‘Your whole life depends on it’: academic stress and high-stakes testing in Ireland

Abstract

International research consistently shows that high-stakes exams are a significant source of stress and worry for students within secondary education. Existing research focuses on individual variation in exam-related stress levels among students with very little attention given to the influence of school context on student stress. Using data from the Irish Post-Primary Longitudinal Study, a mixed methods study of secondary students, this paper examines both individual and school level factors influencing the levels of stress among students preparing for the nationally standardised Leaving Certificate examination. The paper presents new findings which highlight the potential role of schools in ameliorating student stress. Findings show that student stress is not only influenced by individual-level factors but that certain aspects of the schooling process impact on stress levels. In particular, the quality of student–teacher interaction and peer relations within the school are found to have a significant impact on student stress levels. Students with more positive interactions with their teachers have lower stress levels with higher stress levels among those who have experienced bullying from peers. Stress is also influenced by programme choice at upper secondary level and the extent to which students are facilitated in their choice of subjects.

Keywords:

• stress
• high stakes
• examination
• school climate

Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to Anne Looney and John Hammond of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) for their support and encouragement. Thanks are due to Emma Calvert for her contribution to the broader study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. There are, of course, a number of other background and biographical factors which impact on stress levels. These are not included here because of the focus on school and exam factors. A follow-up study with this cohort of young people (McCoy et al. 2014) indicates that family illness and parental imprisonment are significant factors in stress in early adulthood.

Additional information

Funding

The paper draws on the larger PPLS funded by the NCCA and the Department of Education and Skills.