A Comparison of Learning Anxiety and Coping Mechanisms Utilized by University Students in Virtual and In-Person Courses
Description
The present study examined anxiety-inducing aspects of virtual learning for university students,
and coping strategies that students use to cope with those aspects of virtual learning. These
measures were compared to those of in-person learning, which students may generally be more
accustomed to. It was hypothesized that students would more often utilize emotion-focused
coping strategies in response to feelings of anxiety caused by virtual learning, and that virtual
learning would be more anxiety-inducing. Additionally, we investigated students’ ratings of
effectiveness of coping mechanisms in terms of reducing feelings of anxiety. The study involved
147 Oakland University students of at least 18 years of age responding to a 22-question survey
involving demographic questions and Likert scale questions regarding anxiety-inducing
characteristics of virtual learning, coping strategies, and their effectiveness. Findings show that
although students find in-person learning to be most anxiety-inducing, they are still most willing
to participate in an in-person learning environment. Additionally, students utilize a variety of
coping mechanisms for in-person and virtual learning, although more of them are problem-
focused.
Subject
virtual learning, anxiety, coping mechanisms, emotion-focused coping, problem-focused coping, learning anxiety, in-person learning