Abstract

This study describes the life skills resiliency and ability to employ in stressful situations. The participants of the research consist of 22 students who are enrolled in Quirino State University Main Campus. This qualitative study utilized a phenomenology study method in which lived experiences of several individuals are described as related to a phenomenon they have in common. Content/narrative analysis was utilized and purposeful sampling technique was used. Revealed in the study were the data on communication skills, decision making and problem solving skills, and academic skills. With these findings, the researcher recommends, encourage students to develop their cognitive, social and psychological skills within their academic subjects. Providing training courses in skills to face stressful life situations among university students. Counseling programs is necessary to increase the degree of tolerance of stressful life situations among university students.

1. Introduction

The era of pressures and emotions that have become the most dangerous phenomena that threaten the life of individual, are faced by the university student whether in his/her family, within the university campus, or in the society in which he/she lives. If the individual is unable to cope with and adapt to them, those influences resulting from social, personal, family, material or developmental sources will become the beginning of many mental disorders, such as anxiety, stress and depression ¹.

The issue of life skills has received great attention in international and regional forums. The Arab League Summit (2001) meeting in Jordan indicated in the Arab Childhood Framework document the need to enable the child to have his/her right to a quality upbringing, education and learning that raises his/her creativity and innovation capabilities, creates moral and social values, and develops life skills ².

The process of acquiring life skills is one of the important outcomes of the modern and contemporary curriculum at any stage of study, and this matter is not limited to a specific subject without the other subjects, as it is a joint responsibility from which no major can be exempt, and the reference is that education, in its essence, is concerned with the acquisition of life skills that qualify learners to live with people and interact with them and enable them to work and participate in the development process ³.

El-Arini ⁴ defined life skills as: the ability to perform a number of tasks related to an individual's life in his/her interaction with daily

life with the aim of reaching the highest degree of utilization of his/her potential with the least effort, the fastest time, and the lowest possible cost. As for the Turk ⁵, he defined life skills as the skills that embody the reality of education in terms of its function and significance and give meaning to learning, as life skills link what the student learns and the psychological, emotional, social and intellectual pressures he faces through increasing his/her ability to control his/her behavior and adapt to the surrounding reality, in addition to increasing his/her self-confidence and self-esteem to meet the real-life challenges, reduce anxiety, and improve his/her psychological state.

Zadeh, Awang, Ismail and Saher ⁶ indicated that the student’s acquisition of life skills achieves empowerment, the ability to increase his/her distinction in study and raise his/her academic achievement level, in addition to that it enables the student to think seriously about working with his/her utmost effort to learn and acquire skills with greater confidence without being affected by external pressures, and to adapt to the surrounding Hodge, Danish & Martin ⁷ believe that a student's life skills are related to his/her ability to face life situations. It provides him/her with the competencies and skills for adaptation, coexistence and success, in addition to providing him/her with the capabilities of communication and interaction with others, besides that life skills help to shape the personality of the individual, refine it and prepare him/her to meet the challenges of the times and the problems of daily life to be a creative, productive, and active person locally and globally, capable of development and improvement, and creating change. Life skills can be described as skills that contribute to individuals' understanding of themselves and their awareness of their abilities through their practical performance that they practice to meet life's requirements and problems in order to reach the desired goals.

Zins et al ⁸ noted that life skills programs were present in school history early on, but they were not familiar at the time, and were called mystery programs, because they search in the deep, mysterious secrets of life and not its superficial secrets that were present in most school curricula, and they were facing natural resistance from some students and parents who feared that life skills programs would be a disguised religion, and with the passage of time they knew that they are performance skills that help the individual adapt to the society in which they live.

Euskaus et al ⁹ believed that life skills represent a set of performances that make the individual able to successfully manage the interaction between themselves and others and between him/her and the environment and society to face the problems they face in their lives. For example, the individual must have the ability to communicate and linguistic communication with others, and this matter helps him/her to present his/her thoughts, opinions and feelings and accept differences and viewpoints as these situations are features that require responses that are reflected by the type of behavior issued by the individual that helps him/her in building the future.

In addition, Euskaus et al ⁹ indicated that enabling the individual to master the practice of life skills makes him/her feel confident and raises the level of confidence, admiration and pride of other people towards him/her.

