A Study to Explore and Compare the Stress and Related Factors Among the Students of Paid and Free Hostel Accommodation of Selected Residential Schools of Mysore

Abstract

The level of stress experienced by the hostel students is considerable hence need for information has been well documented. The present was aimed to assess and compare the level of stress experienced by the hostel students at selected residential schools of Mysore. An exploratory descriptive survey approach was selected for the study. The aim of the descriptive studies is to observe, describe and compare the levels of stress experienced by the high school students staying in free and paid hostels and document aspects of a situation as it naturally occurs. Samples and sampling criteria: the samples were 120 high school students comprising 60 – free and 60- paid hostel students from selected residential schools of Mysore. Nonprobability convenient sampling was used to select the samples for the study. Convenient sampling is the selection of most readily available persons as study participants. Tools consisted of Performa for socio demographic characteristics, structured perceived student stress scale, structured hostel related factors. All the tools were validated by the experts and reliability was established using testretest method. Pilot study was conducted and the study was found feasible. Data collection procedure: On day 1, structured perceived student stress scale and hostel related factors was administered on paid hostel group. On day 2, structured perceived student stress scale and hostel related factors was administered on free hostel group. Results: Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. the perceived stress level among the free students was higher (37.33) than the paid hostel group (33.10) and it was found significant (3.58, p>0.05) and the hostel related factors scores was higher among free hostel group (13.28) than the paid hostel group (7.23). chi- square was computed to find the association with selected personal variables, variables like age, educational status of parents, distance of hostel from residence, order of birth and years of stay in hostel shown significance. Computed co-relation revealed that there is positive co-relation between perceived stress and hostel related factors. Conclusion: thus it is conclude that, the facilities at the hostel aids in reducing the perceived stress from the entities like physical separation from the parents, limited outing time, strict rules and regulations of the hostel etc. hence measures like meditation, play hours need to be given importance while framing the rules and regulations of the hostel.