Level of stress among Advanced Level students: A case study

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that affect the stress level of A/L students and determine the relationships between stress level and those factors. Stress affects people’s behaviors, communications, and efficiency. Stress is not only a factor in workplaces; it is also a common factor in educational environments experienced by students. The participants of this study are 300 Advanced Level (2013) students of secondary schools in the Minuwangoda Zone. The reason for choosing Minuwangoda Zone is mainly because it has a high success rate among the schools in the Gampaha District, in terms of Advanced Level results. Leading A’Level schools are found in this zone. The main objective of the study is to describe the effect of study habits, parental attachment, demographics and attitudes of students on the level of stress. Stratified random sampling was used to select a proper sample size for the analysis. The population of students was stratified under three factors: School Category, Gender, and Subject Stream. A questionnaire was designed to collect relevant information about gender, subject stream, attitude towards subjects, physical health, study habits, parental attachment and the response level of stress. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, graphical summaries, non-parametric tests and finally a logistic regression model. The analysis showed that factors like concentration, lack of time at exams, trust of parents, sleepiness while studying, number of tuition classes, and being allocated space for studying, are contributory factors to the level of stress of students.