Alkriemeen ¹⁰ also presented a set of life skills domains that can be summarized as follows: First: Emotional skills, including emotional control, emotional capacity, tolerance and flexibility, the ability to adapt and keep pace with change, and appreciation of the feelings of others. Second: social skills that include self-respect, responsibility, respect for opinion and viewpoints Third: Mental skills, which include the ability to properly plan, critical thinking, innovation and creativity, conduct experiments and perceive relationships, and the ability to self-learn and predict events. The literature has referred to a multiplicity of life skills, including the skill of dialogue and discussion, the skill of problem solving, the skill of effective communication and the development of the mind habits represented in innovation, creativity, discovery and other social skills related to activities and building social relationships ^{1, 11}.

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) (2005) has classified life skills into the skill of communication, interpersonal relationships, cooperation and team work, the skill of managing life stress, the ability to collect information, the skill of empathy and emotion management, and mental skills such as creative and critical thinking ¹¹.

Cognitive theory confirms that the basis for solving problems and the interactions between people and each other are relying on the cognitive side, because it contributes to reducing and preventing impulsive negative behaviors, so problem solving can be considered as an important part of life skills programs that help reduce stressful situations and control decision-making. In addition, life skills programs include interesting and enjoyable methods of teaching, including, but not limited to, observation, role play, acting and peer education ¹².

Although life skills help the individual to adapt psychologically, emotionally, socially and mentally, Yadav and Iqbal ¹³ believe that skills differ from adaptation. Adaptation consists of the individual's reactions that are characterized by the mechanism. As for skills, they use defense mechanisms in psychological aspects such as controlling emotions, emotional expression and both emotional and social sensitivity, such as self-respect, taking responsibility, and forming relationships, which include conscious efforts in dealing with things and events that the individual could not adapt to ¹³.

Stressful life events are one of the main aspects that characterize our contemporary life, and these events are nothing but a reaction to the sharp and rapid changes that have occurred in all areas of life, which are the main cause of the injury of organic diseases, and the feeling of many psychological and social problems that afflict Individual ¹⁴.

Based on the above, psychological stress appears as a result of the interactions that occur within the individual according to external stimuli to which he/she is exposed, so that his/her response patterns occur, whether they are physical responses with all his/her preparations, physical, psychological or behavioral, which arise as a result of these stimuli ¹⁵, While Badran ¹⁶ explains that psychological pressures occur as a result of external pressures to which the human being is exposed and creates a state of difference in balance according to experience, which results from his/her awareness of the threats facing him/her, a group of symptoms that coincide with exposure to a stressful situation that leads to physiological, emotional and behavioral changes.

From this standpoint, many of the results of studies related to life skills, such as the study of Camirea, Kendellena, Rathwellb & Turgeon ¹⁷, have shown that training students in life skills through thoughtful programs and planned experiences, helps them with psychological and social adjustment, and achieves self-esteem, self-confidence and positive adaptation to his/her surroundings, which raises his/her academic achievement and achievement capabilities.

Life skills represent a contemporary educational trend, and an increasing interest among educators and psychologists because of their crucial role in enabling the individual to face different life situations, as they are the basis for his/her ability to adapt to the reality of his/her cultural, social, ethnic and religious environment, and it is the guarantee for the individual's acquisition of the ability to solve social problems and qualitative adaptation to reality ¹⁸.

This study aimed to explore the life skills resiliency and ability to employ in stressful situations.

1. What are the life skills for resiliency and how can you apply them in stressful situations?

Literature Review

Ability: refers to the capacity or power to perform a task, act, or function effectively. It encompasses both natural talents and learned skills that enable someone to accomplish specific objectives.

Students with strong self-regulation skills are better equipped to set goals, monitor their progress, and handle stress during exams or assignments. ¹⁹

Mindfulness programs improve students' ability to manage stress, enhance focus, and promote overall well-being. ²⁰

Employ: revolves around engaging or using something or someone for a specific purpose.

