In today’s stressful academic environments, university students frequently face emotional challenges that impact their learning engagement and well-being. This study explores emotional regulation and stress management strategies among Mongolian university students by integrating theoretical perspectives and empirical data. Drawing on Gross’s Process Model of Emotion Regulation and Zimmerman’s Self-Regulated Learning model, the research examines how stress triggers, self-regulation strategies, and perceptions of teacher support influence emotional balance in classrooms. A survey of 46 students was conducted, analyzing descriptive statistics, reliability coefficients, correlation patterns, and open-ended responses. Results indicated moderate-to-high stress levels, moderate usage of emotional regulation strategies, and high perceptions of teacher support. Weak negative correlations were observed between stress and emotion regulation practices. The findings underscore the need for systematic emotional training and enhanced teacher support to foster emotionally secure learning environments. This study contributes to the growing field of academic emotional regulation research and provides practical recommendations for university education improvement.

Keywords: emotional balance, classroom stress, teacher support, stress management, emotional regulation strategies

Introduction

In contemporary societies marked by rapid technological changes, economic instability, and social uncertainty, emotional well-being has become a critical concern, particularly among university students. The increasing academic demands, coupled with personal, social, and financial pressures, have contributed to heightened emotional stress within university learning environments (Beiter et al., 2015; Aristovnik et al., 2020). University students are expected to excel academically while navigating complex emotional challenges, which often compromises their learning engagement, motivation, and psychological resilience.

Emotional regulation, defined as the processes by which individuals influence the onset, intensity, and duration of their emotional states (Gross, 2002), plays a pivotal role in academic success and mental health. Effective emotional regulation strategies enable students to manage stress, maintain focus, and sustain motivation in the face of adversity. According to Zimmerman’s (2000) Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) model, emotional self-management is a core component of successful learning behaviors, closely intertwined with cognitive and metacognitive skills. Furthermore, Pekrun’s (2006) Control-Value Theory highlights that students’ perceptions of control over academic tasks and the value they assign to those tasks directly influence their emotional experiences and subsequent learning outcomes.

In parallel, teacher support has been identified as a protective factor in promoting emotional security within classroom environments. Hamre and Pianta (2005) argue that emotionally responsive teaching practices foster student engagement, emotional resilience, and academic persistence. A psychologically safe classroom environment, characterized by empathy, encouragement, and flexibility, can buffer the adverse effects of academic stress and enhance students' emotional regulation capacities.

Despite substantial theoretical advancements, empirical research examining the interconnected roles of emotional regulation, stress triggers, and teacher support in real-time university classroom experiences remains limited, particularly in the context of non-Western societies such as Mongolia. This study addresses this gap by exploring emotional stressors, regulation strategies, and perceptions of teacher support among Mongolian university students. By integrating theoretical frameworks and empirical findings, the study aims to contribute to the growing body of research on emotional well-being in higher education and to provide practical recommendations for fostering emotionally supportive learning environments.

Literature Review

The emotional landscape of university students has become increasingly complex due to multifaceted societal pressures. Beiter et al. (2015) revealed that academic overload, financial concerns, and social isolation are primary contributors to heightened stress levels among college students. A global study by Aristovnik et al. (2020) during the COVID-19 pandemic further emphasized that over 65 % of students reported significant emotional distress, regardless of geographic location. Particularly, living away from home in university dormitories has been associated with increased feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and reduced emotional resilience (Sharma & Sharma, 2015). For many first-year students, the transition to dormitory life marks a critical emotional adjustment phase. These factors make emotional regulation an essential skill for academic survival.

Gross (2002) defines emotional regulation as the ability to influence one’s emotional responses, involving strategies such as cognitive reappraisal, attentional deployment, and response modulation. According to Zimmerman’s (2000) Self-Regulated Learning model, emotional control is a fundamental component of successful learning behaviors alongside cognitive and motivational processes. Pekrun’s (2006) Control-Value Theory also highlights the reciprocal relationship between emotional experiences, academic control perceptions, and task valuation. These models collectively emphasize the importance of active emotional management for academic success.

Supportive teaching practices significantly enhance students’ emotional well-being and academic performance. Hamre and Pianta (2005) argue that emotional support from teachers—including encouragement, empathy, and responsiveness—creates a psychologically safe learning environment that buffers students against stressors. When students perceive their teachers as emotionally supportive, they are more likely to engage, persevere, and self-regulate their emotional responses.

