Research Summary: Educational stress, anxiety, and academic success among Palestinian university students

A cross-sectional study involving 1,397 Palestinian university students investigated the interrelationship between educational stress, anxiety symptoms, and academic success. It posits that unique contextual challenges in the Palestinian educational environment contribute to heightened stress and anxiety, which are inversely associated with academic outcomes. The research utilized established scales to measure academic success, educational stress, and generalized anxiety.

Why it matters

Understanding the impact of environmental factors on student well-being and academic performance is crucial for developing effective support mechanisms and educational policies. This research highlights the need to address external stressors that can undermine the efficacy of educational systems and the development of future talent.

Key insights

• Student success is understood as a combination of personal engagement and measurable performance.
• Specific contextual challenges within the Palestinian educational environment are linked to increased educational stress and anxiety.
• Educational stress and anxiety are inversely associated with academic outcomes.
• The study employed a cross-sectional design with a sample of 1,397 students.
• Data collection used the Academic Success Inventory for College Students (ASICS), Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents (ESSA), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, translated into Arabic.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1796641