Academic Stress, Coping Strategies, and Performance Among University Students in Teacher Education Programmes in South East Nigeria

This study examines the relationships among academic stress, coping strategies, and academic performance among undergraduate students in Teacher Education programmes in universities in South East Nigeria, covering Enugu, Anambra, and Imo states. Academic stress is an increasingly documented challenge in Nigerian higher education, with particular implications for teacher preparation quality given its influence on learning engagement and retention outcomes. The study employs a cross-sectional survey design, engaging 440 pre-service teachers from final-year Teacher Education cohorts across three universities. Data were collected using the Academic Stress Scale for University Students, the Brief COPE Inventory (adapted), and students' cumulative grade point averages. Structural equation modelling examined the hypothesised stress-coping-performance model. The study draws on Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and the Conservation of Resources Theory. Findings are anticipated to reveal that assignment overload and examination pressure are the most prevalent stressors, while active problem-focused coping strategies mediate the negative relationship between stress and academic performance. Maladaptive coping strategies including avoidance are expected to amplify stress effects on performance. Recommendations are directed at teacher education faculty and student affairs units on embedding stress management, mindfulness, and academic skills training into undergraduate Teacher Education curricula. Keywords: academic stress, coping strategies, academic performance, Teacher Education, South East Nigeria