Lived Experiences of Students Regarding Academic Pressure, Family Expectations, and Challenges of Personal Identity Development
Keywords:
Academic pressure, Family expectations, Personal identity, Students, Lived experience, Qualitative research, TehranAbstract
This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of students in Tehran regarding academic pressure, family expectations, and challenges associated with personal identity development within school and family contexts. This qualitative study was conducted using a descriptive phenomenological design. Participants were 18 lower- and upper-secondary school students from Tehran, selected through purposive sampling with maximum variation in gender, grade level, school type, and academic performance. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Interviews lasted between 45 and 75 minutes. After verbatim transcription, the data were analyzed using thematic analysis with the assistance of NVivo software. To enhance trustworthiness, member checking, peer debriefing, reflexive memoing, and thick description of the research context were applied. Data analysis led to the extraction of five main categories: “academic pressure and performance anxiety,” “family expectations and conditional acceptance,” “conflict between the real self and imposed pathways to success,” “adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies,” and “supportive resources for identity and resilience.” The findings indicated that academic pressure was not limited to school workload or examinations; rather, it was intertwined with fear of judgment, family comparison, future-related concerns, and doubts about personal worth. Conversely, emotional support from parents, nonjudgmental dialogue, opportunities for choice, and experiences of non-grade-based success were identified as protective resources. Students’ lived experiences suggest that academic pressure and family expectations become psychologically harmful when students’ worth is reduced to grades, rankings, and future occupational status. Strengthening family–school communication, educating parents, expanding school counseling services, and providing opportunities for autonomous identity exploration may reduce psychological pressure and support healthier identity development among students.
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