A STUDY ON ACADEMIC STRESS DUE TO

VIRTUAL LEARNING AMONG HIGHER

SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

A dissertation submitted to Christ College (Autonomous), Irinjalakuda,

Affiliated to the University of Calicut in partial fulfilment of the Degree of

MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK

Specializing In Community Development

Submitted by

BINOY.KP

(REG. NO: CCATMSW005)

Under the Guidance of

Mr. SAIJITH N.S

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORKCHRIST COLLEGE

(AUTONOMOUS),

IRINJALAKUDA

MARCH 2021
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the dissertation entitled “A study on academic stress due to
virtual learning among higher secondary school students” , submitted to Christ
College (Autonomous), Irinjalakuda, Affiliated to the University of Calicut, in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree in Master of
Social Work is a record of original research work done by Mr.BINOY.KP
(Reg.No.CCATMSW005) during the period 2019-2021 under my supervision and
guidance and that this dissertation has not formed the basis for the award of any
Degree / Diploma / Associate ship / Fellowship and or similar title to any candidate
of any University .

Mrs.Rosemary.T.George Mr.Saijith N.S

HOD,Dept.ofSocialWork Guide and Supervisor

Signature of External Examiner

Name of External Examiner

 DECLARATION

I, Mr. BINOY.KP hereby declare that the dissertation entitled “A study on

academic stress due to virtual learning among higher secondary school
students”, submitted to Christ College (Autonomous), Irinjalakuda, Affiliated to
the University of Calicut, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of
the Degree in Master of Social Work is a record of original research work done by
Mr. BINOY.KP (Reg.No. CCASMSW005) during the period 2019-2021 under
the supervision and guidance of Mr. Saijith N.S Assistant Professor, Department
of Social Work , Christ College (Autonomous), Irinjalakuda, and has not formed
the basis for the award of any Degree / Diploma / Associate ship / Fellowship and
or similar title to any candidate of any University .

BINOY.KP

Place: Irinjalakuda

Date:
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This project has been made successful by sincere effort of a lot of people without
whom this venture would not have been possible. I would like to thank all of them.

I would like to thank Rev. Fr. Jolly Andrews Principal, Christ College
(Autonomous), Irinjalakuda, for providing such a platform for Executing and
approving the project proposal.

I wish to express my gratitude to the head of the department,

Mrs.Rosemary.T.George for their valuable suggestions, support
during the course of the study.

I would like to thank my research guide, Mr. Saijith N.S, who kindly
supervised and gave me the excellent suggestion, guidance and encouragement all
the time during my project work which helped me in conceptualizing and
completing this endeavor. I wish to express my sincere and humble gratitude to all
respondents of the study who had been kind enough to permit me to pursue this
project.

Above all, I humbly solicit the God Almighty’s blessing and I am always
thankful for the strength and presence of mind showered upon me for completing
this work successfully.

BINOY.KP
 CONTENTS

SL NO CHAPTER PAGE NO :

1 INTRODUCTION

2 REVIEW OF LITRRATURE

3 RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY

4 DATA ANALYSIS AND

INTERPRETATIONS

5 FINDINGS, SUGGESTIONS
& CONCLUSIONS

6 BIBLIOGRAPHY

7 APPENDIX
 LIST OF TABLES

SL NO TABLE PAGE NO:

1 Table 4.1 Gender

2 Table 4. 2 Experience in using

virtual platform

3 Table 4. 3 The Network issues

and other technical problems
in online education
 LIST OF FIGURES

SL NO FIGURE PAGE
NO :
1 Figure 4.1 Economic status

2 Figure 4. 2 Gender

3 Figure 4.3 Experience in using

virtual platform

4 Figure 4.4 Duration of online

class

5 Figure 4.5 Mode of virtual

learning

6 Figure 4.6 The Network issues

and other technical problems
in online education

7 Figure 4.7 Study materials

provided by teacher

8 Figure 4.8Virtual learning

provided by school

9 Figure 4.9 Facilities of virtual

learning in home

10 Figure 4.10 Difficulties due to

less face to face interaction

11 Figure 4.11 Extra-curricular

activities during virtual
learning

12 Figure 4.12 Level of academic

stress
 CHAPTER I:

INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Higher education faces important challenges in the process of transforming learning
models to satisfy new demands. Compared with other student groups, such as
primary school students and middle school students, the traditional view is that
college students bear more pressure and have more serious physical and mental
health problems It must be considered that quality teaching and learning processes
in higher education are practically unthinkable without the use of technology The
closure of schools, universities and educational institutions across , and
maintaining social distancing as a preventive and precautionary measure against
COVID-19, have all changed the mode of teaching from a conventional
standard system to a virtual and online framework. Such a quick and sudden shift
in the educational system might cause intense stress on students. Higher secondary
school education is a very important turning point in the academic life of the
individual Secondary education occupies a very strategic position in the educational
pattern of the country. It is the link between primary education and higher
education. Primary education is intended to provide minimum requirements for
survival whereas secondary education enables an individual to become full
members of the complicated society. After independence our country achieved
great remarkable changes in the field of secondary education. The Government of
India, Soon after attainment of independence appointed a number of committees
and commissions to review the system of secondary education.

Senior Secondary School education

Senior Secondary Education in India is of only 2 years. There is uniformity on this
level of education in terms of duration and classes i.e. all the States/UTs follow this
10+2 pattern. Senior Secondary Schools in India include classes 11th to 12th.
Consisting students aged between 16-18 years. At this level of education students
have the freedom to choose their preferred stream and subjects. They can pursue
Arts, Commerce, and Science (medical &non-medical). The schools which provide
education up till 12th class are commonly known as Senior Secondary Schools or
Higher Secondary Schools. Some universities and colleges also offer the education
of these classes

School education in India is provided by various academic boards with their

presence at national and state level. There are three national boards in our country
namely Central board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Council for the Indian
School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) and National Institute of Open Schooling
(NIOS) The CBSE is a national education board with 21,271 schools in India and
228 schools in 25 foreign countries affiliated to it. There are 1,138
KendriyaVidyalayas (KVs), 3,011 Government/Aided schools, 16,741 independent
schools, 595 JawaharNavodayaVidyalayas and 14 Central Tibetan schools as on
May 1, 2019. CBSE conducts board exams for 10th and 12th classes in
February/March every year. The Board conducts examinations for regular as well
as private students. Candidates who wish to pursue schooling in a distance mode
can apply for admissions and sit for exams

CISCE is a privately held national-level board of school education in India that

conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and the Indian
School Certificate (ISC) examinations for Class 10th and Class 12th respectively.
It was established in 1958. Over 2,100 schools in India and abroad are affiliated to
the CISCE.

NIOS is the board of education under the Union Government of India (GoI). It was
established by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) of the GoI
in 1989 to provide education to all segments of society under the motive to increase
literacy and aimed forward for flexible learning

Aims and Objectives of Secondary Education:

Various committees have given their valuable suggestions regarding the aim and
objectives of secondary education after independence.

Aims of secondary education according to secondary education commission (1952-

53):

1. To bring all round development among the learner.

2. To train the young mass of the country to be good citizens who will be competent
to play their part effectively in the social and economic development of the country.

3. To promote social virtues, intellectual development and practical skills of

students.

4. To Train character of students to enable them to participate creatively as citizens

in the emerging social order.

5. To improve practical and vocational efficiency of the students.

6. To develop a scientific attitude of mind to think objectively.

7. To inculcate the qualities necessary for living harmoniously and efficiently with
one’s fellowmen.
8. To develop artistic and cultural interests which are essential for self-expression
and development of all round personality of the student

Objectives of secondary education according to Indian Education Commission

(1964-66):

1. The main objective is “national reconstruction by raising the standard of living

of our people.”

