Academic stress and burnout among distance education students in a Ghanaian higher education institution

In the field of modern education, the meteoric rise in distance learning in higher education has brought unprecedented convenience and accessibility. Yet, beneath the surface of this educational revolution lies the issues of academic stress and burnout among students, particularly distance education students. Therefore, this study examined academic stress and burnout among distance education students at the University of Education, Winneba, Cape Coast Study Center. A quantitative approach was adopted in this study, employing a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. In total, 231 students were selected for this study. The Academic Stress Inventory and Academic Burnout Inventory were adapted as the data collection instruments for this study. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (Two-way MANOVA) were used to analyse the data. This study revealed that distance education students had moderate levels of academic stress and burnout. Additionally, there were no significant gender differences in academic stress and burnout. Conversely, the study discovered significant differences in academic stress, personal burnout, and studies-related burnout based on programme of study. In addition, it was revealed that the interaction effect of gender and programme of study had no significant influence on distance education students’ academic stress and burnout. Consequently, it was recommended that educational institutions should consider creating support programmes tailored specifically for distance education students. These programmes can offer guidance on stress management techniques, time management skills, and resources to help students cope with the demands of their programme. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.