Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

INTRODUCTION

In this generation, where students are driven by their very own complacency and fear of

negligence from society, the urge to impress their parents, the idea of being left behind by their

peers, and the eagerness for one’s success; it has been very unfortunate for all learners to get a

handy in their education. We all perceive knowledge as the rudimentary key to a better life, but

what about the struggles that we tend to experience in achieving an educational background and

a high, rather, acceptable grade. Sometimes, the students set the standards themselves but,

society has devoured and the furies of time have taken place to wreak havoc in our meek way of

education.

Students invest their time and efforts yet not a pause anywise. Academic stress is defined as a

student’s psychological state resulting from continuous social and self-imposed distress in an

environment that drains the student’s mental reserve. It can cause excessive psychological issues,

and can lead to health difficulties such as fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches, and gastrointestinal

issues to each individual (National Library of Medicine, 2022)

 The researchers will invoke some of the causes, the provenance, and the different segments of

attaining academic validation that is fastened by academic stress or academic pressure. This

study is after to open minds and divulge into the roots that are somehow considered taboo in

these current times due to faulty observances and poor notices of those students who aren’t really

seen in the spotlight. The researchers will delve deeper on conflicting matters that procure a lot

to the learners and their academic life.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study aims to tackle the current issues of academic pressure and its roots. The curved

mode of teaching and the poor construction of molding the lives of teenagers and its impact

towards their adolescent life. There are variety of unwanted effects that a young person can

develop from academic pressure. Precisely, this study set ones’ sight through answering these

questions:

1. Immense academic pressure can cause a young person to struggle with any of the

following examples, provided by Stanford University:

1.1 Obsession with grades

1.2 Anxiety

1.3 Extreme competitiveness

1.4 Changes in appetite

1.5 Stimulant abuse (e.g., caffeine, prescription medications, etc.)

1.6 Sleep difficulties

 1.7 Inability to relax

1.8 Social isolation

1.9 Loss of interest in previously enjoyed pastimes

2. What are the effects of academic pressure to junior high school students in terms of:

2.1 Psychological or mental health

2.2 Physiological or physical health

2.3 Social health

2.4 Cognitive health

3. How are these factors relevant towards academic pressure?

3.1 Academic burnout

3.2 Family expectations

3.3 Ambitious goals that students set themselves

3.4 Demands placed on them by society at large

3.5 Intimidating teachers, coaches, or tutors

3.6 Junior high school students’ adjustment to deadlines

3.7 Junior high school students’ psychomotor skills

4. In what way can education cause stress?

5. What are the components that can lead to academic stress?

6. How can junior high school students cope with academic pressure?

7. How can parents and educators help students manage academic pressure?
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objectives of this study are to understand the level of stress faced by junior high

school students. To asses them through; mental health cognizance, scrutinize the impact of

academic stress on students' emotional stability, academic performance, and develop effective

strategies for junior high school students to manage tense situations. In addition, the researchers

will analyze the students’ temperament on some factors that affect their academic life according

to age, gender, means of living, accustomed environment, skills, moral support from peers and

family, and financial stability.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Academic pressure Academic burnout

The struggles due to

academic pressure

 Obsession with grades

 Psychological health
 Anxiety
 Physiological health
 Extreme competitiveness
 Social well-being
 Changes in appetite
 Cognitive health
 Stimulant abuse

 Sleep difficulties

 Inability to relax

 Social isolation

 Loss of interest in
previously enjoyed
pastimes
 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The major concept of this study is focused on the roots of academic pressure. Academic

pressure is defined as “an experience in which a student is burdened by the demands of time and

energy to achieve specific academic goals. The stress can come from a variety of potential

sources and have a myriad of impacts on students both emotionally and academically”. (Pacific

Teen Treatment.com).

Academic
Burnout Intimidating
teachers, coaches,
and tutors.
Psychological health
Students’ Physiological health
psychomotor
Ambitious goals
skills.
that students set
themselves.
Academic Pressure

Demands
placed on Family’s
them by Social health Expectations
Cognitive health
society at
large.
JHS students’
adjustment to
deadlines
 - Factors that are relevant towards academic pressure.

- Affects of academic pressure to junior high school students.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The vital reasons involved in this study gave benefits to the following:

Students. By studying academic stress research, students can learn about various coping

strategies that can help them manage stress more effectively. These strategies may include

mindfulness techniques, stress management techniques, time management, and seeking social

support. By studying research on this topic can help students understand the nature of this

academic stress.

Parents. Through the collected data and resources that the researchers have garnered on

rational thought and strategic tactics to cope with academic pressure, the parents of the junior

high school students may have bare witness some familiarity concerning academic pressure,

academic burnouts, and other casualties. These nuances may help them to assist their sons and

daughters towards a better pathway in their education.

School Heads/Administrator. This study can help the sources of stress among their students,

including academic demands, social pressures, and personal issues. This knowledge can help

them our school to develop interventions by mitigate the negative effects of stress. And build
positive relationships with their students. By showing care and concern for their well-being, so

that school heads can foster a positive school climate where students feel supported and

motivated to learn.

