Conclusions and Suggestions

O
n the basis of analysis, interpretation and discussion of the results presented in
the foregoing chapters, the present study has arrived at certain interesting and
useful conclusions. A brief reporting of these conclusions are summarised
under the following captions:

Section A: Correlational Analysis

Section B: Comparative Analysis

Section A: Correlational Analysis

This section is reported with the following conclusions:
 Significant positive relationship has been found between the composite
scores of academic stress and parental pressure.
 Significant positive relationship has been found between pressure from study
factor of academic stress and parental pressure among adolescent students.
 Significant positive relationship has been found between workload factor of
academic stress and parental pressure among adolescent students.
 Significant positive relationship has been found between worry about grades
factor of academic stress and parental pressure among adolescent students.
 Significant positive relationship has been found between self-expectation
factor of academic stress and parental pressure among adolescent students.
 Significant positive relationship has been found between despondency factor
of academic stress and parental pressure among adolescent students.
 It has been found that a significant positive relationship exists between the
composite scores of academic stress and depression.

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 Conclusions and Suggestions

 Significant positive relationship has been found between pressure from study
factor of academic stress and depression.
 Significant positive correlation has been found between workload factor of
academic stress and depression.
 Significant positive association has been found between worry about grades
factor of academic stress and depression.
 Significant positive relationship has been found between self-expectation
factor of academic stress and depression.
 Significant positive correlation has been found between despondency factor
of academic stress and depression.
 Significant positive relationship has been found between perceived parental
pressure and depression.
 Significant negative relationship has been found between the composite
scores of self-efficacy and academic stress.
 Significant negative relationship has been found between self-efficacy and
pressure from study factor of academic stress among adolescent students.
 Significant negative relationship has been found between self-efficacy and
workload factor of academic stress among adolescent students.
 Significant negative relationship has been found between self-efficacy and
worry about grades factor of academic stress among adolescent students.
 Significant negative relationship has been found between self-efficacy and
self-expectation factor of academic stress among adolescent students.
 Significant negative relationship has been found between self-efficacy and
despondency factor of academic stress among adolescent students.
 Significant negative relationship has found between self-efficacy and
parental pressure.
 It has been revealed that there exists a significant negative relationship
between self-efficacy and depression.

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 Conclusions and Suggestions

Section B: Comparative Analysis

This section is reported with the following conclusions:
 It has been found that adolescent male and female students differ
significantly on composite score of academic stress.
 It has been found that adolescent male and female students differ
significantly on pressure from study factor of academic stress.
 It has been found that adolescent male and female students do not differ
significantly on workload factor of academic stress.
 It has been found that adolescent male and female students differ
significantly on worry about grades factor of academic stress.
 It has been found that adolescent male and female students differ
significantly on self-expectation factor of academic stress.
 It has been found that adolescent male and female students differ
significantly on despondency factor of academic stress.
 No significant difference has been found between adolescent male and
female students on parental pressure.
 Significant difference has been found between adolescent male and female
students on depression.
 No significant difference has been found between adolescent male and
female students on self-efficacy.

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 Conclusions and Suggestions

INFERENTIAL SUGGESTIONS
For Students:
 No one can help you to succeed even your knowledge and skills, if you have
no faith in your abilities. Belief in self is the first psychological key to
success. Others can only boost or break your self-efficacy beliefs. Therefore,
it is recommended not to depend on others approval, always try to enhance
your self-efficacy beliefs by trusting in your own abilities and by adopting
‘can do’ attitude in the face of adversities, to cope with stressful and
challenging situations of life. A positive sense of self-perception acts as a
catalyst for achieving success, no matter the circumstances may be. Strong
self-efficacy beliefs help to keep doubt, anxiety and distress at bay, as self-
efficacy is a motivational resource that helps students not only to bounce
back after adversities, but also to counteract doubt as well as preserve their
effort and persistence.
 Of course, no amount of confidence or self-appreciation can produce the
desired results, when requisite skills and knowledge are absent, but at the
same time, mere possession of knowledge is not enough; students'
confidence in self is essential for successful accomplishment of any task or
assignment.
 Time management plays a key role in the life of students. Effective time
management helps students to reduce their academic burden. Students should
therefore design an effective study schedule and must be committed to it for
successful completion of their course syllabus and other academic related
activities. It helps them to track and monitor their progress. Whether it is
study, play or rest, time must be spent wisely. Time table should be framed
keeping in view the total time available. Students should study regularly and
not just before exams and should also avoid long gaps in their studies to
avoid academic stress.
 Adopt an optimistic attitude in all situations of life. Think positively and
become a positive thinker to overcome stress and depression. Positive

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 Conclusions and Suggestions

thinking may improve physical and psychological well-being by diminishing

the feelings of stress and depression.
 Set realistic, specific, measurable, and achievable, goals. It is possible to
keep stress under control by setting realistic expectations. Students also need
to commit themselves to goals they set for themselves. Students who set
realistic goals and stick to them are more likely to stay motivated and
achieve success in their studies.
 It is suggested that students should involve themselves in various types of
co-curricular activities at frequent intervals, as this will help them to mitigate
their mental strain.