2. The education is to meet the needs of a modernizing democratic and socialistic

society.

3. It would promote productivity.

4. It would strengthen social and national integration.

5. It would consolidate democracy to adopt as a way of life.

6. It would accelerate the pace of modernization.

7. It would enable students to participate in productive work in school, home,

workshop, form and factory etc.

8. It would develop social, moral and spiritual values among the students.

As per the recommendations of Indian Education commission, education was

reconstructed for the economic and cultural development of the country.
Importance was given on qualitative development of secondary education by
relating education with the real-life situations of the students. The NPE, 1986 and
the Revised NPE, 1992 have discussed about the aims and objectives of education
in general out of which some are relevant to secondary education.

1. Secondary education is meant essentially for all round development, material and
spiritual.

2. It develops manpower for different levels of the economy, ultimately promoting

self-reliance.

3. It develops a sense of good citizenship among the learners.

4. It would inculcate democratic values, rights and duties in a democratic set up

among the students.

5. It would strengthen the “whole world as one family” view and motivates, the
younger generations for international co-operation and peaceful co-existence.
6. It should provide equality of educational opportunity for all not only in access,
but also in the conditions for success.

7. It would inculcate in children scientific temper and independence of mind.

8. Minimum Levels of Learning (MLL) would be laid down and steps need by taken
for fostering among students an understanding of a diverse cultural and social
systems of the people.

9. It enables to develop physical health through physical education among the

students.

Stress
Stress is a word derived from the Latin word stringere, meaning to draw tight, and
was used in the seventeenth century to describe hardship and affliction. Stress is
any situation that evokes negative thoughts and feelings in a person. The same
situation is not evocative or stressful for all people and all people do not experience
the same negative thoughts and feelings when stressed. One model that is useful in
understanding stress among students is Person -Environment Model (PEM).
According to one variation of this model, stressful events can be appraised by an
individual as "challenging" or "threatening" (Lazarus, 1996). When students
appraise their education is seen as a threat, however, stress can elicit feelings of
helplessness and a foreboding sense of loss. A critical issue concerning stress
among students is its effect of learning. The postulates (Yerkes - Dodson Low,
1908; cited in Whitman, 1985) that individuals under low and high stress learn the
least and laboratory tests support the notion that excessive stress is harmful to
student's Pressure Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the government around the world
has closed all the educational institutions to control the spread of disease, which is
creating a direct impact on students, educators and institutions. The sudden shift
from the physical classroom to virtual space is creating a disruption among students.
The purpose of this study was to analyze the perception of academic stress
experienced by students during current online education the government around the
world has closed all the educational institutions, to control the spread of disease,
considering the safety of students, educators and all associated people. There is a
severe short-term disruption that has been felt by families across the globe. Home
education has brought a lot of shocks not only to students but also to their parents'
productivity (Burges and Sievertsen, 2020). As now teaching has moved from
physical to virtual classrooms at “untested and unprecedented” level (Burges and
Sievertsen, 2020), parents have to spend more time monitoring their children and
motivating them to continue education. Across the globe, this closure is impacting
more than 90% of the world's student population
It is important to note that stress can have both positive and negative effects on
people. It means that stress may be a normal, adaptive reaction to threat. Its role is
to signal and prepare individuals to take defensive action. Take for instance, fear of
things that present realistic threats motivates individuals to deal with them or avoid
them. Most psychologists assert that moderate stress motives individuals to achieve
and fuels creativity, although stress may hinder individuals from performance on
difficult tasks (Auerbach& Grambling 1998). Auerbach and Grambling (1998)
argue that stress can leads to serious problems if it is not managed effectively.
Moreover, when a person is exposed to chronic stress, she or he is likely to
experience both physical illness (including heart disease), and mental illness (e.g.,
anxiety disorders). The field of Health Psychology focuses in part, on how stress
affects bodily functioning and on how people can use stress management techniques
to prevent or minimize disease (Grambling and Auerbach 1998). Stress can be
imposed on an individual by unusual physical condition such as excessive heat or
cold, illness, deprivation of oxygen, or exposure to strong light. Standing at
attention a long time, climbing a mountain, or continuous immersion in water can
also place strong demands for adaptation on the individual. There has been nearly
complete closure to schools, universities and colleges in an attempt to reduce the
spread of corona virus. It has negative as well as positive impact on the education
sector. The positive impacts are.

➢ Shift to Online Education- there is a shift from face to face learning to online
learning .this requires the teachers and students to become techno savvy. Education
has changed dramatically as there has been a rise in e-learning whereby teaching is
taken remotely and on online platforms.

➢ Improvement in Learning Material- There is a great opportunity for schools,

colleges and universities to explore more learning materials due to rise in blended
learning. It has pushed the teachers to find new ways to provide quality education
to the learners.

➢ Rise in Collaborative Work-due to COVID-19 there is a new opportunity where

collaborative teaching and learning can take new forms and can be monetized. The
large number of academic meeting, conferences and meetings take place online.
May be in future new online conferencing platforms will emerge as a business
model. Challenges in Education Sector amid COVID-19

➢ Passive Learning by Students – Due to pandemic. there is a sudden shift to online

learning without planning especially in the county like India where the backbone of
online education was not ready, even the curriculum is not designed in such a way.
Due to which students have turned into passive learners and lost interest in studies
due to low attention span.

➢ Unprepared teachers for online teaching- Online teaching are a methodology and
all the teachers are not trained to deal with it or are not least not ready for this shift
to online teaching from face to face learning. Education plays a vital role in an
individual’s life and is also a turning point in their academic life. At this stage, the
academic performance of a student plays a crucial role in deciding the next stage of
their education which in turn shapes their career. At excess of academic stage during
any stage can result in adverse effect that are far reaching and prolonged.

Academic stress can be defined as anxiety or stress that mainly develops from
schooling and educational conditions. Academic stress among students has
increased due to transformation in mode of classes and examinations. Stress can be
viewed as negative, emotional and cognitive, behavioral and psychological process
that occurs as a person tries to adjust to or deal with stressors. (Bernstein et al 2008).
Auerbach and Grambling (1998) regard stress as an unpleasant stage of emotional
and psychological arousal that individuals experience in the situations that they
perceive as dangerous or threatening to their well-being. There can be different
reasons for academic stress among students; parents have high expectation from
their children can as cause academic stress. According to the data published by
national crime records bureau, there is one student every hour commits suicide.
Academic pressure has increased over the past few years; there are examinations,
assignments and many other activities that a student has to shuffle through. Not
only the design but teachers and parents also burden the students with a lot of
pressure of getting good grades. These expectations make the students work
relentlessly and end up in creating more stress. With academics, the parents and the
institutions want the students to participate in extracurricular activities too; the
current expectations from the students are to be an all-rounder. Lack of proper
channels for counseling leads to more confusion and the students are unable to
choose a career

Factors Affecting Academic Stress

In today’s era, competition has increased rapidly, thus creating stress among
students especially stress related to academics. There many reasons that leads to
academic stress among college students.

➢ Examinations cause a lot of pressure and stress among students that affect the
performance Heavy workload is also a major source of stress.
➢ Students with poor organization skills also face difficulty in managing their
academic tasks resulting into development of stress.
➢ Lack of support from peers, parents and teachers.
➢ Long duration of exams.
➢ Lack of physical exercise.
➢ Lack of Extracurricular activities.
➢ Mismatch between student’s capacity and academic work load

➢ Incapacity to deal with rapid transformations in academic field.

