ACADEMIC STRESS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS AFTER COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN RELATION TO THEIR GENDER AND TYPES OF INSTITUTION

Abstract

This study explores the dynamics of academic stress among secondary school students in relation to their gender and the types of institutions they attend. The pandemic has disrupted traditional learning environments, resulting in a shift to remote and hybrid education, which has had varying impacts on students' well-being. The sample of present study was 240 students studying in secondary schools of Jammu district. The sample has been selected by using Stratified Sampling technique from 6 Govt and 6 Private schools situated in Rural and Urban areas affiliated to Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education. A descriptive method of research has been adopted. The standardised tool ‘Scale for Assessing Academic Stress' (SAAS) by Sinha (2014) was administered on students one by one by the investigator. The statistical techniques t- test, Percentage was used. The results reveal that a significant number of students fall within the range of average to extremely low level of academic stress. The result of the study reveals that females have higher levels of physical indicators as compared to male whereas male have higher levels of motivation indicators as compared to females. The findings of the result also show that the government schools have higher levels of cognitive, effective, motivational indicators as compared to private schools. Whereas the private schools show higher levels of social/interpersonal indicators as compared to government schools respectively.