Effects of conflict and stressful situation on academic performance of students of University of Jos

Abstract

Considering the rates of conflicts that happened and is still happening in the country, this study examined the way conflict and stressful situations affects academic performance of undergraduate students. Going with the 7th September 2001 Jos crisis up to 2010 Christmas Eve Bombing that causes the loss of many lives including Students, Teachers/Lecturers, supporting academic staff and many others, which brings the breaks down of the good relationship between people in the city of Jos and the country at large, it is among the objectives of this study to find out the remote causes of conflict and stress, looks for ways that it affects academics, inform people on its effects on academic performance and possible ways of reducing, resolving and preventing it in our daily endeavors. Survey method of data gathering was used, in which participants were approach with questionnaires and their consent was seeks to respond and they are assured of confidentiality of any information given. One hundred and eighty nine (189) participants were randomly sampled from University of Jos, Nigeria, considering Jos is in the center of the Country and has been faced with different conflicts. The findings revealed that conflict and stress have negative effects on academic performance, in which it indicates that whenever there is conflict can easily create stress, which can cause
academic activities to stop by either fight or flight of people in the area, which lecturers and students are not exempted. The study recommends that each and every person should look for ways in which peace will prevails and a sense of resilience, tolerance, patience and forgiveness should be created as bases for reconciliation and peace building which will give way to management and control of conflict and stress in all our areas.
Keywords: Conflict, Stress, Situation,