Academic performance is mainly a function of students’ study habits referring to

the Academic performance is mainly a function of students’ study habits referring
to the student’s way of study whether systematic, efficient or inefficient (Abid,
2006)

Online learning is a wide aspect of technology which includes web, email,

classrooms, audio and video conferencing through computer or mobile networks
for gaining new knowledge and ideas. Online learning gives opportunities for self-
learning according to the preference of the learner or the student. The Internet has
made online learning possible, and many researchers and educators are interested
in online learning to enhance and improve student learning outcomes while
combating the reduction in resources, particularly in higher education (Farinella,
Hobbs, & Weeks, 2000; Kim & Bonk, 2006; Pape, 2010). For a better learning one
need a good online platform, effective resources, careful planning, and great deal
of sources. Here, teacher acts as a facilitator rather than distributors of content
knowledge. It provides a better understanding between a teacher and a student.
Students can also maintain a good teacher learner relationship from different places
at different times. Teachers should be well trained in information technologies and
internet facilities for providing knowledge through virtual classrooms. Most authors
(Benson, 2002; Carliner, 2004; Conrad, 2002, Ally, 2004) define online learning in
terms of the access to learning experiences but also on the potential for flexibility
and participant interaction. Khan (1997) defined online learning as the delivery of
instruction to a remote audience using the Web as an intermediary
Challenges of Online Learning

Though online learning provides lots of opportunities it has some challenges too.
Excess use of technology, lack of careful planning and implementation are some of
the challenges. Poor communication, feeling isolated, Lack of motivation, Lack of
quality, Poor accessibility in remote areas is some of the challenges faced by the
students during online learning.

1. Poor communication
In online learning one can't establish a bond between Student and teacher due to the
lack of face to face interaction. Research conducted by the International Review of
Research in open and Distance Learning suggests that online learning can create
misunderstandings between student and the teacher which may have detrimental
effect on the teaching learning process and student’s outcomes due to
misinterpretation of tasks.

2. Feeling Isolated
Tim S. Roberts and Joanne M. Mclnnerney, stress the importance of interacting
with fellow learners, citing learners' feelings of isolation as a definite drawback of
online learning. Due to advancement of technology in modern era, Social
development of a child has taken a back seat. Students remain in touch with their
online friends sitting at far off places through whatapp, Instagram& Facebook but
fail to meet and consider a person sitting just next door to them. This tendency leads
to a feeling of isolation. Gradually the student’s loss their interest in social gathering
and develop a non-friendly attitude towards society.

3. Lack of motivation
Students lack motivation while learning online because they easily get distracted
towards any other thing. Working at their own pace becomes a disadvantage for
students who have difficulty with time management and a tendency of
procrastination. These students get more care and become successful with the
structure of traditional learning. Lack of encouragement from friends and teachers
make them less enthusiastic in studies.

4. Lack of quality
Online Learning sometimes results in lack of quality in teaching learning process.
Galusha (1991) says that non-online faculty has problems with respect to the
credibility of online courses. Too often, online instructors don't take their lesson
preparations as seriously as they could, and this lack of commitment surely has a
 profound and negative effect on the quality of online learning. The materials
available through various blogs and YouTube channels lack adequate information
needed for the online learner

5. Poor accessibility in Remote Areas

Hardware, software and connectivity facilities are pre requisites that enable online
teaching and learning. In the absence of anyone of these, Online learning cannot
achieve its objective Some people do not have ready access to a computer and
internet connection, and some who do have the required equipment feel ill equipped
to use it.

Not all students have the necessary knowledge, skills and resources
to keep themselves safe online. Spending more time on virtual platforms can leave
children vulnerable to online sexual exploitation.

➢ Learners from low-income families and disadvantaged groups are the more likely
to suffer during online learning as they may not afford high-speed internet
connection and required technical gadgets. It widens gap between privileged and
unprivileged learners. It may lead to laziness with some students being at their home
and may lack self-discipline.

➢ The atmosphere of a face-to-face meeting is lost. Interpersonal relationship between

students and teachers or between students may hamper.

➢ the security of personal data may be compromise as one can hack the digital devices
without latest software updates and antivirus programs

Therefore, excessive stress during higher school education stage could results in
increased prevalence of psychological problems like depression and nervousness,
which could ultimately have negative impact on the outcome of the achievements
(Waghacharve, et al, 2013). Academic stress is mental distress with respect to some
anticipated frustration associated with academic failure or even unawareness to the
possibility of such failure. Students have to face many academic burden/loads, for
example, school examination, answering questions in the class, showing progress
in school subjects. Understanding what the teacher is teaching, competing with
other class mates, fulfilling teachers and parent’s academic expectations (Lal,
2014). These demands may tax or exceed available resources of the students. As a
consequence, they can be under stress, since the demand is related to achievement
of an academic goal. So, academic related to the achievement of an academic goal.
Academic Stress is an important factor accounting for variation in academic
achievement. It also contributes to major mental health hazards, problems both
physical and mental stress related diseases. Stress makes a significant contribution
to the prediction of subsequent student performance and act as a negative predictor
of academic performance of student. With this background, an attempt has been
made in this paper to review the literature on academic stress among higher
secondary school in relation to certain variables

Virtual learning: an unfamiliar terrain

While the majority of schools and colleges have transitioned to online delivery of
classes and evaluation to avoid the disruption of educational services, the digital
platform still remains uncharted territory for majority of people in a low-middle
income country such as India. The internet penetration in India is making steady
inroads into urban as well as rural areas, and approximately 73.3% of the country’s
population is said to be connected by mobile phones (Sood et al., 2019), but the
utilization of digital resources especially in mainstream education had remained
virtually unexplored as of now. Secondly dissemination of learning through a digital
portal would require access to a laptop/computer for the students, which given the
disparity amongst the socio-economic strata, remains unattainable for students
belonging to low-income groups. According to National Sample Survey, 2017-18,
24% of households have an internet facility and only 8% of all households with
members aged between five and 24 have both a computer and an internet connection
(Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, 2017–2018). This disparity
of access becomes a harbinger of academic stress in students who would find
themselves unable to avail online classes or submit their assignments, thus falling
behind their peers in their curriculum. This has led to reports of symptoms of
depression, anxiety, and in severe cases suicidal attempts in children and
adolescents triggered by academic stress and apprehensions regarding future
(Fegert et al., 2020). Recently a 15-year-old girl died by suicide after being unable
to access online classes from her village (Naha, 2020). In a similar incident, a 50-
year old farmer died by suicide after being unable to buy a smartphone for her
daughter’s online classes (Deb Barman, 2020). Such incidents highlight the severity
of the psychological ramifications of inability to access basic education because of
socio-economic and geographic barriers. In the absence of adequate social welfare
and policy measures at governmental and institutional levels, this could lead to a
severe mental health crisis amongst the young, further weakening their academic
prospects leading to a vicious cycle of mental disorders, academic
underachievement and poor socio-occupational functioning. On the other hand, for
those who have access to digital learning media, problematic use of technology,
increased gaming, spending more time on social media are also issues of concern
that may emerge requiring intervention. Due to digital inequalities and lack of
access to modern technology, students from lower-income families have limited or
no access to online classes. At the same time, excessive internet cost is another
obstacle to access online-classes. Children with disabilities (CWD) find themselves
at a more disadvantaged situation with the suspension of their educational and
vocational activities in the wake of this pandemic. Children and adolescents with
neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and intellectual disability require
regular occupational, speech and behavior therapy. Most centers for special
education in India are not geared to provide their services through digital platforms
or home-based interventions. "The Internet and higher education” Examining the
relationship among student perception of support, course satisfaction, and learning
outcomes in online learning reveals that Instructional demands, students’ prior
knowledge and skills, and self-directed and self-regulated learning experiences, and
course contexts will affect students’ needs for support in a learning environment.
Teachers also need appropriate mechanisms for addressing technical issues and
problems that students may face in technology-enhanced learning environments.
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The study on academic stress due to virtual learning among higher secondary
school students is a serious and complex phenomenon. The covid-19 outbreak
pawed way for a sudden shift from physical classroom to virtual classrooms. Many
studies have so far conducted in relation with above topic. A brief view of the
studies so far conducted given below

Reddy et al. (2018) in their study concludes that stream wise difference in stress
does exist in students. It is important to deal with stress at personal, social and
institutional level. Remedies such as feedback, yoga, life skills training,
mindfulness, meditation and psychotherapy have been found useful to deal with
stress. To identify the main reason of stress is the key to deal with it. Professionals
can develop tailor made strategies to deal with stress.

