Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Deprtment of Medical Education, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran,

2 Elderly Health Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Identifying the learners’ problems is important. Besides, many factors are associated with academic
failure, among which time management and stress are more important than any others based
on evidence. By using a systematic review and meta‑analysis, this study aims to synthesize the
findings of studies about the correlation of time management and stress with academic failure
to suggest a more in‑depth insight into the effect of these two factors on academic failure. Four
databases were searched from the inception of January 2018. Publication bias was evaluated visually
using funnel plots and sized up by Egger’s test. Ninety‑four articles were found to be qualified for
inclusion after full‑text review and additional manual reference made. Of these, 8 were studies of
educational interventions that were reviewed in this paper. Regarding the relation of stress and
academic performance, the Funnel plot (results not shown) and Egger’s test showed no publication
bias in the studies (P = 0.719). Based on this result, the estimated pooled correlation (reverted by
hyperbolic tangent transformation) between stress and academic performance was found to be −0.32
(95% confidence interval: −0.38–−0.25). In conclusion, the review recognized a series of potentially
mutable medium‑to‑large correlates of academic achievement, time management, and stress. It
would be essential to have experimental data on how easily such self‑regulatory capacities can be
altered, and these interventions could help students enhance their potential, providing empirical tests
for offered process models of academic achievement.

Keywords

1. Steinert Y. The ‘‘problem’’ learner: Whose problem is it? AMEE
Guide No. 76. Med Teach 2013;35:E1035-45.
2. Vaughn LM, Baker RC, DeWitt TG. The problem learner. Teach
Learn Med 1998;10:217-22.
3. Hays RB, Lawson M, Gray C. Problems presented by medical
students seeking support: A possible intervention framework.
Med Teach 2011;33:161-4.
4. Arulampalam W, Naylor RA, Smith JP. Dropping out of medical
school in the UK: Explaining the changes over ten years. Med
Educ 2007;41:385-94.
5. Mitchell KJ. Traditional predictors of performance in medical
school. Acad Med 1990;65:149-58.
6. Ahmady S, Khajeali N, Sharifi F, Mirmoghtadaei ZS. Factors
related to academic failure in preclinical medical education:
A systematic review. J Adv Med Educ Prof 2019;7:74-85.
7. West C, Sadoski M. Do study strategies predict academic
performance in medical school? Med Educ 2011;45:696-703.
8. Salamonson Y, Everett B, Koch J, Wilson I, Davidson PM.
Learning strategies of first year nursing and medical students:
A comparative study. Int J Nurs Stud 2009;46:1541-7.
9. BernoldLE. Preparedness of engineering freshman to inquiry-based
learning. J Prof Issues Eng Educ Pract 2007;133:99-106.
10. Lobb WB, Wilkin NE, McCaffrey DJ, Wilson MC, Bentley JP.
The predictive utility of non-traditional test scores for first year
pharmacy student academic performance. Am J Pharm Educ
2006;70:1-6.
11. Sleight DA, Mavis BE. Study skills and academic performance
among second year medical students in problem-based learning.
Med Educ 2006;11:1-23 Available from: http://med-ed-online.
net/index.php/meo/article/view/4599/4778. [Last accessed on
2010 Apr 19].
12. Weinstein P, Gipple C. The relationship of study skills to
achievement in the first 2 years of medical school. J Med Educ
1974;49:902-5.
13. Sohail N. Stress and academic performance among medical
students. J Coll Phys Surg Pak 2013;23:67-71.
14. Bayram N, Bilgel N. The prevalence and socio-demographic
correlations of depression, anxiety and stress among a group
of university students. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol
2008;43:667-72.
15. Loureiro E, McIntyre T, Mota-Cardoso R, Ferreira MA. The
relationship between stress and life-style of students at the Faculty
of Medicine of Oporto. Acta Med Port 2008;21:209-14.
16. Moher D, Shamseer L, Clarke M, Ghersi D, Liberati A,
Petticrew M, et al. Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement. Syst Rev
2015;4:1.
17. von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, Pocock SJ, Gøtzsche PC,
Vandenbroucke JP, et al. The Strengthening the Reporting of
Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement:
Guidelines for reporting observational studies. Ann Intern Med
2007;147:573-7.
18. Haynes RB, Mulrow CD, Huth EJ, Altman DG, Gardner MJ. More
informative abstracts revisited. Ann Intern Med 1990;113:69-76.
19. Ogut E, Senol Y, Yildirim FB. Do learning styles affect study
duration and academic success? Eur J Anatomy 2017;21:235-40.
20. AbdulghaniHM, AlrowaisNA, Bin-SaadNS, Al-SubaieNM, HajiAM,
AlhaqwiAI. Sleep disorder among medical students: Relationship to
their academic performance. Med Teach 2012;34 Suppl 1:S37-41.
21. Barker JR, Olsen JP. Medical students’ learning strategies:
Evaluation of first year changes. Mississippi Acad Sci 1997;42:96100 Available from: http://www.msstate.edu/org/MAS/ejour2.
html. [Last accessed on 2010 Apr 20].
22. Chacko SB, Huba ME. Academic achievement among
undergraduate nursing students: The development and test of a
causal model. J Nurs Educ 1991;30:267-73.
23. Durak HI, Törün SE, Sayiner A, Kandiloglu G. Description and
evaluation of an innovative course on learning and study skills for
the first year medical students. Tohoku J Exp Med 2006;210:231-7.
24. Kleijn WC, van der Ploeg HM, Topman RM. Cognition, study
habits, test anxiety, and academic performance. Psychol Rep
1994;75:1219-26.
25. Pringle RK, Lee J. The use of Learning and Study Strategies
Inventory (LASSI) as a predictor for success or failure on part I of
the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners test. J Manipulative
Physiol Ther 1998;21:164-6.
26. Hattie J, Biggs J, Purdie N. Effects of learning skills interventions on
student learning: A meta-analysis. Rev Educ Res 1996;66:99-136.
27. Alexander PA, Judy JE. The interaction of domain specific and
strategic knowledgein academic performance. Rev Educ Res
1988;58:375-404.
28. Karakose T. The relationship between medical students’ time
management skills and academic achievement. Ethno Med
2015;9:19-24.
29. Bewick B, Koutsopoulou G, Miles J, Slaa E, Barkham M.
Changes in undergraduate students’ psychological wellbeing as they progress through university. Stud Higher Educ
2010;35:633-45.
30. Adlaf EM, Gliksman L, Demers A, Newton-Taylor B. The
prevalence of elevated psychological distress among Canadian
undergraduates: Findings from the 1998 Canadian Campus
Survey. J Am Coll Health 2001;50:67-72.
31. Dyson R, Renk K. Freshmen adaptation to university life:
Depressive symptoms, stress, and coping. J Clin Psychol
2006;62:1231-44.
32. Pfeiffer D. Academic and environmental stress among
undergraduate and graduate college students: A literature
review. Thesis, 2001; 1-29 http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/
thesis/2001/2001pfeifferd.pdf. [Last accessed on 2009 Sep 11].