Students’ Perception of Stress and Its Effect on Academic Performance: A Survey of Students in the Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the perception of stress and its impact on the academic performance of students at the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Employing a descriptive survey research design, data were collected from 200 students using a structured questionnaire through the convenience sampling method. The data were analyzed using both descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test of independence. The findings are, firstly, that there is a statistically significant association between gender and stress levels, with 71, 33, and 11 female students reporting high, moderate, and low stress levels, respectively, while 39, 28, and 18 male students reported high, moderate, and low stress levels, respectively, compared to their female counterparts. Secondly, the study found that there is no significant relationship between gender and academic performance, indicating that male and female students perform at similar levels despite differences in stress. The study concludes that while stress is a significant and gendered experience, it does not necessarily translate into a gendered academic outcome.