Prioritizing Stress Factors in Higher Education: A Statistical Validation of MCDM Results Using Spearman-Kendall Correlations

Abstract

This study investigates key factors influencing student well-being and academic performance through a comprehensive survey of 250 college students in Coimbatore, India. Using pairwise comparison matrices and multi-criteria decision-making methods (FAHP, SAW, and WPM), we evaluated four criteria: family expectations (C1), psychological issues (C2), societal problems (C3), and financial difficulties (C4), with students categorized into five groups (Group 1 to Group factors.5) for analysis. The Multi-Criteria Model (MCM) analysis revealed that family expectations (C1) exerted the strongest influence on student outcomes, followed by psychological and societal factors, while financial difficulties demonstrated relatively weaker impact. These findings were validated through robust statistical analysis using Spearman and Kendall correlation tests, confirming the reliability of our results. Our research highlights the critical need for targeted interventions to address family-related academic pressures. We recommend implementing comprehensive wellness programs incorporating yoga, sports, and counseling services. The study underscores the importance of collaborative efforts between educators and families to enhance student well-being and suggests future research directions examining peer influence dynamics and institutional policy impacts for a more holistic understanding of student success

Introduction

Student well-being is increasingly recognized as a key factor affecting academic success in higher education, especially in competitive regions like Tamil Nadu, India. This study focuses on United College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, addressing stressors such as family expectations, financial difficulties, and campus environment that impact student mental health and performance. While past research has explored these factors individually, this work uniquely examines their combined influence using advanced Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques—Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP), Simple Additive Weighting (SAW), and Weighted Product Model (WPM).

A survey of 250 students assessed four main criteria: family expectations, psychological issues, societal problems, and financial difficulties. Expert validation and statistical tests (Spearman and Kendall) ensured robust pairwise comparisons. The results ranked family expectations as the most influential factor, with Group 1 students showing the highest well-being and academic performance, and Group 4 the lowest across all methods.

The study contributes by providing a localized analysis of stress factors in Tamil Nadu’s higher education, demonstrating sophisticated MCDM applications in educational psychology, and offering actionable insights for educators and policymakers to develop targeted support systems to enhance student well-being and academic outcomes.

Conclusion

This study systematically evaluated the key factors affecting student well-being and academic performance at a college in Coimbatore, India, using advanced multi-criteria decision-making techniques. The analysis clearly identified family expectations (C1) as the most significant stressor impacting students, followed by psychological issues (C2) and societal problems (C3), while financial difficulties (C4) showed relatively lesser influence. These findings were rigorously validated through Spearman and Kendall correlation tests, confirming the robustness of our methodology and results. The research underscores the critical need for targeted interventions to address family-related academic pressures, which emerged as the predominant challenge. Educational institutions should prioritize collaborative strategies involving both educators and parents to create more supportive environments for students. Additionally, implementing wellness programs incorporating yoga, sports, and counseling services could significantly enhance student resilience and performance. These insights provide valuable guidance for policymakers and academic administrators seeking to improve student outcomes in similar educational contexts. Future research should expand this work by examining the role of peer influences and institutional policies, as well as exploring these dynamics across different geographical and cultural settings to develop more comprehensive support frameworks. Ultimately, by addressing the root causes of student stress identified in this study, particularly familial pressures, educational institutions can foster healthier, more productive learning environments that better support student success and well-being.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Dr. Deepak Umrao Sarwe, Gaurav Deepak Sarwe. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.