Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies

Academic competence is a vital component of students' overall development and future opportunities, as it directly influences their academic performance and personal growth. However, varying levels of stress affect academic competence, with individuals responding differently to stressors. While previous studies have examined stress and academic competence separately, a gap remains in understanding their relationship. This study assessed the level of stress and academic competence among students in a higher education institution. It is quantitative research employing a descriptive-correlational research design. The respondents of this study were 370 students in a higher education institution in Santo Tomas, Davao del Norte, selected through a stratified random sampling technique. Two sets of adapted questionnaires were used to obtain the information from the respondents. The findings of this study revealed that the overall level of stress in terms of academic, physiological, environmental, and psychological stress was high, while the level of stress in terms of social stress was moderate. The results indicated that students in a higher education institution experience an overall high level of stress. The study also found that the level of academic competence in terms of intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, learning discipline, learning assessment, general self-esteem, emotional control, and social relationships was revealed to be high. The findings revealed that the students strongly demonstrate their aptitude in academics. Furthermore, the results indicated that physiological stress received the highest mean, while social stress received the relatively lowest mean. Among the various indicators of academic competence, social relationships yielded the lowest mean score, indicating that students may struggle with interpersonal connections despite their academic abilities. The study revealed a significant relationship between stress and academic competence. The study also revealed that the overall demographic profile of the student body, based on age, gender, and degree program, shows no significant difference in the level of stress and academic competence. Therefore, it is hoped that this study could encourage the adoption of proactive measures to address stress factors and foster an environment conducive to academic excellence.