Impact of Psychological Capital on Academic Performance and Study Stress among Second Year Undergraduates of KDU

Abstract

When compared to researches about job performance, a little attention has been given to academic performance. Psychological capital (PsyCap) and study stress are major concepts when it comes to academic performance. During the first year, many undergraduates find it difficult to adjust themselves to the new university environment and to face unexpected study stress suddenly due to exams and continuous assignments in their second year as well. Therefore, very few may overcome those challenges due to their strong positive psychological resources. Others may get affected due to their unbearable stress. Therefore, this study examines the impact of PsyCap and study stress on academic performance among second year undergraduates of KDU. The study adopted the mixed research design. A random sample of 128 students (n=128) were given a structured questionnaire and interviews for key informants. Regression analysis using SPSS in quantitative approach and thematic analysis in qualitative approach were used to analyse the data. Study results indicate that PsyCap of second year undergraduates has a significant and positive impact on their academic performance. However, a higher level of study stress affects negatively on academic performance, but it was not a significant impact. Furthermore, this study highlights the ways in which PsyCap of undergraduates could be further enhanced. Nevertheless, maintaining a moderate level of study stress is possible to generate better academic performance. As future research, researchers intend to consider other state and private university undergraduates in all streams. More importantly, key informants stress on the importance of mitigating higher stress levels among undergraduates.