Effective emotional regulation strategies, such as mindfulness, cognitive restructuring, and seeking social support, have been linked to better academic performance and mental health (Boekaerts, 2011; Gross & John, 2003). However, many students still rely on maladaptive strategies like suppression and avoidance, exacerbating emotional distress. Systematic training in emotional regulation within university settings remains limited, particularly in non-Western educational contexts.

While substantial theoretical and empirical work exists on emotional regulation and academic stress, few studies have investigated these dynamics within real-time classroom contexts, particularly among students living apart from their families. Moreover, the role of teacher emotional support in mitigating stress among dormitory-residing students remains underexplored. This study addresses these gaps by integrating theoretical frameworks with empirical findings from Mongolian university students, aiming to enhance emotional resilience in higher education.

Methods

The study surveyed 46 undergraduate studentsfrom a major university in Mongolia. Among them, 41 (89.1 %) were femaleand 5 (10.9 %) were male . The majority of the participants ( 84.8 % ) were between 18 and 19 years old , indicating that most were first-year students undergoing a major life transition.

Regarding living arrangements, a significant proportion ( 47.8 % ) of students reported living in university dormitories, while34.8 % r esided at home with their families, and the remaining participants lived independently. The predominance of dormitory residency highlights the relevance of examining emotional stress and regulation strategies among students separated from familial support structures. Research suggests that dormitory living may amplify emotional challenges by reducing immediate access to familiar social support, potentially exacerbating academic stress (Sharma & Sharma, 2015).

A structured self-report questionnaire was developed for this study, comprising three major sections:

1. Demographic Information: Age, gender, place of residence (home, dormitory, independent living)

2. Emotion Regulation and Stress Scale: 30 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree) measuring:

— Academic stress triggers

— Emotion regulation strategies

— Perceptions of teacher emotional support

3. Open-Ended Questions: Students were invited to describe situations that caused emotional stress and strategies they employed to manage emotions in class.

The survey items were informed by established theoretical models, including Gross’s (2002) Process Model of Emotion Regulation and Zimmerman’s (2000) Self-Regulated Learning model.

The survey was administered online through Google Forms. Participation was voluntary, and students were informed about the confidentiality and anonymity of their responses. No identifying information was collected. After preliminary data cleaning, 46 fully completed responses were retained for analysis.

Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations) were calculated to summarize demographic and emotional regulation data. Reliability analyses using Cronbach’s Alpha assessed the internal consistency of scale measures. Finally, Pearson correlation coefficientswere computed to examine relationships between stress triggers, emotion regulation strategies, and perceptions of teacher support. Open-ended responses were analyzed thematically to supplement quantitative findings with qualitative insights.

Results

The results indicate that stress triggers were moderately high (M = 3.59, SD = 0.89), suggesting that students experience considerable emotional tension in their academic environments. Factors such as assignment overload, group presentations, and fear of being called upon contributed significantly to stress levels.

Table 1

Descriptive statistics for the main study variables.

Self-perception scores (M = 3.47, SD = 0.87) reflected moderate emotional vulnerability, revealing that many students experience nervousness, self-doubt, and emotional overwhelm during class sessions.

Emotion regulation strategies were moderately employed (M = 3.16, SD = 1.02), indicating that although students are aware of self-regulation techniques such as deep breathing or reframing thoughts, these strategies are not consistently utilized. The high standard deviation suggests substantial variability among students in their application of regulation skills.

Interestingly, teacher and classroom support received the highest mean score (M = 3.96, SD = 0.84), underscoring the vital role of teachers in fostering emotionally supportive learning environments.

Reliability Analysis (Cronbach’s Alpha)

Cronbach’s Alpha values across the thematic groups were notably low. Negative or very low Alpha scores suggest that the grouped items were highly heterogeneous, possibly measuring multiple underlying constructs rather than a single cohesive factor. For instance, «stress triggers» ranged from fear of group work to assignment overload, indicating distinct emotional reactions rather than a unified stress experience.

Table 2

Reliability analysis

This result aligns with previous research indicating that emotional stress among university students is multifaceted and context-specific (Beiter et al., 2015).

Table 3

Provides the Pearson correlation coefficients among the study variables

The weak negative correlation between stress triggers and emotion regulation strategies (r = -0.26) suggests that students who more actively used emotional regulation strategies reported experiencing slightly less stress. Although the correlation is weak, it aligns with Gross’s (2002) emotion regulation theory, emphasizing that cognitive and behavioral strategies can buffer emotional distress. The extremely low correlations between teacher support and stress/self-perception indicate that while teacher support is perceived positively, it alone may not be sufficient to neutralize the complex personal and situational stressors students face.

