The Role of Perceived Parental Pressure and Academic Anxiety in Predicting Academic Achievement Among Higher Secondary Students

Abstract

Perceived parental pressure is a key psychological and environmental factor influencing students’ academic performance. Although academic anxiety has been widely studied as a factor hindering academic achievement, the combined predictive effects of perceived parental pressure and academic anxiety on achievement have remained unexplored. The study investigated the combined effect of perceived parental pressure and academic anxiety in predicting academic achievement among higher secondary school students. Two hundred students were selected using simple random sampling from some higher secondary schools in Imphal West, Manipur. Two standardized measurement tools were used to collect data: the Perceived Parental Academic Pressure Scale (Kaynak et al., 2023) and the Academic Anxiety Scale (Sharma & Shakir, 2019). Academic achievement was measured using the percentage of marks obtained by students in the Class X final examination. The data were analyzed using SPSS. Correlation analysis showed that perceived parental pressure was positively correlated with academic anxiety and negatively correlated with academic achievement. In addition, academic anxiety was negatively correlated with academic achievement. Regression analysis showed that academic anxiety was a significant predictor of academic achievement, while perceived parental pressure did not significantly predict academic achievement when academic anxiety was included in the model. The findings highlight that excessive parental pressure increases academic anxiety, which in turn has a negative impact on academic performance. It is recommended that intervention programs be implemented to manage academic anxiety, educate parents, and foster balanced academic environments in order to enhance student well-being and academic performance.