THE PRICE OF EXCELLENCE: EXPLORING PRESSURE AMONG

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STEM ACHIEVERS

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A Research Proposal
Presented to the Faculty of
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Strand
Leyte National High School
Tacloban City

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In Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements for the Subject
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1
(Qualitative Research)

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GROUP 1
March 2023
 INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Schools offer education and knowledge to its students. These students come to receive

education in order to achieve their hopes and dreams, to have a stable job, to have a better

life, and for other personal reasons. However, there are challenges from their academic

pursuits that they have to face. Challenges such as, academic pressure is something that most

students will have to confront. To top students in particular, this pressure is great. They have

to perform well in order to maintain their grade or to get a higher one. These top students are

those who manage to perform better in class than most their age, managing to attain high

grades and recognition from their peers and teachers.

These students are usually considered high-achievers in their academics due to.

making improvements that are far beyond what is expected of their age. Though it is part of

being a student to experience different issues and to be subjected to pressure, it shouldn't

come to a point where it can lead them to stop learning, being consumed by academic

pressure. Numerous studies have shown that academic pressure can have a significant

negative impact on students' physical and mental health, family relationships, and happiness

(Sun et al., 2011; Zhang et al., 2016). The demands of society, their family, their school, and

occasionally even their own expectations are the source of this pressure (Luo et al., 2020).

These achievers often feel strained because of the pressures they experience in their

academic pursuits. These students always place themselves in opportunities that will help

them achieve their academic goals. However, high-achieving students are also neglected

when it comes to stress and overall, mental health. This is due to the fact that other students

think that these top students don’t suffer as well. This can lead to discrimination towards

these achievers and can also lead to these same students who discriminate against them, to
pin all the work on these top students when they are in groupings. One person cannot do a

hundred men’s job and yet there are still people who think that because these top students

perform well in class, they do not face any stress on their academics. Though they have their

own set of circumstances, these people who have this view on top students, don’t understand

the suffering and pain they go through. These high-achieving students are willing to sacrifice

their sleep, leisure time, and even their teenage lives to achieve their goals.

Apparently, this academic pressure amongst high achieving students can also be

observed in Senior High, Grade 11 and 12. This environment can be more stressful than the

previous levels. There are more assignments, readings, writings, projects, and group works.

That would be the case since this education level is preparatory for college. This environment

can lead to stress. However, it has been observed that there are high-achieving senior high

school students who can handle and cope with stress without the need of others. Strong self-

control ability can also relieve academic pressure and reduce negative emotions, according to

a study, which found that academic pressure can regulate adolescents' problem behavior (Xu

et al., 2018). That is despite the misunderstanding they receive from the people around them.

To begin with, many high-achieving senior high school students of Leyte National

High School (LNHS), particularly those from the Science, Technology, Engineering, and

Mathematics (STEM) strand, have done things that further improve their study habits. This

resulted in great records on their report cards, impressing their families, acquaintances, and

friends and this made the students with high-honors proud. However, this also made the

students feel pressure because of the expectation that they, now need to meet. Particularly,

this can be observed in the STEM strand, a competitive environment filled with competitive

peers. Most of them, if not all of them are being expected to be able to maintain their high

grades and everything to be easy for them to handle. This resulted in the neglection of the
well-being and lack of consideration of the obstacles that they, high-achieving students are

going through.

Chen and Stevenson (1995) found that -achieving students in Asian cultures

experience unique cultural and familial pressures that their non-Asian counterparts may not

face. These pressures may include a heavy emphasis on academic success, competition with

peers, and the belief that individual achievement brings honor to the family. Similarly, Pope

et al. (2001) reported that many high-achieving students in the United States experience

pressure to excel academically, resulting in a high prevalence of stress, anxiety, and

depression. In addition, a number of studies have also found that academic pressure may

affect adolescents’ problem behavior through parent–child conflict. When academic

performance does not satisfy parents, it will affect family relationships and result in parent-

child conflict, which may increase adolescents' problem behavior. Academic pressure

includes the pressure that parents place on adolescents (Huan et al., 2008).

