Academic Stress and Performance of School Students: A Study of Banepa Muncipality

Academic stress is a common psychological issue among school and college students. Stress and anxiety among the students caused by academics is potential to affect their physical and mental health, and their performances. Despite its adverse impacts on the psycho-social well-being and performance of students, academic stress seems to be less attended and few research and study has been carried out on it in Nepal’s context. The purpose of this study is to find the prevalence of academic stress and test anxiety level among grade 12 science students, various factors associated with academic stress. The study involves extraction of primary data through questionnaire filling with socio-demographic features, academic stress and test anxiety tools followed by literature review of previous researches and studies on the topic. The rationale behind the study is to bring awareness among the students, guardians, teachers, and key persons in the education system about the factors, situational education system, and social context that are causing academic stress and test anxiety among students. Academic stress and test anxiety level of 173 students (F=100, M=73) studying science faculty in grade 12 were measured. Though the study found a high level of academic stress and test anxiety, examining the significance, academic stress was not associated with sibling status, birth order, parental education, performance category of students. Except for test anxiety level which was found to be associated with gender and weak positive correlation between academic stress and test anxiety level was observed.