A Study on the Academic Pressure being experienced by College and Senior High School students

during Online Classes

I. Abstract

This research is about secondary and tertiary education, the study shows College and Senior high
school students’ experiences in Academically pressured in online learning by various causes and reasons
amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers used a clustered sampling method and statistical tools
like frequency distribution table and charts to find if there are significant differences between the
experience of both college and senior high school students in academic pressure and to find the most
effective coping mechanism based on the data gathered. The results of the data gathered shows a
significant difference in both levels. Based on the results, tertiary level, college, are more likely to
experience academic pressure compared to senior high school students.

II. Introduction

Stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues—these are just some of the problems
that students encounter in the new normal setup wherein online classes are conducted. With regards to
online classes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, experiences about academic pressure are on the
rise as well. As defined by Durrette (2020), academic pressure is a situation experienced by anyone, but
mostly by students in which they are burdened by the time, expectations, lack of resources, and even
energy to achieve a certain academic success. In addition, the stress that can be felt in this matter can be
derived from a variation of potential sources and have a numerous effect on students both emotionally and
academically. Given that online classes also cause complications on the students to comply with,
academic pressure also contributes to such struggles that students are currently experiencing, particularly
to college and senior high school students.

In a study from Pascoe, Hetrick, and Parker (2019), students in secondary and tertiary education
experience a variety of ongoing stressors related to academic demands. Hence, previous research also
indicates that academic-related stress can reduce academic achievement, decrease motivation, and
increase the risk of school dropout. In connection with this, it can affect one’s behavior and mental health
in order to comply, fight, or cope with the pressure they are experiencing. Moreover, in the results from
the research of Yang, Chen, and Chen (2021), it was found that most of their respondents experience
heavy academic workload, school separation, and fear of contagion from the virus that leads to such
academic pressure in which it also affects their mental health negatively.

In this kind of matter, there are particular reasons on why academic pressure is being experienced
by a student. Generally, the causes, reasons, and coping mechanisms for this issue are mostly based on the
point of view and personal experiences of the students involved. With this, this study is conducted to
further extend the knowledge and be aware of the academic pressure being experienced by students in an
online setup. This will also help in reviewing and learning more of the behavior of the students and how
they cope with the situation in spite of the current pandemic. As per mentioned above, secondary and
tertiary education are mostly affected by academic pressure. To give importance to this claim, college and
senior high school students will be the respondents of this study.

III. Statement of the Problem

Problem

To clearly understand the experiences of college and senior high school students with regards to
the issue on academic pressure that happens in online learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic,
this study aims to answer the following questions:

1. Do college and senior high school students feel academically pressured?

2. What are some of the main reasons being experienced by college and senior high school students for
them to feel academically pressured?

3. How do college and senior high school students cope with academic pressure?

Hypothesis

Null Hypothesis (Ho)

There is no significant difference between college and senior high school students in experiencing
academic pressure.

Alternative Hypothesis (Ha)

There is a significant difference between the two populations observed. In this case, college
students are more likely to experience academic pressure due to many different causes of academic
pressures compared to senior high school students.

IV. Methodology

In this study, the researchers used a type of descriptive research in a quantitative design to provide
systematic information about a phenomenon (Winston-Salem State University, n.d.), in this case, the
academic pressure. In relation to this, since nominal and categorical data is used in the survey to gather
the responses of the students, descriptive statistics were also utilized in data analysis.

Sampling used

In choosing the sample data sets for this study, the researchers used clustered sampling. By this
sampling, population subgroups are used as the sampling unit (Shantikumar, 2018). The population is
then divided into two subgroups of students, which are college and senior high school students.
Respondents for this study are gathered through crowd-sourcing on social media and those who are only
willing to answer the survey are included in this study. Hence, the researchers assured that the
respondents’ information and data will be kept with utmost confidentiality.
Statistical tool

In analyzing the data, the statistical tools used in this study are the frequency distribution table
(FDT) and standard deviation. Since categorical variables are included in this study, the frequency
distribution indicated the frequency of occurrence of each variable for the two populations observed.
Moreover, standard deviation is utilized to know the dispersion measurement of each variable in relation
to the mean. In summarizing the data, the researchers used pie charts and bar graphs to depict the values
in the frequency distribution.

