Time Pressure and Systemic Stress Among IBDP Students in Shanghai International Schools

Nord Anglia Chinese International School Shanghai, Minhang, Shanghai, 201100, China

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

With increasingly more competitive university admissions, Asian international high school students are facing severe academic and time-related pressures. These challenges are often compounded by the expectations for success from parents. This study examines the pressures that international students in Shanghai who are enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) experienced by using a method of questionnaire survey, and investigates student perspectives to analyze the specific stresses associated with the IB curriculum. The findings are discussed with reference to existing literature and the survey data from the questionnaire to provide a comprehensive analysis of the IBDP and question the heavy workload imposed on international students in Shanghai, which leads to a huge time-related pressure. By focusing on the issue of heavy workload in the IBDP, particularly the resistance it generates and the time pressure on students, the study seeks to explore the deep causes of the time pressure and to provide a more comprehensive understanding of students’ pressure.