The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Academic Stress among Secondary School Students in Sri Lanka: A Quantitative Study

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and academic stress among secondary school students in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka in the context of the economic crisis. Using a cross-sectional, quantitative research design, data were collected from 155 students across government, private, and international schools. Correlational analysis (RQ1) revealed significant negative relationships between academic stress and socioeconomic status (r = -0.705, p < 0.001), household income (r = -0.526, p < 0.001), and parental occupation (r = -0.160, p = 0.048), indicating that students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds tend to experience lower academic stress. Multiple regression analysis (RQ2) showed that socioeconomic status was a strong and significant predictor of academic stress (β = -0.700, p < 0.001), while household income and parental occupation were not significant when SES was included in the model. ANOVA results (RQ3) demonstrated significant differences in academic stress across household income groups, F(3, 150) = 32.922, p < 0.001, suggesting that students from lower-income households experience higher levels of academic stress. These findings highlight the critical role of socioeconomic conditions in shaping students' academic well-being and recommend targeted policy interventions to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds and call for further longitudinal studies to better understand long-term impacts.