Abstract:
The present study was a phenomenological investigation of adolescent constructs
of stress and academic achievement. The study utilised a modified version of George
Kelly's Repertory Grid Technique to provide direct insight into adolescent stress and
academic achievement.
The premise of the study was that only students who exhibited extreme cases of
stress and academic achievement levels would be examined. The investigation identified
and examined the adolescents who exhibited these extremes and explored the underlying
constructs that defined these differences. It was expected that if adolescents were able to
identify the stressors in their lives, how these stressors affect their lives, and how these
stressors affect their academic performance, then suggestions could be made to help
students to better cope with stress and to improve their academic achievement level.
Further, based on the results of the study, the pedagogical implications for
classroom research are provided. Phenomenological inquiries, using modified, and less
complex versions of the repertory grid, can be conducted pre-, mid-, and postacademic
terms, to determine and to monitor the stressors and the academic performance of the
students in a classroom. Specific assessments for individual students will help teachers to
better exercise their knowledge and understanding of the realm of teaching and learning
strategies (e.g., Gardiner's Multiple Intelligences) that exist.
