protected]
**
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Sargodha, Pakistan.
Email: [email protected]
*** Department of Psychology, University of Sargodha, Pakistan. Email:
[email protected]
**** Department of Psychology, University of Sargodha, Pakistan. Email:
[email protected]
Noreen, Ghayas, Khalid & Awan 2

Introduction

Stress in academic life has become a vital issue to be researched.

Though extensive research have been carried out on stress and its social,
psychological, environmental and health related consequences still this area
requires more attention (Rees & Redfern, 2000; Ellison, 2004; Agolla, 2009).
Influence of academic stress can be positive as well as negative
(Smith, 2000; Tweedet al., 2004; Stevenson & Harper, 2006). Its positive
aspect can work as a motivator to improve the life quality of students
whereas the negative aspect of stress becomes destructive and yields a
negative reaction in the life of students (Blonna, 2005). There is
disagreement in the views of researchers about the positive or negative
influence of academic stress. For instance, according to Kaplan and
Sadock (2000) optimal level of stress plays an important role in enhancing
the learning capacity of students. A significant positive relationship was
examined between emotional stress and students’ school performance
(Gelow et al, 2009). This optimal stress level is considered necessary for
good performance. A negative correlation between academic achievement
and stress was found in a study conducted by Malik and Balda (2006). The
increased stress level was related with physical health problems that
caused psychological distress among Thai students (Klainin-Yobas etal.,
2014). Headaches, chest problems, stomach issues and elevated blood
pressure was found to be the characteristics of students with a higher level
of stress (Farias et al., 2011). There are also many psychological problems
faced by stressed students including impaired self-concept, destructive
behavior, mood disturbances, anxiety and depression that decline their
performance and negatively affect their health (Cooley, Toray, Valdez, &
Tee, 2007). It is assumed that academic stress is cause of pathological
symptoms among university students (Ongori, 2007).
Work settings are different in academic institutions as compared to
non-academic settings (Chang & Lu, 2007). Students contribute in
development of nation’s economy by acquiring necessary knowledge and
skills, but academic environment may hinder their success and poses many
serious medical problems (Dyck & Roithmayr, 2001). Perception of
environment is different for everyone due to variation in personality
characteristics and backgrounds. In a single semester students have to face
different stressors like grade competition, presentations, assignments and
preparation of exams in short time (Abouserie, 1994). Excessive stress
causes physical and psychological impairments in students. Different
kinds of coping strategies are used by students to overcome their level of
stress. Social support, time management and extracurricular activities help
them out to manage their burdened routines (Murphy & Archer, 1996).
Construction and Validation of Academic Stress Scale… 3

Literature Review

According to Fairbrother and Warn (2003) there are many factors

causing stress among students like excessive study burden, poor
interpersonal relationships, assignments, exams in semester system and
competition with class fellows. Factors related to curriculum
(Gajalakshmiet al., 2012), Language (Yeh & Inose , 2003), procrastination
(Novoteny, 2010), absence in class (Iyamu & Obiunu, 2006), conflicts
between teacher student relations (Argon, 2009), relationship between fear
and learning (Jackson, 2010), Unrealistic expectations (Reynolds et al,
2006) are major sources of stress for students.
Erkutlu and Chafra (2006) indicated that there are some institutional
level stressors that cause stress in students such as semester system,
overcrowded classrooms, non-availability of teachers, exams and
allocated time for them. A study revealed that semester system,
overcrowded classrooms, lack of equipment and inadequate resources may
be sources of stress for students (Awino & Agolla, 2008).
Ramli, Alavi, Mehrinezhad, and Ahmadi (2018) conducted a study
to find the relationship between academic stress and self-regulation among
university students of Klang Valley, Malaysia with mediating role of
mindfulness. A significant negative relation was found between academic
stress and self-regulation of students. Moreover, it was demonstrated that
the students’ ability to utilize the functional skills was restricted due to
higher level of perceived stress. Another finding indicated negative
relationship between mindfulness and academic stress among
undergraduate university students in Malaysia.
Reddy, Menon, and Thattil (2018) administered a study to measure
the level of academic stress and locate its sources among university
students. Study results indicated that academic stress effects the students’
mental health as well as their well-being. Stream wise differences were
also highlighted in stress experiences. Five big sources of academic stress
including fear of failure, personal inadequacy, interpersonal difficulty with
teachers, inadequate study facilities and teacher pupil relationships were
analyzed. Moreover, life skills, yoga, meditation, mindfulness and
biofeedback were found to be effective techniques in reducing stress.
Chacón-Cuberos, Zurita-Ortega, Olmedo-Moreno and Castro -Sánchez
(2019) found the relationship between academic stress, diet and physical
activity among university students. Associations were traced among gender,
academic stress and various health habits. Women showed higher score in
communication of own ideas and academic obligations. It was also observed
that students facing obesity were higher scorer for academic stress. Those
students who followed better quality diet showed lower level of academic
Noreen, Ghayas, Khalid & Awan 4

