Zur querschnittlichen Beziehung von Leistungsdruck, Leistungsorientierungen und dem Erleben von Angst und Stress in der Schule

Experiencing stress and anxiety at school impacts the academic development of students. The development of school-related stress and anxiety seems to depend on academic demands. Previous studies primarily described such academic demands as externally set by teachers (e.g., performance pressure). However, personal-motivational orientations, such as one’s own achievement orientation, can additionally impact the experience of external demands as well as the development of stress and anxiety. So far, the interplay of these dimensions has been addressed to a limited extent in research, especially when examining associations with stress and anxiety. Therefore, the aim of this study is to gain insights into the relation of school achievement, performance pressure and achievement orientation, as well as school stress and performance anxiety. Cross-sectional data of N = 583 6th and 7th graders was collected and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results provide evidence that school achievement is associated with students’ perceived stress and anxiety and that these effects are partially mediated by both students’ achievement orientation as well as their experienced performance pressure.