Dimitrov (2017) in his study claimed that stress can be addressed by ensuring that
the students give utmost importance to their welfare. Food, exercise, work,
recreation are some of the areas to focus on. He also concluded that the education
system is more to do with the academic qualifications and does not contribute
enough to the holistic development of students. Students are usually conditioned in
a way that makes them fearful to take up upcoming challenges as the focus is only
the academics and not the development of a go getter mentally. There are not many
choices for the medium of education. English being the only option available can
pose as a hindrance for the students from rural background. There are not many
courses available that are employment centric. Fresh graduates need more
communication skills development for better placements.
Subramani and Kadhiravan (2017) revealed the link between academic stress and
mental health among students. He endorsed that academic stress and mental health
are correlated and that students are cramped with the academic structure. Parents
and schools pressurize the student’s way too much for the higher grades that
disheartens the students, further to add on there is not enough support from the
parents and school in terms of guidance. The students are mentally healthy when
they perform constructively in the academic forums. They also propounded that
students from private schools are more pressurized as compared to students from
government schools due to the excess of homework and other academic related
assignments. Significant difference in mental health of students from private and
government schools was found. He asserted that students from private schools have
a different nurturing and vast exposure as compared to government school students
who belong to poor socio-economic background and lack of exposure. This is one
of the reasons for the escalation of stress.
Sharma et al. (2016) in their study stated the use of various methods to curb stress.
Doing one physical exercise on daily basis can address the concern of stress. One
can also adopt to various time management tools and get involved with leisure
activities which can benefit students. Also, it was suggested that colleges should
have a conducive ambience to curtail the stress. Change in the style of delivery from
teachers end and providing mentors can bring fresh air to the teaching style.
Prabu (2015) researched on the higher secondary students and implied that male
students are more stressed than the female students. Urban student’s academic stress
is greater than the rural students. Government school student’s stress is lower than
the private school student’s stress. Students from Science stream are more stressed
than the students from Arts.

Deb et al. (2014), studied on 400 male students from five private secondary schools
in Kolkata who were studying in grades 10 and 12. 35 percent students were found
to have high academic stress and 37 percent were found to have high anxiety levels.
Students with marginal grades were said to have higher level of stress as compared
to students with better grades. Also, students involved with extra-curricular
activities were noted to be more stressed as related to those students who were not
involved with it.

Kaur (2014) acknowledged that mental health of teenagers get affected due to the
academic stress. Girls with academic stress were found to have poor mental health
as compared to the boys. This was accounted on the study that parents at times put
pressure and strain on students that leads to deteriorated mental health.

Bataineh (2013) in his study measured the academic stressors experienced by

students at university. The result of the analyses showed that there is an
unreasonable academic overload, not enough time to study due to the vast course
content being covered, high family expectations and low motivation levels are some
of the reasons for the stress. Fear of failure is also the prime reason for stress. There
was no significant difference found amongst the students from different of
specializations.
Khan and Kausar (2013) concluded that stress definitely impacts the academic
performance in a negative way though no significant difference was found as per
the gender. The difference was evident between junior and senior students. Stress,
for sure, affects the ability to study efficiently and managing the time. Studying
regularly is important, this helps reduce the academic pressure and helps them fulfill
their goals.

Busari (2012) found that stress was leading to depression among secondary school
students and is linked with effect on academic achievement. Introduction to
preventive measures, teaching life skills and other therapeutic techniques should be
taken in to serious consideration.

Nandamuri and Gowthami (2011) studied the stress among students of

professional studies and claimed that curriculum and instructions parameters were
most responsible for stress with 86 percent, followed by 63 percent for placement
related issues, assessment and team work issues accounted for 41 percent and 24
percent respectively. The study further identified various micro issues responsible
for stress, and listed twelve sub issues related to curriculum and instruction. Once
the sub issues of each parameter are identified, it provided improved vision to the
academic administrators for initiating efforts to reduce the gravity of academic
stress.
Agolla (2009) stress has become an important topic in academic circles. Many
philosophers have carried out considerable research on stress and concluded that
this topic needs way more attention.

Radcliff and Lester (2003) studied the anticipated stress among final year
undergraduate students and acknowledged that class assignments, not enough
guidance, pressure to mingle and to get associated were the reasons for the stress to
build up.

McKean et al. (2000) argue that undergraduate students experience higher stress at
expected times in each semester. Academic engagements, financial pressures and
lack of time management skills lead to building up of stress. Excessive stress can
affect well-being, emotional attitude and academic performance. There upon it
becomes essential that undergraduate students establish methods to deal with
stressful situations

Kai-wen (2010) Students at this level may sometimes experience incompatibility

of their mental development with their physical changes or social environment and
thus suffer from problems arising from inadequate adaptation. These problems may
further cause psychological troubles and may even induce deviant behavior. Kai-
wen in his study has also said about factors that influences stress among school
going adolescents such as physiological or mental changes, school factors,
relationship with opposite sex and family environment

Marwan ZaidBataineh (2013) identified academic stress among undergraduate

students: the case of education faculty at King Saud University. This study
investigated the academic stressors experienced by the students at university. A
total sample of 232 subjects participated in this study were obtained from faculty of
education at KSU. Data were collected through self- administered questionnaire
which was randomly distributed to the students during lecture time. Data obtained
were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and analysis of variance
(ANOVA). The result showed that academic overloads, course awkward,
inadequate time to study, workload every semester, exams awkward, low
motivation, and high family expectations were drive moderately stress among
students. It was also found that fear of failure is the major source of stress among
undergraduate students. Moreover, the study found that there were positive
correlation between religiosity sources and academic stress (r= .300**, p=.00).
Lastly, the study found that there were no significant differences in academic stress
among students with different, level of study and specializations.

Rajasekar (2013) Impact of academic stress among the management students of

AMET University – An analysis. The study examined the impact of academic stress
among the management students. Stress management encompasses techniques to
equip a person with effective coping mechanisms for dealing with psychological
stress. Students have different expectations, goals and values that they want to
fulfill, which is only possible if they are integrated with that of the institution. The
objective of the study is to find out the present level of stress, sources of stress and
stress management techniques that would be useful for management students. The
study takes into account various criteria like physical, psychological, individual,
demographical and environmental factors of stress among the management
students. The sample comprises of 100 students of AMET Business School, AMET
University in Chennai. Data was collected through structured questionnaire by
using convenient sampling method.

Tung and Chahal (2005) examined relationship between stress and adjustment and
found no significant causal relationship between stress and the adjustment.
However direction of the results implied that level of adjustment influences the
number of stress full events and amount of stress experienced by them.

Batanieh (2013) examined the university students who face academic stressors.
According to the results of the study, students face academic overload due to lack
of sufficient time to study, family’s over expectations and lower level of motivation.
Out of all, fear of failure was found as prime reason for stress among students.

B.E PozosRadillo et.al (2014) conducted the study to find correlation and
predictive value between stress symptom inventory and academic stress inventory
among college students. The sample comprised of 527 students from a public
university in 2012. The results depicted that classroom intervention, mandatory
work and giving an exam predicts high level of academic stress and females of age
18, 23 and 25 are most likely to face stress.