stress. Two interesting points regarding diet habits were highlighted that level
of stress can be reduced by taking balanced diet. Secondly higher level of
stress leads towards intake of healthy diet.
Worku, Dirriba, Berhanu, and Fetensa (2020) conducted a research
to indicate the relationship between depression, perceived stress, and
associated factors among undergraduate university students. Depression
and stress were studied as common health issues among students of health
sciences that required early recognition and proper intervention. Higher
level of perceived stress and lower level of depression was identified
among health science students. Pressure to maintain good grade, age, high
parental expectations, financial problems and inadequate dormitory safety
were different factors associated with stress.
Kalaithasan, Tye, Fatimatuzzahra, Aziz and Tangiisuran (2020)
conducted a study concerning with prevalence, factors associated with
stress and coping strategies used by university students in a public
university in Malaysia. Stress prevalence was found to be relatively higher
especially among students of first and third year. Lecture teaching
approaches, financial problems, family and peer problems, difficulty in
time management, feeling lonely, lack of leisure, unhealthy eating patterns
and lack of physical exercise were associated with stress of students.
Emotional eating, yoga and meditation, effective time management and
balance between regular exercise and academics were studied as common
coping strategies to relieve this stress.
Students travelling toward other countries to join universities and
different educational courses are exposed to complex challenges specially
when there are striking differences between home and host country
cultures. This variation of culture affects performance, physical health and
psychological well-being of students, their performance and ability to
adjust with challenges (Ward, Bochner & Furnham, 2001). They go there
only for study purpose rather than permanent settlement and experience
“cultural shock” described by Oberg (1960) that results from loss of
symbols associated with everyday life and all familiar signs. There are
different factors that hinder to adjust in host culture including age, gender,
language proficiency, difference in origin of home and host culture, self-
esteem and prior cultural experiences. Moreover, provided information
and support, length of stay, academic and professional performance,
language proficiency interaction with host nationals and health are
important issues for adjustment (Ward & Rana-Dueba, 1999). A number
of emotional stressors including intimacy, autonomy and belief system are
experienced by international students. They are also captured by
international status difficulties like being away from loved once, intense
pressure to excel in academics and discrimination (Mori, 2000).
Construction and Validation of Academic Stress Scale… 5

