Cultural Impact of Perceived Parental Expectations on Students’ Academic Stress

Abstract

The current study was conducted to investigate the cultural impact of perceived parental expectation on students’ academic stress. Study was completed through correlational research design. Survey was conducted by using questionnaires as a method of data collection. Multistage-sampling technique was used to approach the respondents. As a sample of study 977 students were selected. There are two research instruments that were used; Perceived Parental Expectation Scale (Wang, & Heppner, 2002) and Questionnaire of Academic Stress in Secondary Education (Garcia-Ros, Perez-Gonzalez, & Tomas, 2018). Following statistical tests were used to analyze the data; Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, Linear regression, t-test for independent samples design, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results revealed that a positive relationship between parental expectation and academic stress, standard regression model show significant impact of parental expectations on academic stress and difference of perceived parental expectations and academic stress with respect to the gender of the students’ differences was reported in result favoring male students for higher expectations and stress. Students those parents were unemployed reported to perceive higher level of parental expectations and academic stress. Significant differences due to geographical location of zones (upper Punjab, central Punjab and southern Punjab) relative to parental expectations and academic stress was also reported. Significant results were reported according to different groups of parental education. In the domain of SES, there are differences in parental expectations and academic stress among students at secondary level.