Technological Tools to Manage Stress: With the rise of digital learning, students are increasingly employing online platforms, apps, and tools to manage academic tasks and stress more efficiently. ²¹

Mindfulness Training in Schools: Mindfulness techniques, which are increasingly employed in schools, help students reduce stress, increase focus, and improve overall well-being. ²²

Life skills: defined by Al-Sayed ¹⁹ as: the individual's ability to adapt positively to his/her personal and social life problems, includes: the ability to manage time, negotiation and dialogue - communication and social communication - good use of available resources and good behavior in emergency situations - interaction with others - The ability to make decisions - respect for the business organization. Procedurally, it is defined as the respondent's score obtained on the life skills scale used in the current study, through the following three dimensions: (communication skills and communicating with others, problem-solving skills, finding solutions, evaluating alternatives and making appropriate decisions, and skills related to the aspect).

Resiliency: refers to the ability to adapt, recover, and bounce back from adversity, challenges, or setbacks. It is a quality that enables individuals, systems, or organizations to maintain functionality, overcome difficulties, and thrive despite experiencing stress or disruptions.

Mindfulness practices, often used in resilience training, help students enhance emotional regulation and build resilience to stress, improving their ability to stay focused and manage academic pressures. ²²

Stressful: Shoukair ²³ defines them as: a group of internal and external stressful sources that an individual is exposed to in his/her daily life, which results in a weakness in his/her ability to respond appropriately to the situation, as well as accompanying emotional and physiological disturbances that affect other aspects related to his/her personality. It is defined procedurally as the respondent's score obtained on the stressful life situations scale used in the current study, through the following seven dimensions: (family, economic, academic, social, emotional, personal, and health stressful life situations)

The study of Roth, Assor, Maymon & Kaplan ²⁴ has shown that the development of student life skills has a positive effect on Self-development and adaptation to one's gender, the study of Rudy, Sheldon, Awong & Tan ²⁵ which demonstrated the impact of life skills on success, achievement and adaptation to the environment, and the Radwan study ²⁶ aimed to reveal the effectiveness of a counseling program based on focusing on developing the life skills of Al-Azhar University students on a basic sample of (382) male and female students. The results of the study found that the total life skills level of the members of the experimental group before implementing the program reached (180.9) degrees with a relative weight (65%) and with a medium degree. In addition, there were statistically significant differences among the members of the experimental sample on the scale of life skills and on the psychological state post-scale due to the application of the skills of focus sessions.

A study conducted by Sharif, Al-Dhalayn, Suleiman ²⁷ aimed at knowing the effectiveness of a training program for some life skills and its impact on reducing psychological pressures among students of the lower basic stage in Karak Governorate, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The study adopted the semi-experimental approach. The study sample was (60) students who were randomly selected. The results of the study revealed that there are statistically significant differences between the average degrees of school psychological, emotional, and family pressures and the social level in favor of the experimental group in the post application. As for the study of Mekala, Aras & Jayaseelan ²⁸ in India, it aimed to identify the effect of positive life skills on reducing suicide intentions among university and college students. In a study conducted by Al-Nuaimi and Al-Khazraji ²⁹, it indicated that students of Diyala University have a good level of life skills, and there is no statistically significant difference between males and females and specialization (human-scientific) in the level of life skills.

Jordanian universities strive to pay attention to their students because of the importance of this category in building and developing societies in the near future, and the interest is represented by the efforts made by societies towards them, or what the family and the university do in terms of prevention and care for these students, but this does not obviate the existence of obstacles in their lives, which prevent them from fully carrying out their role, including the stressful life situations that students may be exposed to, which may make them feel harassed and stressed, and that would have a negative impact on them in one or more aspects of their lives ³⁰

2. Methodology

The current study aimed at exploring the life skills resiliency and ability to employ in stressful situations.

This study made use of a qualitative design of research. Qualitative research study allows the researcher to explore the phenomenon from an individual’s personal experiences in varying situations and circumstances. The qualitative design was used to administer this study so that relevant responses could be sought to get insights into students’ life skills resiliency and ability to employ in stressful situations.

The researcher used the phenomenology study method in which lived experiences of several individuals are described as related to a phenomenon they have in common. The participants were asked to narrate their life skills resiliency and ability to employ in stressful situations on blank sheets of paper. The participants’ responses were carefully analyzed in words. A list of life skills resiliency and ability to employ in stressful situations was generated from the analysis made.

This study involved a purposive sampling to determine the respondents who are Bachelor of Science in Information Technology students of Quirino State University Main Campus.