According to Furnham (2004) some students are young adults in process

of identity development for psychological and financial independence.
Academic stressors are different in individualistic and collectivistic
cultures. Stress perception, coping strategies and response towards stress is
also different with this regard. In Pakistan, students join university after
intermediate level. They have to face a very challenging environment.
Assignments, presentations, quiz, practical on daily basis, exams during
semester are major academic stressors for our students (Fairbrother &Warn,
2003). According to Shaikh, Kahloon, Kazmi and Khan (2004) academic
stress is experienced by 90% of students during their course at a single time
or other. Irrelevant field selection, language difficulty and political
interference are some other sources of stress for Pakistani students (Ahmed et
al, 2017). As educational, cultural, and familial patterns do vary from culture
to culture and these cultural differences influence the experiences of academic
stress differently. Consequently, academic stress should be operationalized in
the indigenous context. The nature of academic stress highlights the
significance of development of a particular scale for Pakistani students.
For international students learning is more difficult process as they have
to face language problems and different cultural values with their academic
preparation (Mori, 2000). Common academic stressors are shared by
American and international students including financial burdens, family
related issues, competition, requirement for scholarships to avoid the stigma
of seeking psychological help some students develop somaticized feelings.
Some international students become stressed due to their prolonged absence
from family members and home country. Intimacy, autonomy and belief
system are some emotional stressors faced by them (Mori, 2000).
There are different instruments to measure the academic stress of
students from all over the world. However, these instruments are not
completely applicable in Pakistani culture due to variations in cultural,
social, academic, political and religious backgrounds. Previous
researchers tried to explore the area of academic stress by using general
stress scale or scale developed for other cultures for instance Perceived
Stress Scale-10 (Cohen et al, 1983), institutional stress by Bisht
(1998),The College Student Stress Scale (Feldt, 2008),The University
Stress Scale (Stallman, 2008), Students Stress Rating Scale (Balamurugan
& Kumaran, 2008), Freshman Stress Questionnaire (Boujut & Bruchon-
Schweitzer (2009)), Academic Educational Stress Scale by Sun, Dune,
Hou and Xu (2011), Perception of Academic Stress Scale by Bedewy and
Gabriel (2013). Examination Stress Scale for Adolescent students (Sung
& Chao, 2015), and The University Stress Scale (Stallman et al, 2016).
Translated versions of these scales are also not completely suitable to
measure the stress level of Pakistani students because problems
Noreen, Ghayas, Khalid & Awan 6

experienced by Pakistani University students are not similar to the students

of other countries. Pakistani students are experiencing different types of
parental attitudes, teachers’ attitude, demands of society, etc that might not
influence the students living in other cultures. So, it is not appropriate to
use these versions for our students as they are at different levels of
abilities, individual differences and internal and external factors
influencing their personality and study performance. Due to these
differences, there is an intense need to develop a scale of academic stress
for students that would be able to depict the real picture of the stress of
Pakistani University students and would cover all the domains and aspects
of their stress in indigenous culture. The current study was intended to
attain the following objectives:
1. To develop an indigenous scale of academic stress in Urdu for
university students of Pakistan.
2. For determining the psychometric properties of existing scale.
3. To determine gender differences in academic stress.
4. To investigate the relationship of Academic Stress Scale with
Loneliness, Depression and Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale.

Three independent studies were conducted to achieve the above-

mentioned objectives.

Study I: Construction of Academic Stress Scale for University

Students

Item Pool Generation

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the students to

generate item pool. Literature review, expert opinion and already developed
Academic Stress scales were also consulted to generate the items for
Academic Stress Scale for University Students. Initially 62 items were
generated. Items scrutiny was carried out through a committee of teachers
including two lecturers and one assistant professor from Psychology
department, University of Sargodha, Pakistan. Ten out of 62 items were
rephrased. Accurate, non-repeated and clear items were selected having
conformity with the construct. At the end selected items were written in scale
form. Five-point Likert response format was used for Academic Stress Scale
for University Students, ranged from 1= strongly disagree to 5= strongly agree
because it captures the variation that points to the underlying phenomena.
Participants revealed their level of agreement or disagreement for a series of
statements. Intensity of feelings for a given statement was measured through
this format (Burn & Alvin, 2008; Burns & Ronald, 2008).
Construction and Validation of Academic Stress Scale… 7

Pilot Study

Initial Psychometric properties of Academic Stress scale were

determined through pilot study. Overlapping, ambiguous and unclear
statements were excluded and accuracy and understandability of the items
in scale was maintained. A sample of 100 students of BS, MSc and M.Phil,
age range between 18-28 (M=19.14, SD= 1.39) was taken for pilot study
from University of Sargodha.

Results

Through pilot study viability of items in Academic Stress Scale for

University Students and final number of items for factor analysis were
selected. Significant positive correlation was found between items. Feedback
was taken from the participants if they find any problematic item that was
ambiguous or unclear. Ten items were excluded through pilot study.

Factor Structure and Internal Consistency of Academic Stress Scale

for University Students

Sample

A purposive sample consisting of (N=477) students was taken from

University of Sargodha. Purposive sample is logically assumed to be
representative of the population. Sample consisted of boys (n= 226) and
girls (n=251) between age range of 18-28 (M=18.10, SD= 1.19) years.
Students of BS, MSc and M.Phil were taken from social sciences, pure
sciences and arts departments.

