Exploring Academic Stress among Secondary School Students: A Qualitative Study of Their Experiences and Coping Strategies

Abstract

Academic stress has become an important concern during adolescence because students are expected to manage academic workloads, examinations, parental expectations, teacher expectations, peer relationships, and concerns about their future. Although quantitative studies can indicate the prevalence or level of academic stress, numerical scores alone may not fully explain how students experience stress in their everyday academic lives. The present qualitative study therefore proposes to explore the lived experiences of academic stress among secondary school students and to understand the ways in which they cope with academic pressure. A phenomenological qualitative design will be adopted. Participants will be selected through purposive sampling, and data will be collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The interview data will be analysed thematically to identify recurring patterns, meanings, and experiences. Previous qualitative research among adolescents has identified academic pressure, family expectations, examination performance, school-related demands, peer relationships, and concerns about the future as important sources of stress. Indian qualitative studies have similarly highlighted academic pressure and family-related concerns, while also reporting coping mechanisms such as distraction, acceptance, withdrawal, self-comfort, spirituality, and seeking social support. The proposed study aims to provide a deeper understanding of students’ voices and experiences and to generate educational implications for teachers, parents, counsellors, and schools. The study may contribute to the development of context-sensitive approaches for reducing academic stress and strengthening students’ coping resources.