Urmila Panda, Prativa Ray, Dabashree Kar, Urjita Mohanty and Sephali Moharana
Background: Academic stress is a common issue among adolescents, particularly those in higher secondary education. Excessive academic pressure, fear of failure, and competition can negatively affect students’ mental health and academic performance. Enhancing awareness and providing proper education on stress and its management can help students cope effectively.Aims: To assess the effectiveness of a structured teaching programme (STP) on knowledge regarding academic stress and its management among Class 12 students of Chanakya Higher Secondary School, Malipada, Bhubaneswar.Methods: A quasi-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test design was adopted for the study. Thirty students were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a self-structured questionnaire consisting of 40 items related to academic stress and its management. The structured teaching programme was administered, and knowledge scores were evaluated before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including the paired t-test.Results: In the pre-test, 26.6% of students had poor knowledge, 73.3% had average knowledge, and none had good or excellent knowledge. After the teaching programme, 16.6% had good knowledge and 73.3% had excellent knowledge. The mean difference between pre-test and post-test scores was significant (t(29) = 16.19, p < 0.05), indicating improvement in knowledge after the intervention.Conclusions: The structured teaching programme was highly effective in improving students’ knowledge regarding academic stress and its management. Educational interventions can play a crucial role in promoting awareness and coping strategies among adolescents to reduce academic stress.
Academic Stress, Knowledge, Structured Teaching Programme, Stress Management, Adolescents.