Furthermore, the participants are purposely chosen/selected. The participants are the BEED students. By using purposive sampling approach, 22 students were chosen. Out of 22 student participants, three of them were male and nineteen were female, their ages ranging from 18 to 20 years old.

The participants were instructed to answer an open-ended question by narrating and describing in their own word their life skills resiliency and ability to employ in stressful situations. The researcher collected the outputs and serialized them as ready for analysis.

In analyzing the data collected from the participants’ outputs, the researcher used the content analysis process. Content analysis is suitable in capturing the words of participants in text or written documents. In addition, the use of content analysis especially when a researcher uses gist and analyses in a study.

Gist analysis refers to the process of identifying and understanding the main idea or essence of a text, speech, or situation, without focusing on the finer details. The goal of gist analysis is to capture the overall message or the core point, enabling a quick and efficient understanding of the subject matter.

Gist analysis involves: summarizing key concepts or themes; extracting the central idea while leaving out extraneous or less important information; and understanding the overall meaning or purpose of the material being analyzed while content analysis is a systematic research method used to analyze and interpret the content of communication, such as text, media, or other forms of messages. It involves the identification and examination of patterns, themes, meanings, and relationships within the content. The goal is to draw conclusions about the content’s underlying messages, trends, or societal implications.Aspects of content analysis are data collection, categorization and coding.

Gist analysis is appropriate for qualitative research since it enables the researcher to capture the meaning of the statements made by the participants concerning the phenomenon being studied. The gist analysis was used to identify the life skills resiliency and ability to employ in stressful situations

The completed sheets of paper were read several times to get an overview of their contents. The reading was done closely, repeatedly, and intently until they become familiar with its contents and were in positions to conceptualize statements made by the participants. The researcher came up with notes about the statements made by the participants. Key concepts and ideas were identified in the notes.

The researcher then re-read data and highlighted significant statements, sentences, or quotes. This process provides an understanding of how the participants experienced the phenomenon. Related statements were grouped together to form meaningful units for emerging themes from the significant statements.

Key events in the participants’ stories were chronologically sorted. The coding and themes determined from the data analysis were not predetermined by the researcher but emerged through the analysis process. After coding was complete, relationships were created between categories by comparing and contrasting coding from the different cases. The themes that emerged were derived from the students’ experiences.

3. Results and Discussions

The purpose of this study was to explore the students’ life skills resiliency and ability to employ in stressful situations. The findings revealed that the students who participated in this study discovered their life skills resiliency and ability to employ in stressful situations. The identification and emerging of the interesting themes relative to their experiences which the researcher classified into different categories:

Life skills resiliency

Theme 1: Skills of Communication with Others

Communication is defined as the ability to convey or share ideas and feelings effectively. Several experts agree that communication skills include: Conveying messages without misinterpretation or misleading others.

Five participants most used the communication skills with others.

The participant mentioned, “ Offering simple advice can make them feel valued and loved”.

Two participants also explained, “ Communicating with others can greatly reduce stress, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues ”.

The participant discussed, “ Communication fosters interpersonal relationships both at home and at work. It helps in understanding others, overcoming differences, and clarifying situations. Effective communication is an essential skill for advocating for your rights and needs.”.

The participant interpreted, “ Communication helps bridge differences, fostering trust, respect, and cooperation”.

The above statements of the participants indicate that communication plays a significant role in this time of adversities.

However, Wintre & Bowers ³¹ indicated that 57.9% of university students, especially freshmen, are exposed to social situations and pressures when they move to the university due to the disparity in social environments and different cultures that each has methods of verbal communication and different interaction methods. This result is consistent with the findings of Taylor's study ³² , which showed that the most important life pressures faced by the student are weak coping skills and social communication among students, and this result is also consistent with the study of Ramsey and Sandler ³³ which showed that the most important sources of psychological stress for the student are the social sources that are represented by (discomfort) through the student’s inability to accept others, the his/her inability to form relationships with friends, the difficulty to learn and verbal communication, the low academic achievement rate, and the failure to invest free time constructively.

