Executive Function and Stressed College Students: A Phenomenological Study to Inform Instructional Design

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe college student stress experiences that impact executive function (EF) and cognition at one community college in California. The conceptual framework guiding this study was cognition and executive function concepts that are impacted by the stressed learning experience. The central research question asked: What was the lived experience of EF deficits for stressed college students when learning content from instructional design (ID)? The methodology employed a qualitative phenomenological study that sampled 13 college students who self-identified as experiencing stress during the learning cycle. The research was conducted via the Internet and Confer Zoom within one California community college. Data collection included a writing prompt, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group. The analysis approach employed Moustakas’ (1994) modification of Van Kaam’s data analysis through detailed descriptions of the stress impact on the learning lived experiences. The results provided rich descriptions of participant stress occurrences affecting EF and information processing, compounded by ID impact and conflicting learner preferences.