A Comparative Analysis of Student Academic Stress and Teacher Occupational Stress During High-Demand School Periods: Examining Control Groups, Gender Differences, and Cultural Influences

Academic stress among students and occupational stress among teachers have been widely studied as separate phenomena; however, limited research has examined both groups within the same academic environment during periods of high academic demand. The objective of the current research was to explore stress levels among students and teachers during examinations and to observe age and gender trends. The research design adopted was a quantitative study. The sample population (n = 205) was divided into 105 students of 12 to 27 years and 30 teachers of 22 to 56 years recruited in a school, a student comparison group of 49 students of 12 to 14 years, and a cultural comparison group of 21 students of 15 to 23 years. Student stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale-Children (PSS-C) and teacher stress by the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). Online and paper-based self-report questionnaires gathered data during examination periods. Findings showed that Group 4 had the highest mean stress (Mean = 18.39, Standard Deviation = 5.33), followed by Group 1 (Mean = 16.22, Standard Deviation = 5.35) and Group 3 (Mean = 16.00, Standard Deviation = 5.16), while Group 2 reported the lowest mean stress (Mean = 15.50, Standard Deviation = 4.99). The findings highlight that examination periods are associated with elevated stress for both students and teachers across different cultures, with students being particularly vulnerable. The research highlights the importance of targeted stress-management and mental health interventions in school settings during periods of high academic demand.