Future Researchers. They can use this study to be aware of the academic stress and helps

them to develop a range of research skills, including study design, data analysis, and

interpretation of findings. These skills can be valuable in any research or academic career. Also,

making a positive impact for our research study. By conducting research on academic stress, they

can help to improve the lives of students and reduce the negative impact of stress on their

academic performance and mental health. This can be a meaningful and rewarding way to make

a positive impact on society.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The main point of this study is to govern new ways and provide helpful information to

teachers and parents for them to accommodate the young people towards innovation and treating

them most keenly, without any ounce of compulsion, hence these maybe self-imposed, but

expectantly, they may serve as an inspiration to learners.

 However, this research is limited to the extent of only the junior high school students of

Sacred Heart Academy, Bugo, Cagayan de Oro city. This research is mostly inadequate due to

shortness of time, small population of the junior high school students, and lastly, the researchers

do not have extensive peculiarities on much narrowly-constructed research papers.

On the other hand, the context in these papers only maneuver around the roots of academic

pressure, and the concepts or topics that are relevant rather rational to our main matter. Some

factors that are near to our main topic are; the struggles, the cause and effects of academic

pressure, and the rigid display of our academic capabilities set out by the system, that eminently

affects the learner’s needs in their meek knowledge. These factors are found in our theoretical

and conceptual framework.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

To impede proper meanings and to narrow a much more precise understanding of words,

terms, and phrases in this section the researchers have made specific to address to the main topic.

Words, terms, and phrases used:

Academic pressure - an experience in which a student is burdened by the demands of time and

energy to achieve specific academic goals. The stress can come from a variety of potential

sources and have a myriad of impacts on students both emotionally and academically. (Pacific
Teen Treatment.com).
Academic burnout - Refers to students' feeling of debilitation, pessimism, and low self-efficacy.

(Oloidi FJ, Sewagegn AA, Amanambu OV, Umeano BC, Ilechukwu LC. Academic burnout among undergraduate
history students: effect of an intervention. Medicine. 2022)

Taboo – Forbidden to be mentioned or used because of what are held to be very intriguing,

dangerous, or involving profanity. Almost entirely perceived as something negative.

Psychomotor skills – Skills that are more emphasized on movement-oriented mechanisms.

Scrutinize – To examine closely. (Merriam Webster)

 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES

REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES IN LOCAL SETTING

Some published research and articles, added information and impactfully contribute to the

main topic, which are found inside the country, Philippines, local setting.

A study by Jessa Marie A. Bernal, Justine Grace P. Caguimbal, Jane Rhea B. Palatulan,

Rosalie May C. Sahagun, Lolly Jean C. Simbulas. This study determined whether or not

students’ level of stress and their academic performance have significant relationship. A

descriptive correlation design was used involving 124 third year college students from the

Bonifacio Campus of University of the Immaculate Conception. The study was conducted during

the preliminary term of the second semester of the academic year 2017-2018. The results

revealed that students were mostly stressed out due to their lifestyle and perceived academic

stress. Furthermore, these results suggest that students’ academic performance is influenced by

their stress. (Level of Stress of Academic Performance of Selected College Students of the

University of the Immaculate Conception, 2017).

 Another local article by Marison R. Dy, Klarisse Espiritu-Santo, Melissa Payawal Ferido,

Sanchez Ria, speaks in behalf of their study which determined the stressors and stress responses

of Filipino college students in relation to sex, course and academic classification. There were 258

respondents for the study. Of the respondents, 68% were females and 32% were males.

According to their degree, 42% belonged to the soft sciences and 58% to the hard sciences. In

terms of academic classification, 10% were freshmen, 36% sophomores, 33% juniors and 21%

seniors. The top five overall stressors of the respondents were academic difficulty of subject

matter, workload due to subjects, time management because of subjects, responsibilities due to

being on one's own, and time management because of both subjects and organizations. The most

frequently occurring stress responses were affective stress responses followed by cognitive

responses. For both male and female respondents, the top stressors were academics, workload

due to subjects and time management concerns. Overall, the males reacted to stress through

affective responses and females through cognitive responses. (Stressors and stress responses of

Filipino college students, 2015).

Stress is inevitable or unescapable. A derivation of academic pressure. To support this stance,

according to associated press/MTV survey (2009), school is the most frequently mentioned

source of students’ stress from 13 to 17 years old. A high school, might be a way of building up a

tolerance for stress because of too much homework, testing, and pressure from peers.

FOREIGN SETTING
 However, Gale, Westburry, and Cooper (2018) suggest that a certain level of stress is

unavoidable and useful, specifically in academic studying. The findings revealed that this certain

amount of stress levels supports the student to perform well and work harder as well as assists

students in studying effectively. However, if it is too much, it will lead to psychological

problems. At worst, this excessive stress might lead to suicidal thoughts or incidents (Mahapatra

& Sharma, 2021; Wang et al., 2020; Chi et al., 2020; Huckins et al., 2020).

“Academic pressure could be self-imposed, family imposed, or imposed by society,”

LAUNCH Academic counselor Laura Heidel said. “Academic pressure can be a positive force,

causing the student to want to do well, or it could be a negative force, causing the student to have

anxiety while studying, concentration problems or test anxiety.” (Academic pressure from

family, society takes toll on students).