Kadapatti (2017) conducted a study on academic stress among pre – university

students of Bangalore of both urban and rural areas. The academic stress scale by
BalajiRao (2013) was used to know the academic stress among students. Most of
the students were from age group 17-18years. The sample of equal percentage of
both male and female of PUC studying in arts, commerce and science streams of
both rural and urban areas constituted the sample. Results depicts that academic
stress was more prevalent among females of urban area studying in PUC.

Moawad R.A (2020) in this study the main aim of study is to analyze the academic
stressors by understanding the fears and worries of students of king Suad University
which they are facing during covid-19. During the survey 646 males answered, the
results indicated that highest stress among students was there in the end of the
semester exams and assessments.

Hadipajirionto et.al (2020) has conducted a study to explore relationship between

religiosity to academic stress levels, to explore relationship of teacher with
academic stress levels and to explore parental support to academic stress levels.
Sample was taken from 210 people, results revealed positive and significant
relationship between religiosity, parental support, teacher, school support to
academic stress.

SOOD Neeraja. (2020)in online learning, theory sessions can be organized using
various platforms and using variety of methods and media. It is important to be
creative and innovative and encourage students to participate in sessions and
group activities. Faculty development programs can be undertaken to make the
teachers well-versed in the use of various online platforms and tools.

(Dhawan, 2020) The situation with the COVID-19 outbreak challenged

universities all over the world and compelled them to shift from traditional
learning mode to online teaching and learning overnight. Universities faced
challenges such as accessibility, affordability, flexibility, learning pedagogy,
readiness and quality management.

Martin (2020) stressed on the importance of quality management program and

continuous development for the success of online learning and preparing everyone
to be ready for any interrupted situation.

Misra and Castillo,( 2004) Academic stress emerges out from experiencing stress
due to factors such as scholarship requirements, family-related pressures,
competition in the class and course-related stress and financial burdens,
experienced by students

Indira Dhull and MS. Sakshi in their research paper "ONLINELEARNING"

says that online learning is an excellent option in education, particularly when
there are hindrances to traditional learning situations. For example, some people
wish to continue their formal education but do not live within drivable distance of
a college or university and don't find it feasible to commute daily. With E-learning
environments, students can maintain the teacher learner relationship from
different places at different times. Teachers of E-leaning programs need to be
trained in information technologies and internet in order to be associated with
their students in virtual classrooms. To minimize the negative impact of online
learning, blended learning can be provided at all levels of education.

SibnathDeb, EsbenStrodlandJiandongSun(2012).
Academic-related stress among private secondary school students in India. The
purpose of this study is to examine the prevalence of academic stress and exam
anxiety among private secondary school students in India as well as the associations
with socio-economic and study-related factors. Participants were 400adolescent
students (52 percent male) from five private secondary schools in Kolkata who were
studying in grades 10 and 12. Participants were selected using a multi-stage
sampling technique and were assessed using a study-specific questionnaire.
Findings revealed that 35 and 37 percent reported high or very high levels of
academic stress and exam anxiety respectively. All students reported high levels of
academic stress, but those who had lower grades reported higher levels of stress
than those with higher grades. Students who engaged in extra-curricular activities
were more likely to report exam anxiety than those who did not engage in extra-
curricular activities
Gunnar (1998), defined the explanation of academic stress is the anxiety
and stress that comes from schooling and education. There are regularly a lot of
compressions that comes along with following a degree and one’s education. There
is studying homework, tests, labs, reading, and quizzes. There is the stress of doing
all of the work, balancing the time and finding time for extra-curricular activities.
Academic stress is particularly hard on school students who are often living away
from home for the first time. Its study shows that teachers expect work to be
completed on time. Students may miscalculate the amount of time it takes to
complete reading and writing tasks, to print out replicas of their work. Stress and
its displays, such as

Trockel et al., 2000stress, depression, and tension, have always been seen as a
common problem among people in different businesses and occupations. In the last
few times, the alarm has previously been motivated by the proliferation of books,
research reports, popular articles and the growing number of organized workshops,
aiming to teach people how to handle with this individuality. Researchers are
randomly in their actions on this subject, in some cases associating and unique in
others. While one can say that each stress factor has immediate effects, each can
also have side effects. For example, time pressure limits the time available for the
success of a particular task. This limit is a physical limit that does not require
psychological explanation to sympathize with its immediate effects on achieving
performance. This limitation, however, often causes an emotional reaction, for
example nervousness that has side effects or indirect effects on success. Given the
effort of unraveling these two extensions and scarcity in which this was done in the
main Misra et al. (2000) discovered that students experienced high stress levels
due to Pressure and self-imposed stress. Females experienced higher stress levels
than males in frustration, self-imposed stress, and pressure.

Dusselier et al. (2005) found that the biggest factor causing stress for students was
academics. Students identified tests, classes, homework, and examinations as
causes of stress.

Jogaratnam and Buchanan (2004) found that a significant stressor for students
was time pressure with academics and daily life responsibilities. Nearly all the
students reported "too many things to do at once, a lot of responsibilities, and
struggling to meet your own academic standards"

Ross et al. (1999) discovered that sources of stress were increased workload and
daily academic hassles.

Goff (2011) identified that students most frequently reported pressures such as
turning in papers on time, devoting time to classwork, overloading things to do, and
balancing grades with work and relationships.

Misra E-learning can be defined as the use of educational technologies to design,

deliver, and manage both formal and informal learning and knowledge sharing at
any time, any pace and any place. In educational contexts, some e-learning courses
are offered fully online without any face-to-face interactions while in some
contexts, courses are offered with a blended mode that is the use of both face-to-
face and online interactions that are facilitated by educational technologies. Online
learning environments can offer learners opportunities for flexibility, interaction
and collaboration

Gedera, Williams & Wright, 2013the virtual e-learning education provides

students to opportunity that student could work within the home without going
anywhere and without stress so the students are able to save their times and
unnecessary traveling charges. From that he/she can use the saved time to other
education endeavors and they could build up their knowledge as well as abilities
in other particular subjects as well

Nurasyl Kerimbayev, 2016. E-learning activity of universities currently building

the course according to the virtual reality and also it considers the resource from all
over the world thereby a student able to learn most of the things from expertise and
apply that knowledge and ability to current world like traditional education

N. Kerimbayev&Akramova, 2013 said that virtual learning improves the teaching

and learning activities of student and teachers. Thus an effectiveness of
understanding and effectiveness of teaching method will be peak level compare
with other methods-Learning process allow a student to do numerous education
related stuffs such as it supports the education development, organization the
education in virtual environment and also it provides the quality of education
process. So, we account that e learning process support directly to the education
purpose in higher education students in different ways (Burnett, 2011).

Blümel&Haase, 2010) Said that virtualized e-learn process provides variety of

opportunities and advanced technologies to its user like medicine facility,
Education and so on. So, it is clear that distance learning procedure highly support
for the education related actions for higher education students and others

Rosa and Preethi, 2012 Higher secondary school education are a very important
turning point in the academic life of the individual. At this stage, the academic
performance of the youth/adolescents plays a crucial role in deciding about next
higher stage of education, and probably career too ().
 CHAPTER III:

RESEARCH METHADOLOGY
RESEARCH METHADOLOGY

Title of the study

A STUDY ON ACADEMIC STRESS DUE TO VIRTUAL

LEARNING AMONG HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL
STUDENTS

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The aim of this paper is to explore whether virtual learning increase students’
academic stress and burden in their daily life. Academic stress is a serious and
prevalent problem in India. It can lead to mental problems and even suicides of
adolescent students. Academic stress is a crucial problem of a student life in the
present scenario. Our education system has loaded the students with a variety of
pressures such as vast curriculum, examination fear; neck-to-neck competitions etc.
peer and parental pressure add tons to their problem Significance

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

An attempt has been made in this paper to study academic stress of higher secondary
school students due to virtual learning. The study examines the level of academic
stress among higher secondary school students. The findings of this study could be
useful for students to know their level of stress and they can take up necessary and
sufficient practices to reduce their academic stress.