Procedure

Academic Stress Scale for University Students (ASS) was

administered on 500 students of University of Sargodha.477 out of 500
(95.4%) forms was returned back. Participants were approached in their
classes. After taking informed consent instructions were provided them to
fill the questionnaires. They were requested to fill the questionnaires with
full concentration and not to skip any question. They were ensured about
confidentiality of given information. They were also guaranteed that
provided data will be used only for research purpose. After data collection
they were thanked for their cooperation. 23 forms were found to be
incomplete and were not included in the data of current study.
Noreen, Ghayas, Khalid & Awan 8

Results

SPSS version 20 was used to carry the exploratory factor analysis to

ensure the construct validity and dimensionality of newly developed
academic stress scale. Direct Oblimin rotation method was applied on the
data of 477 individuals. Three factors were obtained by EFA with eigen
value > 1.0. An appropriate structure with three well defined and
interpretable factors was obtained. Retained factors accounted a
significant amount of variance of 36 % (Table 1).

Table 1
Factor loading of 26 items on Academic Stress Scale for University
Students (N=477)
Factors
I II III
New nos. No. of items PPTA PWE CESM
1 31 .49 .29 .22
2 32 .47 .29 .16

3 35 .48 .22 .35

4 39 .55 .18 .15
5 55 .58 .25 .16
6 58 .65 .22 .16
7 59 .62 .14 .29
8 60 .58 .24 .04
9 61 .65 .22 .11
10 7 .17 .51 .29
11 10 .30 .57 .20
12 11 .30 .60 .16
13 12 .20 .61 .28
14 13 .14 .58 .30
15 15 .27 .56 .25
16 16 .17 .63 .20
17 18 .22 .60 .26
18 19 .30 .57 .04
19 5 .24 .28 .55
20 6 -.02 .20 .52
21 27 .09 .19 .66
22 28 .15 .21 .66
23 29 .25 .16 .63
24 30 .28 .21 .56
25 46 .31 .22 .50
26 47 .33 .13 .49
Eigen values 5.55 2.03 1.77
% of variance explained 21.34 7.83 6.82
Cumulative variance 21.34 29.17 36.0
Construction and Validation of Academic Stress Scale… 9

Three clear and well-defined factors were obtained as a result of

principal axis factoring with direct oblimin rotation method. All items
were loaded independently on three factors. Loadings for all items were
greater than .3 (Coakes & Steed, 2003) that confirmed appropriateness of
correlation matrix. The obtained factor structure indicated that all the three
factors were theoretically and conceptually distinct from each other.

Factor-I Personal, Parental and Teachers’ attitude. Nine items

(16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 (e.g.i. Our teachers’ attitude is biased ii.
Parental disputes are source of mental distress for me) were independently
loaded on factor I and represent personal, parental and teacher’s concerns.
So, this factor was named as personal, parental and teacher’s attitude.

Factor-II Perception of Workload and Examinations. On factor

II nine items (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,11( e.g i. Exams in semester system are
source of stress for me ii. Day by day increasing educational competition
is frustrating me) were independently loaded. Workload of assignments,
presentations, quiz, projects, seminars, tests, exams etc were reflected by
all items, hereafter the factor was named as perception of workload and
examinations.
Factor-III Concerns about Education system and Management.
Eight items (1, 2, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21(i. Proper guidance is not provided
by university administration ii. Insufficient practical work is an obstacle
in my educational performance) were independently loaded on factor III.
Retained items were representing issues related to education system and
management, therefore named as concerns about education system and
management.