Thematic Analysis of Open-Ended Responses

Analysis of open-ended survey responses revealed several dominant themes:

— Teacher Encouragement and Support: Many students mentioned that kind words, patience, and understanding from teachers significantly reduced their anxiety and boosted classroom engagement.

— Peer Relationships: Strong peer connections, including having supportive friends in class, were identified as critical emotional buffers against stress and loneliness.

— Academic Overload: Assignment pile-up, particularly before exams, was the most frequently cited source of emotional overwhelm, confirming the high stress trigger scores.

— Dormitory Living: Students living in dormitories (47.8 %) reported feeling more isolated and emotionally vulnerable compared to those living at home, aligning with findings by Sharma & Sharma (2015).

— Self-Regulation Strategies: Positive coping methods, such as deep breathing, mindfulness, and cognitive reframing, were mentioned by a minority of students, suggesting room for improvement in promoting emotional regulation skills.

These qualitative insights not only reinforce the quantitative results but also provide practical directions for future emotional support programs.

Discussion

This study investigated emotional stress, regulation strategies, and the role of teacher support among Mongolian university students, offering both theoretical and empirical insights into classroom emotional balance. Several critical themes emerged from the findings that align with, and extend, existing scholarship on student emotional well-being.

The open-ended responses reinforced this quantitative finding, with many students citing academic pressure as the most intense source of emotional distress. Moreover, the observation that students living in dormitories reported heightened emotional vulnerability aligns with Sharma and Sharma’s (2015) research, which highlights the emotional challenges associated with separation from familial support systems.

The weak negative correlation (r = -0.256) between stress levels and emotion regulation strategies observed in this study is in line with Gross and John’s (2003) findings, emphasizing that better emotion regulation is associated with reduced stress. Nevertheless, the weak magnitude of correlation implies that simply knowing about regulation strategies may not be sufficient; skillful application and habitual use are equally important.

Teacher and classroom support received high ratings, suggesting that students appreciate empathetic, flexible, and emotionally responsive teaching practices. This finding corroborates Hamre and Pianta’s (2005) assertion that teacher emotional support fosters psychological safety, academic engagement, and resilience. However, the lack of strong correlation between teacher support and stress levels suggests that while supportive teachers contribute to a positive atmosphere, they cannot fully neutralize external stressors such as academic demands and personal transitions (e.g., moving to a dormitory).

This underscores the multifactorial nature of emotional resilience, highlighting that teacher support, peer relationships, personal coping skills, and institutional policies must all work in concert to sustain student well-being.

The findings point to a clear need for systematic emotional skills training in university curricula. Integrating emotion regulation workshops, mindfulness sessions, and resilience-building programs could significantly enhance students' ability to manage academic and social stress.

Additionally, providing targeted support for dormitory-residing students, such as peer mentoring programs and family engagement initiatives, could mitigate the emotional challenges associated with living away from home.

Teachers should be encouraged to maintain emotionally supportive practices while universities must recognize that broader structural changes are necessary to truly address student stress.

While this study provides valuable insights, several limitations must be acknowledged:

— The sample size (N=46) limits the generalizability of the findings.

— All participants were drawn from a single cultural and institutional context, which may not reflect broader populations.

— The reliance on self-reported data may introduce bias.

Future research should involve longitudinal designs, diverse sampling, and mixed-method approaches to deepen understanding of emotional balance dynamics across different educational and cultural settings.

Conclusion

This study explored the emotional balance of Mongolian university students within stressful academic environments, integrating theoretical models and empirical data to analyze emotional stressors, regulation strategies, and the role of teacher support.

The findings revealed that students experience moderate-to-high levels of academic stress, particularly linked to assignment overload, performance anxiety, and classroom evaluations. Teacher and classroom support were perceived positively, emphasizing the crucial role educators play in fostering emotionally supportive learning environments. However, the weak correlation between teacher support and stress levels indicates that broader systemic interventions are required to address the multifactorial nature of student emotional well-being.

Living apart from family, particularly in dormitory settings, emerged as an additional vulnerability factor that may amplify emotional distress. Therefore, university policies should prioritize not only academic excellence but also psychological resilience, emotional skill-building, and supportive campus environments.

Future research should consider larger and more diverse student populations, longitudinal designs, and intervention-based studies to better understand and strengthen emotional regulation capacities among university students worldwide.

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