OBJECTIVES

General objective; To study the academic stress of higher secondary school

students due to virtual learning
 Specific objectives

• To study the socio-ddemographic profile of respondent

• To understand about the factors related to academic stress due to virtual learning

• To study the level of academic stress

DEFINITIONS

Conceptual definition

Academic Stress

Lee & Larson (2000) explain this stress as an interaction between environmental
stressors, student’s appraisal and reactions for the same.

Operational Definition

Academic stress

Academic stress is defined as the body's response to academic-related demands that

exceed adaptive capabilities of students. Hectic schedule due to part time job may
affect academic performance of the student and leading to stress.

In today’s highly competitive world, students face various academic problems

including exam stress, disinterest in attending classes and inability to understand
the subject. Examination stress is the feeling of anxiety or apprehension over
one’s performance in the exams. It can lead to students being unable to perform to
the best of their abilities in exams Academic stress is the major source of stress
among adolescents and it may lead to low self-esteem. Many psychological
problems such as depression and suicide occur as a result of low self-esteem
(Nikitha, et al, 2014).
Higher Secondary School Student

In India, the combination of classes for different levels of school education/school

stages differs from State to State. The combinations of classes of the school
system constitute higher secondary stages comprising Classes XI-XII

VARIABLES

Dependent variable

Virtual learning

Independent variable

Aacademic stress

PIOLET STUDY

The researcher discussed the feasibility of the study with teacher Jobi. M from
Poochatty Government school in Nadathara panchayath and various higher
secondary school students

RESERCH DESIGN

The study tries to describe academic stress and socio demographic characters of
higher secondary school students due to virtual learning. So, the research design is
descriptive research design

UNIVERSE

The study basically conducted among higher secondary schools of Nadathara

panchayath in the time period of 2020-21. there are two schools situated in
Nadathara panchayath AKM HSS POOCHATTY and BHARATHIYA VIDHYA
MANDHIR, Nadthara

UNIT OF THE STUDY

A Higher secondary school student studying in schools of Nadathra panchayath

duringthe time period of 2020-21

INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Inclusion

Researcher includes Higher secondary school students who are studying in the
schools of Nadathra panchayath

Exclusion

Researcher excludes Higher secondary school Sstudents who are not studying in
the schools of Nadathra panchayath

SAMPLING DESIGN

It is probability sampling. The researcher uses Simple random sampling

SAMPLE SIZE
The present study consists of higher secondary school students studying in higher
secondary schools located in Nadathara panchayath, in Trissur district. Researcher
plans to collect at least 60 samples for the study.
 TOOL OF DATA COLLECTION

The researcher uses Self-prepared questions to study socio demographic profile,

factors related to academic stress and level of academic stress through Google
forms. Data collected from primary sources like higher secondary school
Sstudents who are studying in Nadathara panchayath at Trissur district during the
period of 2020-21. The information gathered from secondary data collected from
journals, magazines and government documents

DATA ANALYSIS
Data will be analyzed with the help of Microsoft EXCEL Software.

CHAPTERISATION

➢ CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

➢ CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE

➢ CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

➢ CHAPTER IV: DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

➢ CHAPTER V: FINDINGS, SUGGESTIONS AND CONCLUSION

➢ BIBLIOGRAPHY
 CHAPTER IV:

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Ecnomic status

Figure 4.1

The pie chart shows the financial condition of higher secondary school students
among them 76.7% belongs to APL (above poverty line) and 23.3% belongs to BPL
(below poverty line). The majority of the higher secondary school students are
belonging to APL (above poverty line)
 GENDER

Gender Frequency Percentage

Male 29 48.3%

Female 31 51.7%

other 0 0%

Table4.1

60

51.7%
48.3%
50

40

31
29 FrequencyPercentage
30
percentae

20

10

0 0%
0
Male Female other

Figure 4.2
Table4.1 & Figure 4.2indicates the gender status of higher secondary school
students among 48.3 is male and 51.7% are female
(Lloyd &Gartrell 1981) in the Studies show that female students and residents had
higher level of anxiety and depression compared to their male counterparts

(Hojat et al. 1999) Higher anxiety in female students could be explained by

specific psychosocial profiles and warrant further investigation

Factors related to academic stress due to virtual learning

Experience in using virtual platform

Experience in Frequency Percentage

using virtual
platform

yes 30 50.0%

no 15 25.0%

somehow 15 25.0%

Table 4.2
 50%
50

45

40

35

30
30

25% 25%
Freqency
25
percentage

20

15 15
15

10

0
Yes No Somehow

Figure 4.3

The Figure 4.3 and Table 4.2indicate experience of higher secondary school
students to use virtual platform. A majority of 50.0% higher secondary school
students have enough experience in using virtual platforms among 25% of them
have ‘Somehow’ and ‘No’ experience to use virtual platforms

Data from my study supported the perspective introduced by Falloon (2011) that
students in virtual classrooms need multiple knowledge’s (italics in original) to get
the best from virtual classrooms. Students generally struggled to transfer
communication practices and their skills from face-to-face environments to virtual
settings. The multiple knowledge Falloon introduces constitute technical—how to
set up devices like camera, log in and find the way in virtual classroom,
procedural—the conventions and etiquette they were to follow when interacting
with peers and operational—how to make best use of the tools that are available for
communication in virtual classroom (2011,Participating in synchronous virtual
classroom activities can also be challenging for some students if they lack
knowledge of the virtual classroom’s functions. Most students were not relaxed but
challenged while participating in this virtual classroom activity, perhaps because of
its unfamiliarity. Most participants claimed they needed more practice before
undertaking the presentation assessment.

Duration of online class

Figure 4.4
The above pie diagram gives the information about the duration of online classes of
higher secondary school students. It indicates how much time they spent for classes
in virtual platforms.

Most 40.0% of higher secondary school students

spent [2-4 hours] daily for online class, 30.0% of them spent [1-2 hour] and 15.0%
of them spent [0-60 minutes]. The remaining 13.3% spent [more than 4 hours]
and 1.7% respondents spent [1/2 hour] respectively

Mode of virtual learning

Figure 4.5
It shows the mode of virtual education majorly engaged by the higher secondary
school students among 48.3% engage in live sessions and 1.7% engage in recorded
sessions 8.3% engages in none of these and also 41.7 engages in both live and
recorded sessions

The Network issues and other Technical Problems in online

education
Table.4.3

Network issues and Frequency Percentage

other technical
problems affect the
online education

Always 10 16.7%

Rarely 5 8.3%

Often 6 10.0%

Never 3 5.0%

sometimes 36 60.0%
 60.0%
60

50

40
36

30 Frequency
percentage

20
16.7%

10 10.0%
10 8.3%
6
5 5.0%
3

0
Rarely

Never
Always

Often

sometimes

1 2 3 4 5

Figure 4.6

The higher secondary school students facing issues of

network problems and other technical issues in their online education
 The 16.7% of the respondents always facing the issues of network problems
and other technical issues in their online education and 8.3% have rarely and 10.0%
have often facing the issues of network problems and other technical issues in their
online education. A majority of 60.0% of the respondents sometimes and 5.0% are
never facing the issues of network problems and other technical issues in their
online education

