Graduate Student Stress and Coping Strategies in Distance versus Traditional Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the differences in perceived stress and coping styles among nontraditional graduate students in both brick-and-mortar and distance-learning institutions. This study used a quantitative causal-comparative design that involved collecting survey data. The sample for this research study were 36 nontraditional graduate students that were enrolled in distance learning classes as well as 36 nontraditional students that attend traditional on-campus courses in a graduate campus. t test and multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to simultaneously assess the effects of group membership and all demographic variables on each of the dependent variables (stress and each coping style). An alpha level of .05 was used to establish statistical significance. Overall, we concluded that there is no significant difference between the coping styles and the perceived stress levels of graduate nontraditional students enrolled in distance-learning and in brick-and-mortar institutions.