INFLUENCE OF SITUATIONAL STRESS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MBOONI WEST SUB-COUNTY, MAKUENI COUNTY, KENYA
Abstract
Statement of the Problem: Students encounter various types of situational stress that have a detrimental impact on their academic performance. For instance, in public secondary schools located in Mbooni Sub- County, students consistently achieve poor academic performance in national examinations.
Purpose of the Study: The purpose of the study was to assess the influence of situational stress on the academic performance of students in public secondary schools in Mbooni West Sub- County, Makueni County, Kenya.
Methodology: The study adopted a mixed methodology and descriptive research and phenomenological research designs. The target population consisted of 8109 respondents, including 45 principals, 137 teacher-counselors, and 7927 students. A total of 378 respondents were included in the sample, which was determined using Yamane's Formula. The study employed stratified and simple random sampling techniques to determine the sample size. The qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis according to the objectives and subsequently presented in narrative formats. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, specifically frequencies and percentages. Additionally, inferential analysis was conducted using Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Analysis with the assistance of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 23). The results were presented in tables.
Findings: The study found that academic performance of students in KCSE has been on a decreasing trend for the last five years (2018-2022) and is attributed to situational stress which students experience.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the study reveals a concerning trend of declining academic performance in public secondary schools. One of the key findings is the significant positive correlation between situational stress and lower academic performance. This suggests that as stress levels among students increase, their academic achievements tend to suffer.
Recommendations: Teacher-counsellors should advise students on how to mitigate challenges arising from impending academic activities and overcome them without net negative effect on their future academic endeavours. Students should learn how to manage situations which are likely to cause them high-level stress. Principals and teacher-counsellors should create a conducive school environment devoid of factors which may precipitate stressful situations to students. The study also recommends that educational institutions take a multi-faceted approach to address the issue of rising stress levels among students. Schools should also consider reducing academic pressure by reassessing homework load and exam scheduling. Furthermore, collaboration with parents and healthcare professionals is advised to offer a more comprehensive support network for students.
Keywords: Situational stress, academic performance, public secondary schools.
References
American Psychological Association (2012). Stress in America survey. Washington, DC.
Bayram, N. & Bilgel, N. (2018). The prevalence and socio-demographic correlations of depression, anxiety and stress among a group of university students. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 43(8): 667–672.
Creswell, J. (2014). Research design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed method approaches. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.
Crozier, M. D. & Perkins, K. E. (2016). Exploring violence exposure, stress, protective factors and behavioral problems among inner-city youth. American Journal of Community Psychology, 32, 115–129.
Huesmann, M. W., Dubow, S. & Boker, T. (2017). Family and child characteristics linking neighborhood context and child externalizing behavior. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67, 515–529.
Kyalo, B. M. (2016). School factors influencing students’ performance in chemistry in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education in Makueni County, Kenya. Unpublished MED Thesis, University of Nairobi.
Lazarus, R. S. (1993). Psychological Stress Theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Ministry of Education (2020). A report on academic performance of secondary schools. Nairobi: Government Printer.
Nwoye, R., Okonkwo, H., & Opoto, N. J. B. A. (2018). Cumulative risk across family stressors: Short and long-term effects for adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 26, 119–128.
Ozer, E. (2017). The impact of violence on urban adolescents: Longitudinal effects of perceived school connection and family support. Journal of Adolescent Research, 20, 167–192.
Preskilla, O. M. (2020). Prevalence and Severity of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Adolescents Living and Attending Schools in Informal Settlements in Kajiado North Sub-county, Kenya. African Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2(3): 1-20.
Rubin, N., Kenneth, H., & Coplan, R. (2010). Social and nonsocial play in childhood: An individual differences perspective. Albany: State University of New York Press
Shaw, D., & Emery, R. (2015). Chronic family adversity and school-age students’ adjustment. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 27, 200.
Singh, M. M., Gupta, M. & Grover, S. (2017). Prevalence & factors associated with depression among school-going adolescents in Chandigarh, North India. Ind J Med Res, 146(2):205.
Smith, P., Dalgleish, M., & Herzmark, G. (2011). A comparison of the effects of fantasy play tutoring and skills tutoring in nursery classes. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 3(11): 34045.
Walberg, H. (2012). A psychological theory of educational outcomes and productivity. Psychological and Education, pp. 81-110.
