Assessment of the Prevalence of Academic Stress Among Secondary School Students in Kano State

Academic stress among secondary school students has emerged as a significant concern in Nigerian education, with implications for mental health, academic performance, and overall wellbeing. This study assessed the prevalence of academic stress and its primary sources among Senior Secondary School students in Kano State, North West Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with a validated Student Academic Stress Scale administered to 300 students from six public secondary schools in Kano Municipal and Fagge Local Government Areas, selected through stratified random sampling. Data were analysed using frequency counts, percentages, and mean scores. Results indicated that 71.3 percent of respondents experienced moderate to high levels of academic stress. The most frequently reported stressors were examination pressure (82.7 percent), fear of failure (74.3 percent), heavy workload (68.0 percent), and parental academic expectations (61.3 percent). Female students reported significantly higher stress levels than male students (t = 2.14, p < 0.05). Students in SS3 had the highest stress scores compared to SS1 and SS2 peers. Availability and utilisation of school counselling services was reported by only 24.7 percent of respondents, suggesting that support structures are inadequate for the identified stress burden. The study concludes that academic stress is prevalent and inadequately managed in Kano secondary schools. Recommendations include strengthening school counselling units, conducting regular stress awareness workshops, and training teachers in basic stress recognition to facilitate early referral of affected students to qualified counsellors. Keywords: academic stress, secondary school students, Kano State, school counselling, stress prevalence