Expressive Writing to Relieve Academic Stress at University Level
Escritura expresiva para aliviar el estrés académico a nivel universitario
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v23n2.90448Keywords:
academic stress, expressive writing, students’ perceptions (en)estrés académico, escritura expresiva, percepción de los estudiantes (es)
This paper reports on a descriptive mixed-method study that aimed to identify the impact of expressive writing on relieving the academic stress of 157 undergraduate students at an Ecuadorian university. Data were gathered through two questionnaires and from focus groups. Results showed enduring relief of academic stress. Furthermore, they help to shed light on the need to study the impact of academic stress on university students and to look for different strategies that can alleviate it. These findings could help to understand students’ needs, as they have essential implications in teachers’ practices and, consequently, in students’ performance. In conclusion, expressive writing has a positive effect on helping to ease academic stress and overcome some difficulties caused by this issue.
Este artículo informa sobre un estudio descriptivo de métodos mixtos que tuvo como objetivo identificar el impacto de la escritura expresiva para aliviar el estrés académico en 157 estudiantes de pregrado de una universidad ecuatoriana. Los datos se obtuvieron por medio de dos cuestionarios y de grupos de estudio. Los resultados mostraron un alivio permanente del estrés académico. Además, se evidencia la necesidad de estudiar el impacto del estrés académico en los estudiantes universitarios y buscar diferentes estrategias para aliviarlo. Estos hallazgos podrían ayudar a comprender las necesidades de los estudiantes, las mismas que tienen implicaciones esenciales en las prácticas de los docentes y, en consecuencia, en el desempeño de los estudiantes. En conclusión, la escritura expresiva tiene un efecto positivo ya que ayuda a aliviar el estrés académico y a superar algunas dificultades que este genera.
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