ABSTRACT
This study, entitled “Level of Social and Emotional Stress on Learning Preferences: A Stress-Management and Learning Approaches Program”, investigates how perceived social and emotional stress influences the learning preferences of junior high school students. Guided by Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, and Fleming’s VARK Model, the researchers utilized a descriptive-correlational design involving 187 respondents from Grades 7 to 10. Data were collected using standardized instruments-the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), and VARK Learning Styles Inventory-and analyzed using mean, standard deviation, ranking, and Pearson correlation.
Findings revealed that students experienced a low level of stress and a moderate level of emotional stress. Among stressors, peer comparison was the most common social concern, while test anxiety and emotional exhaustion were the main emotional challenges. The dominant learning preferences identified were auditory and kinesthetic, indicating that students learn best through listening and hands-on experiences. Correlation results showed no significant relationship between social stress and learning preferences, but a significant relationship between emotional stress and all learning modalities, suggesting that students’ emotional well-being directly influences their approach to learning.
Based on these findings, a Stress-Management and Learning Approaches Program was proposed to help students manage emotional stress while enhancing their engagement and academic performance. The study concludes that addressing emotional stress through supportive and multimodal learning environments fosters resilience, motivation, and holistic student development.
Keywords: social stress, emotional stress, learning preferences, VARK model, stress management, Core Science Academy, Inc.