Fear of Covid-19 and perceived academic safety: the buffering role of personal resources

Abstract

Purpose

The study investigates the moderating effect of personal resources, including optimism and resilience, on the link between fear of Covid-19 and perceptions of academic safety among university students in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 618 students took part in the research by completing an online self-reported questionnaire. The respondents were chosen using a simple random sample method. The data was processed and analysed using IBM SPSS version 24 and SEM-PLS, respectively.

Findings

Results reveal fear of Covid-19 positively influence students' perception of academic safety. Furthermore, both resilience and optimism mitigate the impact of fear of Covid-19 on students' perceptions of academic safety.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine personal resources as a moderator between fear of Covid-19 and students' perceptions of academic safety. Practical and theoretical implications are added to the text.

Citation

Azila-Gbettor, E.M., Mensah, C. and Agbodza, M. (2023), "Fear of Covid-19 and perceived academic safety: the buffering role of personal resources", International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 37 No. 3, pp. 541-557. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-04-2022-0159