V. Results and Discussion

Among the observed 66 data sets from the two populations, the results and findings were
summarized through pie graphs and bar charts in order to clearly analyze the data gathered from the
respondents.

There were a total of 33 college students who participated in the survey. In the data gathered
using FDT (µ = 11, ơ = 9.17), 58% of the students agreed that they were feeling academically pressured
recently. However, 39% responded that they were only feeling it at some point and 3% answered no.
 In this data, fig. 2 represents all the possible and applicable causes being felt by college students
concerning academic pressure (µ = 12.27, ơ = 10.46). 21% of the students selected heavy workload; 17%
- inconsiderate teachers and professors; 19% - poor sleeping schedule; 13% - lack of organization/time
management; 10% - poor internet/data connection and family’s expectations and; 1% - lack of
gadgets/devices, government incompetence, and those who answered no.

In this data, fig. 3 represents the coping mechanisms of college students with regards to academic
pressure (µ = 7.3, ơ = 9.29). 36% of the students selected media entertainment (watching, listening to
music, social media, etc.); 26% - finishing schoolworks; 21% - doing physical activities/hobbies; 8% -
reading books; 3% - sleeping and no coping mechanisms at all and; 1% - playing online games, and
having a social media break.

In the case of senior high school students, 33 data sets were also gathered. using FDT (µ = 11, ơ =
7.21), 52% of the students agreed that they were feeling academically pressured recently. However, 39%
responded that they were only feeling it at some point and 9% answered no.
 In this data, fig. 5 represents all the applicable and possible causes being felt by senior high
school students concerning academic pressure (µ = 7.73, ơ = 5.88). 20% of the students selected heavy
workload; 18% - lack of organization/time management and poor sleeping schedule; 11% - poor
internet/data connection; 9% - due to inconsiderate teachers/professors; 7% - family’s expectations; 6%
lack of gadgets/devices and; 4% are from those who answered no.

In this data, fig. 6 represents the coping mechanisms of senior high school students with regards
to academic pressure (µ = 5.2, ơ = 6.89). 37% of the students selected media entertainment; 31% -
finishing schoolworks; 13% - doing physical activities/hobbies; 10% reading books; 4% answered no; 2%
- playing online games, other personal coping mechanisms, and those who have no coping mechanisms at
all.

Furthermore, based on the gathered data, there are more college students who experience
academic pressure recently. Although the data observed from senior high school students could also sit
close to the data of college students, the sum from the selected causes of academic pressure (college =
135, SHS = 85) and their coping mechanisms (college = 73, SHS = 52) indicates a greater difference in
the struggles being experienced by the two observed populations. In relation to this, the alternative
hypothesis of the study is supported and accepted. However, based on the standard deviation calculated
from each table, it is evident that it shows a high standard deviation in which the values are more spread
out and are much dispersed in relation to the mean.
 VI. Conclusion

The results state that both Senior high school and college students experience academic pressure
in online learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, based on the results of the data
gathered. The tertiary level, college students are more likely to experience academic pressure. According
to the data gathered, both populations receive academic pressure mainly from heavy workload, poor
sleeping schedule, and lack of organization or time management, and the most effective coping
mechanism in both populations is mainly media entertainment, finishing schoolworks, and physical
activities or hobbies. The data from senior high school students is close to college students’, the result
from the selected causes of academic pressure (College= 135, SHS= 85) and their coping mechanisms
(college=73, SHS= 52) states a significant difference between the secondary and tertiary level of
education in terms of experiencing academic pressure and their coping mechanism. It can also be inferred
that due to online classes, more students experience such academic pressure for different reasons and they
all cope with it in their own way. The researchers suggest that for the students to lessen the pressure they
are feeling, institutions should also consider and give more attention to the emotional well-being of their
students by adjusting the workload given to students especially in an online setup of classes for they all
deal with such personal problems in their homes as well.

VII. References