Influence of stress factor on practice activities of student specializing in education management

MA. Nguyen Thi Thu Hang – Faculty of Education, Vinh University, 182 Le Duan, Vinh city, Nghe An Province, Vietnam.

Abstract: Practice is an important activity for students with major of education management, is the activity contributing formation of career motives for students. But there are some factors affecting efficiency of this activity. In the framework of the article, we discuss influence of stress on practice of students and way for reducing stress under viewpoint of education manager in order to improve the learning quality of student.

Keywords: Practice, influence, stress, student, education management solution.

Modern students have ages from 18 to 23, this is stage of transition from physical into social mature. They want to find a stable job in life [3;58]. Therefore, activities carried out in universities have certain influence on formation of students’ professional motive. Activity of practice is one of basic elements constituting motive, motivation so that students can comprehend and participate in chosen career field. Results of practice contribute to reinforcing students' beliefs about works and passion for the job later. In reality, professional motive of students specializing in education management is unavailable, it is formed during process of learning, training, practice, real professional apprenticeship. In particular, practice activities of students are affected by many factors such as social environment, teaching and education, school conditions, practice facilities, occupational features, psychological factors, etc. This article discusses influence of stress, which is element of psychological - social environment, on students’ psychophysiology practice as well as results of this activity, and then proposes some management solutions to minimize impact of stress on this activity.

Some theoretical and practical matters

1. What is Stress?

Stress, in Vietnamese common meaning, is tense. Stress is an emotional state associated with tension, anxiety or fear; is a state requiring individuals to adapt, cope or self-adjust with it. In clinical psychology, stress is understood as psychological trauma. It is impact on people causing diseases, that are harmful to health, affecting operations. It is "relationship between people and their surroundings, it is just stimulus, but also only reaction of the body before that stimulus" (Ferreri) [5].

Stress occurs when people are facing with many problems of life, living and learning environment changes, as well as relationships of personal – personal, individual – society; and to people themselves they can not avoid impact of that relationship. In normal conditions, when there is an attack on people, reaction appears against infiltration of that agent in order to protect and restore balance in the body. That is called as a normal adaptive response. Stress can only occur when people response to normal attack and additional attacks, which are out of control by the body, making the body lose adaptation ability, leading to depletion and disease. Stress pathological manifestations are in two types - acute stress and prolonged stress.

For management students, practice is activity within training program framework of the university. This activity takes students to educational units, education management organizations in order to make students get: Basic understanding of education management by educational units, education management organizations and Education Department; Ability of applying knowledge equipped into practice of some management activities in educational units, education management organizations and social organizations with educational activities. Thereby students are helped to update and supplement knowledge; clarify relationship between theory and practice to settle management situation; enhance professional liability, improve qualities of an education management officer in each period, term of the school year. Practical activities usually begins in the third year after students have been equipped with some certain specialized knowledge. Graduation practice is study unit of 5 credits volume, performed in the fourth year, during 8 weeks, after students have learned specialized modules. One of education management students’ restrictions is shortage of practical knowledge, few experience in facing and contacting with real management situation, furthermore, they haven’t yet paid attention on equipping themselves with soft skills. So they often feel hesitated to visit practice units or not confident when conducting this activity. Besides this, training of education management bachelor education is a new task for many universities. Thus most universities have not built a network of satellites, where students can make practice; or universities are in the process of finishing of vocational training plans and processes for students.

This also affects practice activity of education management students. Above conditions cause psychological stress to some students before, during and after realization of practice. That is the stimulus causing stress to students specializing in education management. This phenomenon influences whole mental and physiological life of students in negative direction, resulting in limited results of practice activity.

2. Influencing expression of stress in practice activity of Education Management Students

Firstly, mental - physiological expression in practice activity of students: 1) Expression of the body. Through some investigations, we found that there are some rather clear expressions in the body of students in practice activity. Most prominent expression is the state of fatigue, headaches, back pain, muscle pain, rapid heartbeat, and breathing difficulties. 2) Mental manifestations. Most students admit that they often have psychological state of suspense, anxiety, insecurity before, during and after realization of practice activity. Besides the psychological state of anxiety, worry, there is phenomenon of sleep disorder, sleep problems, insomnia or sleepiness, bad appetite, loss of appetite, thinking worse than normal. With above psychological state it is over-reaction to circumstances surrounding, showing irritability to friends and relatives for so small things and situations, etc.

Secondly, via practice results of stress student, via reality, we can see, usually, students have stress while practice performance, effectiveness and results of practice are not high; some students just gain average results in comparison with requirements given by practice process. Most students are not satisfied with results they achieved due to psychological impact on their capacity. From such practice results it can be judged that stress has impact on students, changing states of mind, physiology of education management students in practice activity, affecting their academic results as well as formation of students’ professional motive.

3. Direction for reducing influence of stress on education management students in practice activity

Stress is a normal phenomenon in life, sometimes we can overcome it easily, but sometimes we have difficulty in handling stress, especially for students. With characteristics and importance of practice activity, and with not good psychological preparation for this activity, students will fall easily into tress adversely affecting study outcomes. Therefore, to reduce influences of stress on learning activities, balancing and preventing measures in life of students and relevant people need to be applied.

Students specializing in education management need to prepare actively enough physical and mental conditions to meet requirements of practice activity, to gain effectiveness in practice activity: as organizations of moderate life, having a healthy body through sport activities, a healthy spirit with active state before situations and changes of living environment, together having new relationships through equipment of soft skills (skills of communication, problem settlement, cooperation, etc).

For universities and major of education management, they should develop standard profession training procedures for students, contributing to creating strong state and mind to students when they come to units for practice activity; concurrently it need to organizing meetings to consult and counsel students before they carry out practical activities; to have mechanism for strict and scientific coordination with practice units, helping to reduce pressure, psychological fears of students in new environment. Moreover, universities should organize teaching effectively specialized subjects, management professional knowledge to students; increase time of practice for subjects; change hard practice classes into vivid ones through sending students to practice facilities [2;16]. These activities contribute reducing stress for education management students while they realize practice activity, contributing to improving education quality of the university.

Reference

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2.Bui Minh Hien (Cheaf Author) - Vu Ngoc Hai - Dang Quoc Bao (2006), Manage Education, Publisher of Education University.

3. Nguyen Thac (Editor) – Pham Thanh Nghi (2008), Pedagogic psychology of higher education, Publisher of Pedagogic University, H.

4. Nguyen Van Son (2011), “Influence of higher education teaching contents, methods on formation of students’ profession motive”, Education Science Magazine, (71), August.

5.Nguyen Viet (1997), Stress by Disease of Mental and Approach in Therapy (Translation of Ferreri Professor, Hanoi), Hanoi Medical University.