Coping with stress and self-efficacy as predictors of academic satisfaction in a sample of university students

Abstract

Introduction: Academic satisfaction is a fundamental component that influences students' educational experience and directly impacts their academic performance and overall well-being.
Objective: To determine whether coping with stress and self-efficacy predict the academic satisfaction of university students.
Methods: A quantitative, non-experimental, predictive, and cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample consisted of 301 students who were administered the Academic Stress Coping Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Academic Satisfaction Scale, all instruments with adequate psychometric properties.
Results: Preliminarily, it was found that academic satisfaction correlated significantly and directly with coping with stress (r= 0.449; p<0.05) and self-efficacy (r= 0.521; p<0.05). Likewise, coping with stress was found to correlate significantly and directly with self-efficacy (r= 0.438; p<0.05). Regression analysis demonstrated a suitable fit for the model (F= 53.128; p<0.05), where coping with stress (β= 0.302; p<0.05) and self-efficacy (β= 0.491; p<0.05) explained 27.3% of the total variance of the academic satisfaction variable. 
Conclusions: Coping with stress and self-efficacy predict the academic satisfaction of university students. Therefore, the implementation of specific strategies is recommended, thus fostering a more conducive academic environment for student well-being and academic success