To manage the negative impact of academic pressure on high-achieving students,

Jacobs and Newstead (2000) suggest that it is necessary to understand the factors that cause

this stress. This can be achieved by conducting further research about the stressors of these

high-achieving students. Luo et al. (2020) conducted a study on academic pressure and

coping strategies among Chinese high school students. In their study, they found that social

support and self-efficacy were effective coping strategies for managing academic pressure.

This research will provide insights into the underlying causes of academic pressure in high-

achieving senior high school students and aid in the development of ways that can help them

manage stress and achieve their academic goals while maintaining good mental health.

These high achievers are prone to stress, being in such an environment. They are

pressured by many, including themselves. This issue should not be neglected as it can result

to poor academic performance and can also be negative for the students’ overall well-being.
Therefore, exploring the perceptions and experiences of high achieving senior high school

STEM students on academic pressure is important. This can lead to gaining insight on how to

help these students cope with the stress they face. Parents, teachers, and even students, must

take importance in tackling this issue as it can lead to a better future, a better environment.

An environment that truly fosters and develops the youth without costing them their mental

health.

The objective of this study is to gain a deeper understanding on the factors that

contribute and cause academic pressure in high-achieving senior high STEM students. By

exploring their perceptions and experiences on academic pressure, this study aims to seek

ways to cope and manage this pressure and help these top students with their academic

pursuits without the need to sacrifice their mental health and well-being.

The purpose of this study is to develop a better understanding of the various factors

that contribute to the academic pressure that high-achieving senior high STEM students face.

By conducting this study, methods to cope or manage academic stress will be uncovered or

developed. Exploring the perceptions and experiences of these students will help students

identify their stressors, and prioritize their sanity and well-being.

Statement of the Problem

The aim of this qualitative phenomenological research is to explore the lived

experiences of high-achieving senior high school STEM students enrolled in Leyte National

High School. Specifically, the study will seek to answer these following research questions:

1. How does the pressure experienced by high-achieving senior high school STEM

students impact their well-being, academic performance, and future aspirations?

2. What coping mechanisms do high-achieving senior high school STEM students use to

manage academic pressure?

3. How do high-achieving senior high school STEM students feel about seeking support

from their family, friends, teachers, and mental health professionals?

Significance of the study

The findings of this study will benefit the following:

Students: Students will benefit from this study's findings by becoming more aware and

conscious of the various pressures they could encounter in their academic endeavors. With

this information, students can discover practical ways to deal with these pressures. This can

also cleat the discrimination and misunderstandings that some students have of top students.
Teachers. The findings of the study will give teachers a better understanding of the various

pressures that their students may face, as well as how these pressures can affect their

academic performance. Teachers can develop and adapt new ways to teach students. They

can also be more aware of the pressures their students face and in turn, help students reach

their academic goals.

School administrators and policymakers. The study’s findings will benefit school

administrators and policy makers as it will help them attend to the needs of top students as

well as make new policies that will help foster the brilliant youth. This will also help them

assess already existing rules and policies, making it improve to be more bearable for all

students.

Future researchers. This can serve as a roadmap for further investigation. This can also

provide insights as to what studies future researchers can conduct. The findings in this study

can also be used to help give foundation to future researchers’ studies. Overall, it can have a

large contribution to the world of research by providing incites about academic pressure and

how high achieving stem students perceive them.

Scope and Delimitation

In this research, we focus on exploring the perception of pressure in high-achieving

senior high school students in Leyte National High School. This will include how students in

this school perceive and experience academic pressure in their pursuit of excellence. Through

this study, we are to seek out or identify the coping mechanisms that senior-high STEM

achievers use to manage the pressure they face in their academic pursuits. Moreover, the

study will also explore how these students feel about asking for support from their family,

friends, teachers, and health professionals.

 However, in this study, it delimits to honor students who have maintained their

academic excellence from high school through senior high and have a general average of at

least 95. On this basis, we can filter out those students who experienced consistent academic

pressure. Thus, students are able to provide rich insights into their perceptions and

experiences of academic pressure, and we can ensure that these students can provide effective

coping mechanisms.

This research will only be conducted within Leyte National High School along with

the STEM strand. Therefore, the result may not be applicable to other schools or other tracks

or strands. On top of that, this study will only rely on the data from the participants, which

may produce biases. Finally, the study will only be applicable to students from the Leyte

National High School and not to the students’ teachers or parents, because it may provide a

different perspective.

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