Academic Stressors and the Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy: A Quantitative Study of State Universities in Sri Lanka

Previous studies indicate that a considerable number of students frequently experience academic stress arising from various stressors during their undergraduate studies. Consequently, using 359 respondents, this quantitative study examines key stressors that lead to academic stress among undergraduates in three selected state universities in Sri Lanka. It further assesses the mediating effect of self-efficacy on the impact of stressors on perceived academic stress. Results reveal that bullying and social discrimination, pressure to excel academically, and heavy academic workload significantly impact on academic stress. Among these independent variables of the study, academic workload emerged as the strongest predictor of undergraduates’ academic stress. Moreover, findings revealed that self-efficacy partially mediates the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable, academic stress. When undergraduates encounter these stressors, their confidence and belief in their abilities and capabilities to overcome stressors tend to decline. Accordingly, universities are required to implement necessary policies and strategies to reduce academic workloads, such as limiting the number of continuous teaching weeks, introducing a central workload management system, and enforcing zero-tolerance policies against bullying and discrimination.