The workload of primary school children with schoolwork is increasingly recognized as an important area of research, as it represents a growing challenge for the modern educational system. Pupils often face academic demands that lead to feelings of overload, fatigue, and distress.
In my thesis, I conducted a qualitative study among 9th-grade primary school pupils to explore how they experience school workload, which factors they identify as key sources of pressure, what strategies they use to cope with it, how school workload affects their mental and physical health, and what role the school counselling service plays in this context.
The research results showed that pupils primarily understand school workload as the sum of all academic obligations, which frequently cause them stress, tension, and fatigue. The greatest burden for pupils is represented by frequent assessments, extensive homework, and high expectations from teachers. Pupils most commonly cope with the workload through time management, relaxation activities, and conversations with close others. However, for some pupils, school workload also manifests in sleep difficulties and overall poor well-being.
Most pupils have experience with the school counselling service primarily in the context of career guidance, but they believe that it could be more involved in addressing school (over)workload and everyday challenges.
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