Emotion regulation and gender as the key predictors of academic stress among STEM students in Islamic universities

Emotional intelligence (EI) correlates highly with Academic Stress (AS). Given the significance of EI in education and the lack of research on Muslim students in Indonesia, this study explored the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and academic stress (AS) among STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) students in Islamic universities. Wong's Emotional Intelligence Scale (WEIS) and Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents (ESSA) questionnaires were used to evaluate emotional intelligence and educational stress levels. Demographic characteristics such as gender and year of study were also considered. In this cross-sectional survey, 400 students were invited, and 363 completed it, resulting in a response rate of 90.8%. Of all the participants, 204 (56.2%) were female. According to the findings, female students had higher AS levels than male students, and fourth-year students had the lowest AS. The study also revealed a negative correlation between EI and AS, particularly in the male sample. The study suggested that EI and gender can be reliable predictors of lower AS. Therefore, including EI in the STEM education curriculum is recommended to reduce AS among Muslim students.