ACADEMIC BURNOUT AMONG ADOLESCENTS: RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS, PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS, AND PARENTING STYLES

Abstract

Academic burnout is a state of stress, exhaustion and disengagement caused by prolonged academic pressure and study load. Academic burnout negatively impacts school students both academically and psychologically. Many factors contribute to academic burnout among students but research on parent-child relationships and parenting styles is scarce. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between student demographics, parent-child relationships and parenting styles on academic burnout among secondary school students. 92 Grade 7 to Grade 9 students from a school in Chongqing Province, China completed an online questionnaire about academic burnout. Data was analysed during descriptive and inferential statistics. The research findings showed that there was no difference in academic burnout based on the students’ gender, single-child status, urban/rural living area, single parent household, father’s education level, and mother’s education level. Parent-child relationships were a predictor of academic burnout but not parenting style. This study suggests that a positive parent-child relationship can help students cope with academic burnout.