A STUDY ON ACADEMIC STRESS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES IN MATHEMATICS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

Academic stress is multidimensional in nature influencing behavioural, emotional and cognitive responses of students to demands of education and students at school levels are facing heavy pressure from different sources for attaining higher level of achievement in their academic activities. Academic stress is a major prevalent issue among secondary school students and adversely impacting their physical, mental and social well beings and is mainly affecting their learning outcomes. Academic stress is directly obstructing focus, decreasing cognitive abilities and increasing anxiety and burnout which are significantly influencing learning outcomes of secondary school students. The results explicate that significant difference is seen in academic stress and type of school, father’s education and mother’s education. Academic stress of Secondary School Students is having significant, negative and moderate relation with their learning outcomes in mathematics. Hence, Secondary Schools should create pleasurable and favourable atmosphere through which Secondary School Students easily reaching out to mentor for free discussion and counseling for reducing their academic stress. Parents must help their Secondary School Students for avoiding over commitment to school and extracurricular works. Secondary Schools should teach effective stress management techniques to their Secondary School Students to reduce their academic stress and then increase their learning outcomes in mathematics. Besides, Secondary School Students must sleep 8–10 hours daily and they should use planner for tracking deadlines for practical work and examination dates and learn mathematics in calm and distraction free atmosphere and these measures will increase their learning outcomes in mathematics.