Data from my study supported the perspective introduced (Boyles, 2011; Fahy,
2004; Jaques& Salmon, 2007). Problems of assessment such as technical issues,
complexity, sequencing of activities and learning a new medium have been
identified as presenting obstacles to the incorporation of multimedia application and
assessment in the learning environment

Data from my research supported the perspective introduced by (Song et al., 2004)
Students feel that lack of community, technical problems, and difficulties in
understanding instructional goals are the major barriers for online learning

Study materials provided by teacher

Figure 4.7
The pie chart shows the information regarding any extra study material provided by
the teacher to higher secondary school students for their learning

In respectively always, never and sometimes prefers

by 20.0% of the respondents and often prefers by 21.7% at last 18.3% prefers rarely.
The higher secondary school students show a mixed opinion for extra study
materials provided by their teacher

Virtual learning provided by school

Figure 4.8
The above pie diagram shows that only 28.3% higher secondary school students
never satisfy with their virtual teaching provided by their school. In respectively
20.0% higher secondary school students sometimes and often satisfy with virtual
teaching provided by their school and 15.0% of higher secondary school students
always satisfied with their virtual teaching

Facilities of virtual learning in home

30
26.7%

25 23.3
21.7

20

15
15 13.3

Frequency
10 Percentage

0
Always

Rarely
Often

Never
Sometimes

1 2 3 4 5

Figure 4.9
The diagram shows that higher secondary school students’ facilities in home to
engage with virtual education

Nearly 26.7% of them responded always. The 23.3% have responded often and
13.3% have responded rarely for the facilities of virtual learning in home. The
remaining 21.7% and 15.0% have responded sometimes and never respectively

Data from my research supported the perspective introduced by Gong, Li, and
Stump (2007) the influence of culture on internet access and usage was also
explored they found that high power distance has a significant negative impact on
internet access and usage

Difficulties due to less face-to-face interaction

Figure 4.10

The 50.0% of higher secondary school students felt difficulties due to less face-to-
face interaction with their classmates and 23.3% are sometimes affected by this
difficulty the 15.0% are also felt difficulties due to less face-to-face interactions at
last 10.0% have never and 1.7 % are rarely felt difficulties due to less face-to-face
interaction

Data from my research supported the perspective introduced by (Marold&Haga,

2003) the studies have indicated the importance of face-to-face interaction and
demonstrated that quality in education can be achieved by incorporating computer
technology and face-to-face interaction (Kiser, 2002). Marold’s study of
performance and achievement between online students and classroom students
found that achievement tended to be higher in the Web students. However,
performance on projects and homework submissions was found to be higher in
classroom students; especially in programming classes, online students with an
average ability level had more difficulty applying the theory of programming
problems than classroom students (Marold, Larsen, & Moreno, 2000).

Extra-curricular activities during virtual

learning

Figure 4.11
It shows higher secondary school students engaging time in extracurricular
activities during virtual learning period

Nearly 25.0% of them never got an opportunity to engage in

extracurricular activities and about 43.3% and 11.7% have sometimes and rarely
engaged in extracurricular activities. The remaining 11.7% and 8.3% are often and
always engaged in extracurricular activities

Data from my research supported the perspective of researchers. Eccles (2003)

suggested that students who participated in intentional, school based extracurricular
activities perform better at school

A study was conducted by (Daley and Leahy in 2003) which discussed the
improvement in self-concept caused by involvement in physical exercises.
Participation in physical extracurricular activities reduce the stress caused by
excessive studies. Students remain physical and mentally fit. Also, their body is in
good shape which gives them self-confidence and a better view of their appearance.
Apart from these those who are not involved in any physical activities at all lack
these qualities (Daley and Leahy, 2003).
 LEVEL OF ACCADEMIC STRSS
60
60

50

40

33

30
FREQUENCY
PERCENTAGE
20

10 7

0
0
0 to10 11 to 20 21 to 30 31 to40
LOW MILD MODERATE HIGH
1 2 3 4

Figure 4.12

According to the study it is found that [majority 60%] of higher secondary school
students are conflict with moderate stress. Nearly 33% of respondents are conflict
with high stress. The remaining 7 are conflict with mild stress and no one’s shows
low level of stress

Data from my study supported the arguments of agencies and organizations

According to the statistics published by National Crime Records Bureau; there is
one student every hour that commits suicide (Saha, 2017)
A 2012 Lancet report also quoted that the 15-29 age group bracket in India has the
highest rate of suicide in the world (as cited in “India has the Highest Suicide Rate”,
n.d.) And these numbers show no sign of dropping.

Lee & Larson (2000) explains that Academic stress has been identified as the
primary cause of these alarming figures. this stress as an interaction between
environmental stressors, student’s appraisal and reactions for the same. It has now
become a grave reality that is termed as a “career stopper” (Kadapatti &
Vijayalaxmi, 2012). It therefore, becomes a significant cause of concern as it is
symptomatic of rising mental health concerns in India (Nadamuri & Ch, 2011)

(Deb, Strodl& Sun, 2015; Verma, Sharma & Larson, 2002) explains that
Depression, anxiety, behavioral problems, irritability, etc. are few of the many
problems reported in students with high academic stress
 CHAPTER V:

FINDINGS,
SUGGESTIONS AND
CONCLUSION
 Findings
➢ The majority of the higher secondary school students are belonging to APL (above
poverty line) among them 76.7% belongs to APL
➢ The gender based respondence shows 51.7% are female and 48.3% are male
➢ Nearly 50.0% higher secondary school students have enough experience in using
virtual platforms among 25% of them have ‘Somehow’ and ‘No’ experience to use
virtual platforms
➢ More than half of the respondents 40.0% of higher secondary school students spent
[2-4 hours] daily for online class, 30.0% of them spent [1-2 hour] and 15.0% of
them spent [0-60 minutes]. The remaining 13.3% spent [more than 4 hours] and
1.7% respondents spent [1/2 hour] respectively
➢ The higher percentage of 48.3% respondents engage in live sessions and 1.7%
engage in recorded sessions 8.3% engages in none of these and also 41.7 engages
in both live and recorded sessions
➢ The vast higher percentage 60.0%of the respondents sometimes and 5.0% are never
facing the issues of network problems and other technical issues in their online
education. nearly 16.7% of the respondents always and 8.3% have rarely and 10.0%
have often facing the issues of network problems and other technical issues in their
online education
➢ The higher secondary school students show a mixed opinion for extra study
materials provided by their teacher in respectively always, never and sometimes
prefers by 20.0% of the respondents and often prefers by 21.7% at last 18.3%
prefers rarely
➢ More than 28.3% higher secondary school students never satisfy with their virtual
teaching provided by their school. In respectively 20.0% higher secondary school
students sometimes and often satisfy with virtual teaching provided by their school
and 15.0% of higher secondary school students always satisfied with their virtual
teaching
➢ Nearly 26.7% of them responded always. The 23.3% have responded often and
13.3% have responded rarely for the facilities of virtual learning in home. The
remaining 21.7% and 15.0% have responded sometimes and never respectively
➢ The majority of 50.0% higher secondary school students felt difficulties due to less
face-to-face interaction with their classmates and 23.3% are sometimes affected by
these difficulties the 15.0% are also felt difficulties due to less face-to-face
interactions at last 10.0% have never and 1.7 % are rarely felt difficulties due to less
face-to-face interaction
➢ Nearly 25.0% of them never got an opportunity to engage in extracurricular
activities and about 43.3% and 11.7% have sometimes and rarely engaged in
extracurricular activities. The remaining 11.7% and 8.3% are often and always
engaged in extracurricular activities from my study its evident that extracurricular
activities have significant role in student life
➢ According to the study it is found that [majority 60%] of higher secondary school
students are conflict with moderate stress. Nearly 33% of respondents are conflict
with high stress. The remaining 7 are conflict with mild stress and no one’s shows
low level of stress