Table 2
Mean, Standard Deviation, Alpha Reliabilities and Correlation Matrix
Academic Stress Scale for University Students and its Subscales (N=477)
Variables M SD α F1 F2 F3 Full
Scale
1 Factor 1 28.56 7.38 .75 -- .46** .38** .81**
2 Factor 2 27.7 6.72 .76 -- .41** .80**
3 Factor 3 26.87 5.95 .72 -- .73**
4 Full scale 83.15 15.75 .85 --
**p< 0.01

Table 2 shows that coefficients of reliability ranges from .72

(concerns about education system and management) to .76 (personal,
parental and teachers’ attitude). Coefficients indicate that a high internal
consistency. The full scale indicates excellent alpha reliability (α=.85).
Noreen, Ghayas, Khalid & Awan 10

Table 3
Mean, Standard Deviation, Significance level and t- values of Male and
Female on Total and Subscales of Academic Stress Scale for University
Students (N =477)
Males Females
(n=226) (n=251) 95%CI
Variables M SD M SD T LL UL Cohen’s d
ASS 83.37 16.12 82.95 15.44 .290 -2.42 3.26 0.02
PPTA 29.12 7.97 28.06 6.79 1.56 -.272 2.38 0.14
PWE 27.05 6.82 28.29 6.58 2.00* -2.44 - 0.18
0.26
CESM 27.19 5.7 26.59 6.12 1.09 -.475 1.66 0.10

Note: M= mean; SD= standard deviation; PPTA= Personal, Parental and

Teachers Attitude; PWE= Perception of Workload and Examinations;
CESM= Concerns about Education System and Management; ASS=
Academic Stress Scale for University Students *p< 0.05

Table 3 shows differences of males and females on Academic Stress

Scale for University students and its subscales. The t value indicates
significant gender differences on Perception of Workload and
Examination (t (477) =2.00, p<.05). Mean and standard deviation indicate
females have higher score (M=28.29, SD=6.58) than males (M= 27.05,
SD= 6.82). Results show non-significant gender differences in Personal,
Parental and Teachers Attitude and Concerns about Education System and
Management and Academic Stress Scale for University students

Study II Confirmatory Factor Analysis CFA

Sample

Purposive sample of study was consisted of students (N=200). Equal

representation was given to males (n=100) and female (n=100) with age
range of 18-28 (M= 20.02, SD= 1.30).

Procedure

With the permission of heads of departments of concerned

departments participants of study were approached in their classrooms.
They were directed about the purpose of present study. After taking
informed consent questionnaires were dispersed among willing
participants. It took about 25-30 minutes to complete the questionnaires.
Construction and Validation of Academic Stress Scale… 11

Participants showed high cooperation during data collection. They were

acknowledged for their support and cooperation.

Results

To ensure the factor structure of newly developed Academic Stress

Scale for University Students confirmatory factor analysis was performed
on independent sample of students by using SPSS 20 version. Different
indices and criteria were checked containing (GFI, CFI, TLI and RMSEA)
for explaining best model fit. Obtained model was confirmed through
confirmatory factor analysis. A good fit to data was showed by three factor
structure with chi square 570.4 (df=288), CFI= .90, RMSEA=.04 and
GFI=.91. Finally obtained model was consisted of three well defined
domains having 9 items in personal, parental and teachers’ attitude, 9 items
in perception of workload and examinations and 8 items in concerns about
education system and management. Factor loadings ranged from .47
to .66. Alternative two factor, single factor and four factors were also tried
but model appeared fit with only three factor structure.

Table 4
Model Fit Indices of CFA for Academic Stress Scale for University
Students (N=350)
Indexes Chi square df Chi square/df CFI RMSEA GFI TLI
Model 570.47 288 1.98 .90 .04 .91 .90
Noreen, Ghayas, Khalid & Awan 12

Figure 1. Measurement model of Academic Stress Scale for University

Students
Construction and Validation of Academic Stress Scale… 13

Study III: Validation of Academic Stress Scale for University

Students

Sample

A sample of 120 students including males and females in age range

of 18-28 (M=23.14, SD=1.39) years was taken from University of
Sargodha. Students of BS, MSc and M.Phil. were recruited to collect data.
Purposive sampling technique was used for collection of data.

Instruments

Newly developed Academic Stress Scale (ASS), Depression

(DASS), Revised UCLA scale of Loneliness, and Brief Fear of Negative
Evaluation scale (BFNE).

