Background and Aim: Academic stress plays an important role in students' mental health. The aim of the present study is to present a model of factors affecting students' academic stress.
Method: This study was conducted in terms of strategy, qualitative; and in terms of approach, based on the data-based theory of Strauss and Corbin. The statistical population was 340 administrators, teachers, heads of educational groups, and education experts in Ardabil province, of whom 20 were selected through cluster random sampling and then criterion-based purposive sampling. The data were obtained through semi-structured interviews, in such a way that data saturation was achieved by repeating concepts and not appearing new codes or categories, and analyzed in three coding stages with Atlas.ti 23.2 software. The validity of the study was confirmed by participant review, peer review, and external audit, reliability was confirmed with a kappa coefficient of 0.84.
Findings: The findings showed that students' academic stress is the result of the interaction of various factors such as homework pressure, parental expectations, competitive school environment, and experience of failure. These factors are strengthened or weakened in the context of individual characteristics, family circumstances, educational environment, and peer relationships. Also, coping skills, resilience, and social support play a role in stress modulation, and its consequences can range from improved performance to anxiety and academic failure.
Conclusion: The results showed that students' academic stress is the result of the interaction of individual, family, and school factors, which was explained in the form of a paradigmatic model.