Suggestions

The education sector in India is one important area that has been severely affected
by the lockdown and restrictions that are required to slow down the disease
transmission (Sharma, 2020). Although, the Department of School Literacy and
Education is involved in improving access to education through various online
platforms and initiatives like National Repository of Open Educational Resources
(NROER), Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA), e-Pathshala
and a National Online Education platform called SWAYAM (Ministry of Statistics
and Programs Implementation, 2017–2018) but the accessibility and acceptability
of such initiatives need to be focused upon (Jena, 2020).
Legislation and policy measures in the following areas to make education inclusive
and universally accessible to all students Build professional competency in teachers
of regular and special schools in delivering online teaching Special focus on
students from marginalized sections and CWD Improve penetration of electronic
media and internet connectivity across geographical locations and various socio-
economic startups calling of technological infrastructure

Suggestions for Students

▪ The first recommendation for students is to develop time management skills to help
reduce the stress of work. When students have perceived control of their time, they
have less stress. Students can use planners, calendars, reminders, and to do lists to
help manage their time.
▪ Students should plan their time commitments each week and prioritize what needs
to be accomplished. These techniques and skills can help students manage their time
 more effectively and help them have more control over their time.
The second recommendation for students is for students to get involved in a student
organization. Being engaged in a student organization can help teach useful skills
such as time management, coping skills, and leadership skills.
▪ students who were involved in student organizations and leadership programs
developed more leadership skills, were better at goal setting, had higher GP As and
satisfaction rate at their institution, and were more engaged with their community
than students who were not involved
▪ The third recommendation is for students to seek out workshops and resources on
how to manage stressors such as self-imposed stress and pressure. Students can go
to offices such as Career Services, Student Activities, and Health & Wellness to
gather information on how to manage stressors. These offices can provide one on
one, small group, and large group sessions on how to manage self-imposed stress
and pressure from work, academics, and daily responsibilities. The offices can also
assist and refer students to other offices or resources to help students manage their
stressors.
▪ Adopting coping strategies that are practical and applicable during online sessions
can decrease the risk of psychological distress and preserve health and well-being
▪ Promoting awareness on stress and burnout resulting from increased use of
telecommunication during pandemics through broadcasting media channels and
social media platforms.
▪ Increasing the frequency of breaks between online lectures or during
teleconferences to allow participants to release eye strain and to prevent loss of
interest and attention
▪ Directing wellness campaigns at students to increase their awareness on the
physical and emotional consequences of increased online time.
▪ Introducing podcast-based communication and learning as a substitute to online
visual encounters to decrease eye strain and limit screen exposure.
▪ Implementing healthy practices in between online sessions and during extended
meetings, such as breathing exercises, meditation, and yoga.
▪ There are various ways and means that the students can adopt to relieve stress, like
imbibing any one form of exercise to be done on daily basis, this small change will
go a long way and guarantees an environment of sustainable happiness.
▪ Meditation and breathing exercises can also be incorporated to relieve stress during
exams and students avoid panicking. It is also important to ensure that students
receive enough sleep, it would help the students to be more patient and have better
learning graph.
▪ Music is therapeutic whether played in stress or otherwise. Listening to music can
reap many benefits and can subside stress certainly. The way one talks with oneself
 really makes big difference in the attitude; hence positive self-talk is important
which will further lead to harmonious surroundings.

Suggestions for Student Professionals

▪ The first recommendation for student affairs professionals is to develop programs

and initiatives that focus on time management, balancing work and academics, and
managing stress in the workplace.
▪ The second recommendation is to create a professional development plan for
student employees. The professional development plan would include a weekly or
monthly training or workshop on a variety of topics such as time management,
stress in the work place, goal setting, and study skills. The professional
development plan should be with the students and should be tailored to each student.
▪ The third recommendation for professionals is to be mindful of students' time and
academic demands. It is important that professionals identify stressors with their
staff. As professionals, we need to adjust student work demands, depending on time
of the academic year and student academic load.
▪ It is recommended that universities collaborate with Career Services, Student
Activities, Health and Wellness, and Residential Life offices to conduct time
management and stress management training for student employees.
▪ The institution should provide calendars or planners to their students to encourage
them to manage their time better. The university should encourage students to seek
the counseling center to help manage severe stress. Student affairs professionals
need to stay informed of evidence-based programs that effect stressors.
CONCLUSION

Students all over the globe experience stress arising out of many academic as well
as nonacademic aspects such as environmental, socio-cultural and psychological
factors. Stress arises in a way to perform better than peers, to live up to the
expectations of parents, teachers, to score better grades which will help to get a
dream job. All these put heavy pressure on students leading to a feeling of burnout
arising from academic stress, while emotional development starts right from
childhood and it affects children in many ways, developing ego concept and his/her
emotional and social development. Students also develop emotional intelligence
while observing their environment, teachers, peers, parents, siblings and developing
an attachment with them. But what is missing which probably we have realized
while going through the current situation, is that from now onwards, we need to
teach our children to develop their emotional intelligence following social
distancing and keeping away from each other physically, but not psychologically.
With the advancement in the field of information technology, this can be practiced.
It was observed that respondents were able to “reduce negative and unexpected
emotional outbursts” and were able to divert it into different activities knowingly
or unknowingly, which is one of the coping strategies adopted by students.

Recognizing stress and burnout resulting from telecommunication during

pandemics is necessary to develop effective mitigation strategies
BIBLIOGRAPHY
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
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APPENDIX

1) SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Name of the student:

Age:

Gender: M/F/T

School:

Economic status: APL / BPL

2) FACTORS RELATED TO ACADEMIC STRESS

1) Do you have enough experience in using virtual platform?

Yes

No

Somehow

2) Duration of online Class:

0 - 60 minutes

1-2 hours

2-4 hours

More than 4 hours

3) Mode of virtual education

Live Sessions

Recorded Sessions

Both
None of these

4) Medium of virtual education

Google meet

YouTube

Google classroom

Other

5) The network issues and other technical problems affect the online education
adversely?

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

6) Are you not satisfied with the virtual teaching provided by your school?

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

7) Does your teacher provide any extra study materials for your learning?

Never
Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

8) Do you have enough facilities for virtual learning at home?

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

9) Have you felt any difficulty due to less face-to-face interaction with your
classmates?

Never

Rarely

Sometimes

Often

Always

10) Do you get enough time to engage in extracurricular activities during this
virtual learning period?

Never

Rarely
Sometimes

Often

Always

3) LEVEL OF ACADEMIC STRESS

[Strongly Disagree - 1

Disagree - 2

Neither agree nor disagree - 3

Agree - 4

Strongly agree - 5]

1) I feel distress in spending more time with electronic gadgets due to virtual
learning

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither agrees nor disagrees

Agree

Strongly agree

2) I am not satisfied with current virtual learning platform compared to the

traditional classroom

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither agrees nor disagrees

Agree

Strongly agree

3) I feel stressful with deadlines of assignments and others academic works

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither agrees nor disagrees

Agree

Strongly agree

4) I felt frustration due to overburden of works.

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither agrees nor disagrees

Agree

Strongly agree

5) I experience physical harm (eg : headache, eye pain) because of academic

pressure due to virtual learning

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither agrees nor disagrees

Agree

Strongly agree
6) Expectations on academics, from my parents leading to distress

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither agrees nor disagrees

Agree

Strongly agree

7) I feel stressed due to lack of recreation activities

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither agrees nor disagrees

Agree

Strongly agree

8) I feel isolated due to lack of social interaction and communication.

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Neither agrees nor disagrees

Agree

Strongly agree