A Study of Academic Stress among Secondary School Students in Nainital District (Uttarakhand)

Abstract : Education is vital in developing an individual's personality, abilities, and future opportunities. However, in the modern period, the educational process has increasingly been associated with pressure and competition, resulting in higher levels of academic stress among students. Academic stress is the mental and emotional pressure that students feel when academic expectations surpass their coping capacities. It is a multifaceted phenomenon shaped by personal, social, and institutional forces. Academic stress is defined as the psychological distress and strain that students suffer when scholastic expectations surpass their adaptive capacities (Kumar & Jejurkar, 2005). Academic workload, family expectations, peer competition, and socioeconomic factors all contribute to this complex and multidimensional phenomena. The aim of this research is to assess the level of academic stress among students in secondary schools in the Nainital District. The sample of this study was selected randomly, 80 students studying in government and private schools in Nainital district. Academic stress is measured using the Academic Stress Scale by Kumar, Pradeep, Kaushik, and Yadav, which consists of 30 positively scored items. Keywords : Academic stress, Adaptive, Secondary schools, Nainital District.