Academic Stress Scale for University Students. In Study III the

complete description of existing scale (ASS- 26) is provided (see
Annexure B-4). This instrument has three domains; named as personal,
parental and teachers attitude including 9 items, perception of workload
and examinations containing 9 items and concerns about education system
and management including 8 items. Five-point Likert response format was
used ranging from (1= strongly disagree to 5= strongly agree). Alpha
reliability for Academic Stress Scale for University Students of Pakistan
was found to be .85.

Depression Subscale of DASS-21 (Farooqi & Habib, 2010). This

scale was developed by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995). Farooqi and
Habib (2010) translated it in Urdu language. In present study items related
to stress were used only in finding convergent validity of present stress
scale. Only depression subscale of DASS-21 was used in current research.
This domain comprised of 7 items including 3,5,10,13,16,17,21 with
response format of four-point rating scale ranged from (0=did not apply to
me at all to 3=applied to very much, most of the time). Internal consistency
of original scale of DASS subscales ranging from .91 to .97, while internal
consistency of translated versions ranges from 0.94 to 0.97.

Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (Anjum &Batool, 2016). The

UCLA the scale of loneliness was constructed to measure the feelings of
social isolation and loneliness among people. Items were based on
statements taken by lonely individuals for description of loneliness in
original version of this scale. The response format was four- point rating
Noreen, Ghayas, Khalid & Awan 14

scale ranging from (1= not at all to 4= often). Original UCLA Loneliness
Scale comprised of 20 statements. All the questions in this version were in
negative direction. In revised version ten items phrased in negative
direction and ten items were phrased in positive direction. Moreover 10
statements in this version deal with satisfaction of a person with social
relationships and 10 statements deal with dissatisfaction. Items 1, 4, 5, 6,
9, 10, 15, 16, 19 and 20 are reverse scored items. Reliability of this scale
was 0.94.

Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (Leary, 1983). The

instrument was constructed by Leary (1983). It measures the level of
apprehension of being negatively evaluated by others. It is a brief version
of 30 item scale with true/false format. It has five point likert type response
format in range between (1=not at all characteristics of me to 5= extremely
characteristics of me). 8 items in scale are straight forward while
remaining 4 items (2, 7, 10, 11) are reversely scored items. High scorers
on this scale were found to be worse in receiving negative feedback. The
internal consistency of scale was 0.90 and test retest reliability coefficient
was .75.

Procedure

All the measures including newly developed scale of Academic

Stress Scale for University Students (ASS) were administered on 120
students of University of Sargodha. Participants were approached in their
classes. After taking informed consent instructions were provided them to
fill the questionnaires. They were requested to fill the questionnaires with
full concentration and not to skip any question. They were ensured
regarding to confidentiality of provided data and use of this data only for
research purpose. After data collection they were thanked for their
cooperation.

Results

Table 5
Correlation of Total Academic Stress Scale for University Students with
Loneliness, Depression and Fear of Negative Evaluation (N=151)
ASS LON DEP FNE
ASS - .20* .16* .17*
LON - .42** .41**
DEP - .53**
FNE -
**p<.01, *p<.05
Construction and Validation of Academic Stress Scale… 15

Table 5 indicates that Academic stress scale for university students

has a significant positive correlation with loneliness (r=.20, p<.05),
Depression (r=.16, p<.05) and Brief fear of negative evaluation (r=.17,
p<.05). Loneliness has significant positive correlation with Depression
(r= .42, p<.01) and Brief fear of negative evaluation (r=.41, p<.01).
Depression indicates significant positive correlation with Brief fear of
negative evaluation scale (r= .53, p<.01).

Discussion

Current study was aimed to construct an indigenous scale to measure

level of academic stress among university students. Exploratory factor
analysis revealed three well defined and distinct factors with 26 retained
items named as personal, parental and teachers’ attitude, perception of
workload and examination and concerns about education system and
management.