This result was confirmed by Al-Sayed ³⁴ who indicated that life skills give the learner direct experience, and this experience results through direct contact with people, objects and phenomena and interacting with them directly, making him/her able to face different life situations and the ability to overcome life problems and deal with them wisely. In addition, the findings of the present study are in line with the findings reported by Mekala, Aras & Jayaseelan ³⁵, which showed improvement in communication and coexistence skills among the students.

In different situations, and on social interaction using methods of active communication with others, and positive interaction with life in general, life skills require abilities to perform adaptive, consensual and positive behavior, and these capabilities help the individual to deal effectively and efficiently with the demands of daily life in changing environmental conditions ³⁶.

Theme 2: Skills of Decision Making and Problem Solving

Decision making is the process of making choices by identifying a decision, gathering information, and assessing alternative resolutions.

In psychology, decision-making (also spelled decision making) is regarded as the cognitive process resulting in the selection of a belief or a course of action among several possible alternative options.

Problem Solving - the process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues.

Problem solving is the act of defining a problem; determining the cause of the problem; identifying, prioritizing, and selecting alternatives for a solution; and implementing a solution.

The participant elucidated, “Having decision-making and problem-solving skills allows me to effectively navigate a variety of situations that may arise at work”.

The participant shed light on, “ I consult with my family and friends for advice, and through their input, I discover better ways to solve my problems for my own benefit ”.

Two participants explained, “ It will help me make decisions and understand situations I may not be able to handle, while also allowing me to think clearly and stay focused”.

The participant concluded, “Having these skills means I can continue to smile, using a positive attitude to overcome problems”.

Life skills also achieve the goals of education to prepare the citizen for life and face its pressures, as they represent the most important outputs of human learning. Life skills help the individual to manage his/her life, to adapt to him/herself, to cope with the current changes and to the requirements of life, and to make him/her able to assume social responsibility and solve the problems facing him/her, and to meet the challenges posed by the age in which he/she lives, and achieve his/her self-confidence, and help to act effectively. In different situations, and on social interaction using methods of active communication with others, and positive interaction with life in general, life skills require abilities to perform adaptive, consensual and positive behavior, and these capabilities help the individual to deal effectively and efficiently with the demands of daily life in changing environmental conditions ³⁷

Theme 3: Academic Skills

Academic skills are the abilities, strategies and habits that can help learners succeed in an academic setting. They generally build on students' mastery of literacy and technical subjects like mathematics and science.

Good study skills can increase your confidence, competence, and self-esteem. They can also reduce anxiety about tests and deadlines. By developing effective study skills, you may be able to cut down on the numbers of hours spend studying, leaving more time for other things in your life.

The participant explained, “Improving study skills, exploring different learning strategies, and maintaining a positive mindset while staying motivated toward academic goals”.

As postulated in the learning theories, use appropriate technology to: communicate, solve problems, access, manage, integrate, evaluate, design and create information to improve learning in all subject areas and acquire lifelong knowledge and skills in the 21st century ^{39, 40, 41}

Study Limitation

Despite the valuable insights provided by this study, there are several limitations to consider. First, the sample size was relatively small and may not fully represent the broader population, which could limit the general results. Additionally, the study focused on a specific geographic area, and the findings may not be applicable to other regions with different cultural or environmental factors. Future research with a larger, more diverse sample, longitudinal designs, and more objective measures could help address these limitations and provide a deeper understanding of the topic."

The new insights into life skills resiliency emphasize resilience is a dynamic, multifaceted skill that can be developed and applied in various ways. From emotional regulation and growth mindset to the role of cultural factors and digital communication. Building resilience not only helps individuals manage stress but also enhances their ability to contribute constructively, collaborate effectively, and engage in meaningful scientific discussions.

Here are some key insights that could inform scientific debates on this topic: Neuroplasticity and Resilience Development; The Role of Emotional Intelligence (EI); and Growth Mindset as a Pathway to Resilience.

Conclusion

This study investigated the life skills resiliency and ability to employ in stressful situations. The data revealed on communication skills, decision making and problem solving skills, and academic skills. Thus, the results of this study suggest that encourage students to develop their cognitive, social and psychological skills within their academic subjects. Providing training courses in skills to face stressful life situations among university students. Counseling programs is necessary to increase the degree of tolerance of stressful life situations among university students.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to thank all the participants who took part in this study, we appreciate all your help!

References