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 Conclusions and Suggestions

For Parents and Teachers:

 Considered as future decider period of an individuals' life, adolescence is a
crucial phase requiring utmost parental care and support, teacher empathy
and adequate guidance and counselling services. So, it is the responsibility of
parents and teachers to pay undue attention to this stage of children.
 Self-efficacy beliefs of students are influenced by several factors but the
most important among them are parents, because child’s preliminary efficacy
beliefs are shaped by the family and parental influences are extremely
important. Parental attitudes like over-protection, too much care,
punitiveness, and no freedom for autonomous decision-making can impede
the student's sense of confidence and ability to succeed, thereby lowering
their self-efficacy beliefs; whereas, parents who respect their child’s
autonomy, create opportunities for efficacious actions by providing
supportive environment and permit freedom of movement for exploration
enhances his/her self-confidence.
 Parent involvement to a certain extent can aid students’ learning, but too
much involvement and interference may have a detrimental effect. Such
children often get exasperated and may even begin to doubt their ability,
which deteriorates their health, performance and confidence.
 The brain works optimally when appropriately challenged, but may not
respond well or even go blank under perceived stress or threat. It functions
best in supportive and stress free environment. It is therefore advised not to
pressurize children by setting unrealistic expectations and putting higher
academic demands on them (excessive tests, homework). Furthermore the
stress level of students can be reduced by accepting individual differences,
avoiding comparison, taking brain breaks and by being supportive.
 Stop comparing your children with others. This trait of competing and
comparing lowers your child’s confidence level. Every child is unique in
his/her abilities and potentialities; they may have different talents, interests,
strengths and weaknesses. If the child is constantly being compared, he/she
starts believing that others are better than him/her and that he/she is

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incapable of performing well, this lowers his/her self-confidence giving rise

to various negative thoughts leading to stress, anxiety and depression.
Parents feel that by comparing they are creating a competitive spirit among
their children. But little they know the fact that instead of feeling
competitive, it make him/her feel not only inferior and unwanted but also
makes the child feel guilty.
 When parents want to suppress their child’s autonomy under their imposed
course or career choices, a severe psychological stress starts to develop in
students mind and ultimately a time comes when they are not able to handle
the stress and succumb to their parental expectations and unfulfilled dreams.
This ill-fated journey starts when parents push their children to opt for the
courses that they are not interested in or lack ability to pursue such courses.
It causes self-doubt and lack of self-confidence among students, which
eventually leads to poor academic performance and depression among them.
 Provide unconditional love and support to your child. If he/she is unable to
score marks as per your set benchmarks, do not make him/her feel that
he/she has let you down or embarrassed you. Encourage him/her to work
hard and always appreciate his/her efforts. This will enhance his/her self-
efficacy beliefs and reduces academic pressure. Encouragement enhances
self-efficacy, whereas criticism and discouragement hampers it. Thus always
try to encourage students’ efforts instead of criticizing them.
 Parents need to change their mind set. Academia should not be viewed as the
sole source of achievement. Your child can do miracle in other fields also
besides education, know your child interest and abilities and try to boost and
nourish those talents.
 Verbal persuasion is the potent method to increase self-efficacy. The
message students get from significant others affirm their abilities and
strengthen their efficacy beliefs. Positive persuasion boosts the confidence
level of students, whereas negative persuasion weakens their self-efficacy
beliefs. Thus, students' certainty about their ability to master a situation is
influenced by what they hear from their parents, teachers and friends.

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 Conclusions and Suggestions

 Parents should be sensitized by counsellors and social workers about the

negative effects of stress on the performance, health and over-all
development of adolescent students.
 Adequate guidance and counselling services should be made available in
schools for helping students to deal with stressful and challenging situations
related to their academic, personal and social life effectively. It is therefore
important to have mental health professionals available in high schools for
early detection and intervention of mental health problems faced by students.

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 Conclusions and Suggestions

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH:

 The present study is limited to Kashmir division. In order to have some

broader and comprehensive perspective, the study may be extended to other
divisions and states.

 Impact studies should be conducted on the effect of counselling in reducing

perceived academic stress, parental pressure, depression, and improving self-
efficacy of students.

 Similar investigation may be conducted by including factors like type of

schools, locale, parental education, and parental occupation.

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 Conclusions and Suggestions

EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
 This study may prove helpful in educating parents and teachers about the
issues faced by students during the stage of adolescence.
 The current study may help the educational stakeholders in understanding
how the dynamics of stress which is peculiar to the stage of adolescence is
reinforced by parents and teachers by making unrealistic demands, giving
birth to a special type of stress called as academic stress.
 This study advocates the avoidance of unrealistic expectations and goals, so
as to reduce the academic stress and psychological distress among adolescent
students.
 The findings of this study may prove quite valuable for teachers and parents
for making them aware of the ill effects (stress, depression, poor
performance, suicidal attempts and thoughts) of high academic demands,
aspirations and workload.
 This study emphasizes that undue interference in students’ academic life can
lower their self-confidence, leading to self-doubt, poor performance and
various mental health issues.
 This study highlights the importance of one of the most influential personal
coping resources labelled as self-efficacy and its impact on psychological
well-being and performance of students.
 This study lays great emphasis on the need of creating cordial and stress free
environment both at home and school, which is essential for maintaining
sound health of the students and improving their performance.
 The present study highlights the importance of parental support and
encouragement in reducing stress and enhancing self-esteem of students.
 This study focuses the attention of policy makers, educationists, school
authorities in extending guidance and counselling services to the adolescent
students and organising effective and integrative intervention programmes
for reducing their academic stress and recuperating their psychological well-
being as well as self-efficacy beliefs.

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 Conclusions and Suggestions

 The findings of this study brought into focus the fact that every individual is
a distinct creation in itself, having different capacities, needs and interests, so
parents should avoid comparing and criticising their children. If parents truly
want their children to succeed, the best way is to plan their future keeping
these differences in mind and instead try to accept them with their
limitations. Also while teaching the teachers should take this fact into
consideration.

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