Factor I contain 9 items related to personal, parental and teacher’s

attitude that are source of stress for students. Personal characteristics of
students like, lack of interest, being emotional, lack of self-perception,
shyness and lack of internal motivation hinders the success of students
(Bernstein, Penner, Clarke-Stewar & Roy, 2008). Strict parents do not
allow children to share their feelings and problems with them (Grolnick,
2003). Their unrealistic expectations are frightening for students.
Similarly, strict teachers who do not allow the students to express
themselves, do favor of some students and do not teach according to
mental capacity of students are source of stress for them (Rehman & Khan,
2011).
Factor II contains 9 items related to workload and examination
system. Workload of assignments, presentations, quiz, projects, seminars,
tests and exams and too little time for these tasks is source of stress for
students because managing all these tasks in short time is difficult for them
(Both et al, 2009).
Factor III consists of 8 items related to concerns about education
system and management. Weaknesses in education system of Pakistan
including expensive and difficult education, rote learning, lack of facilities
etc are sources of stress for our students (Rehman & Khan, 2011). Non
cooperative attitude of university and department administration delays
the important matters of students that create frustration and stress among
them and effect their studies as well (Burge, 2009).
Perception of academic stress is different for students of different
cultures due to variations in social, cultural and religious backgrounds.
Noreen, Ghayas, Khalid & Awan 16

Being in collectivistic culture our students are strongly bonded with their
parents. Conflicts among their relationship is source of stress for students.
Attitude of parents can make their children active and encouraging as well
as negative and feeble. According to Jeynes (2005) parental involvement
enhances the chances of success for students. There are rare quality
teachers in Pakistani institutes (Rehman & Khan, 2011). Sudden medium
change at university level is cause of stress for students (Marsh, Hau and
Kong, 2006). Flaws in Pakistani education system including political
interference hinders the success of our students. Reflection, critical
thinking and analytical skills of students are negated due to rote learning
(Rehman & Khan, 2011).
Results of this study revealed that gender have noteworthy mean
effect on academic stress. Females showed higher level of stress on
perception of workload and examination subscale than males as they are
emotionally weak as compare to males (see Table 3). They become
worried easily. Perception of stress and coping strategies towards stress
are different for females than males. Females are more sensitive and when
playing different roles with reference to men in their lives it’s difficult for
them to manage their study related problems. The results are consistent
with previous body of knowledge (Matud, 2004). Males as well as females
both have non-significant differences for personal, parental and teachers’
attitude and concerns about education system and management subscales
and total ASS.
The study was also aimed to find the convergent validity of newly
constructed academic stress scale for university students. Associations
between academic stress scale, loneliness, depression and brief fear of
negative evaluation was calculated. Convergent validity of academic
stress scale was confirmed by findings. Academic stress among students
was found to be significantly positively correlated with depression,
loneliness and fear of negative evaluation (see Table 5).
These indications were a replication of the results obtained by
previous researches that academic stress is cause of fear of negative
evaluation among students (Fay et al., 2008).Other findings also reported
that academic stress causes academic failure that is positively correlated
with depression (Esia-Donkoh et al., 2011).According to Chenet., al
(2009) depressed feelings are developed among students who experience
academic difficulties and receive negative feedback. Tosevski,
Milovancevic, and Gajic (2010) concluded that different kinds of
psychological problems faced by stressed students including impaired
self-concept, destructive behavior, loneliness, anxiety and depression that
decline their performance and negatively affect their health. According to
Construction and Validation of Academic Stress Scale… 17

Ongori (2007) academic stress is cause of pathological symptom among

university students.

Limitations, Suggestions and Practical Implications

The following study has various limitations that are subject to be

addressed in future studies. Full representation of Pakistani students from
whole country might be doubtful as the data was collected only from
University of Sargodha Pakistan. To get a broad and clear picture students
from different universities, departments, classes, religions and races
should be the part of upcoming studies.

Practical Implications

The present study has various practical implications. The newly

developed scale of academic stress will help the parents, teachers and
educationalists to know how academic stress effects our students. It will
help the parents and teachers to change their attitude that will be helpful
in enhancing the performance of students. It will play important role in
developing appropriate tactics for betterment of study quality of students
in Pakistan. Results of study will also help the educational psychologists
to facilitate the students to achieve their goals.

Acknowledgements

Dr. Adnan Adil provided support in the whole research work.

Noreen, Ghayas, Khalid & Awan 18

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Citation of this Article:

Noreen, S., Ghayas, S., Khalid, S., & Awan, S. M. (2021). Construction
and validation of academic stress scale for university students. Pakistan
Journal of Education, 38(2), 1-24.