The Impact of Perceived Stress on Academic Achievement: A Study of Pupil Teachers in Teacher Education Programs

Abstract

This quantitative study, conducted under the Positivist paradigm, investigated the impact of stress on the academic achievement of pupil teachers. The study employed a stratified sampling technique to select a sample of 288 pupil teachers, both male and female, who were enrolled in a public university located in Lahore. These participants were students of the B.Ed. (Hons) and B.Ed. Secondary programs.To measure the stress levels of the participants, the researchers used the Stress Measuring Scale (SMS). The SMS is a standardized tool consisting of 30 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree." The reliability of this instrument was reported at 0.81 (Cronbach’s Alpha), ensuring acceptable internal consistency for the study. In contrast, the academic achievement of pupil teachers was assessed through their terminal semester performance, providing a reliable measure of their academic success.The data collected were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) to examine the relationship between stress and academic achievement. Furthermore, Linear Regression analysis was conducted to determine the predictive strength of stress on academic performance, with the help of SPSS version 26.0.The findings of the study revealed a moderate negative relationship between pupil teachers’ perceived stress and their academic achievement. This indicates that higher levels of stress were associated with lower academic performance among the participants. The study highlights the importance of addressing stress management strategies in teacher education programs to support pupil teachers’ academic success.