## 4 Discussion
However, [PERSON] emphasizes that reflective practice must be continuous to adapt pedagogical strategies to changing contexts, and this study does not explore in depth how teachers adapt their methods based on feedback [55]. The factors identified for academic stress (deadline management, workload, and perception of teacher support) reflect the dimensions of academic stress found in studies such as those of [PERSON], who noted that academic stress stems from various sources, such as workload and teacher expectations [76]. In a further previous study, 50% of participants were stressed by short turnaround times on academic assignments [77]. Another study showed that 41.5% of those surveyed presented moderate stress, the frequent causes being the short time to complete tasks and exams, and in the face of this, they presented permanent tiredness, drowsiness, and listlessness [78]. Another study found that more than 50% of students present a moderate level of academic stress, which is produced by fear of failure, family pressure, changes in eating habits, and new responsibilities in college, among others [79]. Meanwhile, the results of a survey indicated that 60% of respondents had a moderate level of academic stress, while 35.9% had a severe level, which were due to the short times given to complete work, the overload of tasks, the exams, the demanding teacher, the lack of clarity on the tasks, and the frequent use of technology, which affected the health of the respondents [80]. Other results indicated that 47.1% of participants had high levels of academic stress, while 37.8% had moderate levels of stress; it was also detected that women had higher levels of stress, and likewise, the participants who are between 16 and 25 years old had higher levels of stress [81]. In another study, it was found that the causes of academic stress were the teachers' evaluations, the large amount of homework, the time given to complete it, the lack of understanding of the subjects in class, and the attitude and character of the teacher [82]. Similarly, another study--where the average age of the respondents was 21 years old--found that 96.32% of the respondents had academic stress, 66.94% of whom experienced this at the moderate level. The elements that made them stressed most frequently were the way teachers evaluated them and their formative practices [83]. The findings of this study align with and are further enriched by recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) applications in educational settings, particularly in addressing academic stress. The systematic review _Integrating Artificial Intelligence to Assess Emotions in Learning Environments_[84] highlights the potential of AI-driven tools to assess students' emotional states in real-time, providing opportunities for adaptive and personalized support. Incorporating such technologies into virtual learning environments could complement the teaching practices identified in this study, offering proactive interventions to mitigate stress and improve engagement. Similarly, a study emphasizes the effectiveness of integrating IoT-enabled AI systems for recognizing stress and emotional responses in students. These systems can enhance teacher-student interactions and collaboration by enabling more responsive and empathetic virtual environments, aligning with the dimensions of interaction and support validated in the structural equation model [85]. Additionally, another study demonstrates the transformative role of AI in promoting efficient workload management and reducing stress levels. AI-driven solutions, such as automated scheduling and intelligent tutoring systems, can directly address mediators of academic stress identified in this study, such as overload and resource adequacy, by optimizing task distribution and providing tailored academic resources [86]. These studies collectively underscore the potential of AI to bridge gaps in virtual education by enhancing emotional recognition, optimizing the workload, and providing personalized learning experiences.