A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ACADEMIC ANXIETY BETWEEN STUDENTS FROM PRIVATE AND GOVERNMOENT SCHOOLS ACROSS URBAN AND RURAL LOCATIONS

Abstract

Research Background: Academic anxiety among school students has become an important area of concern in educational psychology, as excessive anxiety can negatively affect students’ academic performance, emotional well-being, and overall development. Factors such as type of school and geographical location play a crucial role in shaping students’ academic experiences and stress levels. Differences in academic expectations, resources, teaching practices, and socio-cultural environments between private and government schools, as well as between urban and rural areas, may influence students’ academic anxiety. Understanding these differences is essential for developing effective educational and psychological interventions. Objectives: The objectives of the present study were to examine the effect of type of school (government and private) on academic anxiety, to study the effect of type of locality (urban and rural) on academic anxiety, and to analyze the interaction effect between type of school and type of locality on the academic anxiety of students studying in Standards IX to XII. Procedure: The study was conducted on a sample of 120 students studying in Standards IX, X, XI, and XII, selected from Satara district using the purposive sampling technique. The type of school and type of locality were treated as independent variables, while academic anxiety was considered the dependent variable. A 2 × 2 factorial research design was employed to examine both the main effects and the interaction effect of school type and locality. Academic anxiety was measured using the Academic Anxiety Scale (AAS-SAMRUA) developed by Dr. Mohd. Abid Siddiqui and Dr. Atiq-ur-Rehman, a standardized and reliable tool for assessing academic anxiety among adolescents. Conclusions: The findings revealed that there is a significant difference in academic anxiety between students of government and private schools, with private and government students differing in their levels of anxiety. However, no significant difference was found in academic anxiety between urban and rural students. Additionally, the interaction effect between type of school and type of locality on academic anxiety was not significant, indicating that the influence of school type on academic anxiety does not vary across urban and rural locations.