Yr 9 Newspaper article #2
View the original article here.
The Result of Stress From School
by Julia Hemmendy 9A
Studies show that Swedish teens are experiencing higher levels of stress in comparison to past generations. According to Don Hill, an American teacher in Sweden, the Swedish National Tests for year 3, 6 and 9 tries to assess the results in too many ways for students to successfully handle.
Main causes for stress in students include, but are not limited to, pressure of academic success, romantic relationships and lack of time management skills. It often results in a vicious circle when you and your friends compete in test scores and grades, and may end in a serious amount of stress. Stress may affect your stomach, bowel, liver, muscles and reproductive system, and cause trouble in the future.
Don Hill is the Vice Principal of Internationella Engelska Skolan, with teaching qualifications in math and psychology. He grew up in America and has studied in both the US and Sweden. When asked about the Swedish National Tests, Hill reveals that the Tests are created to assess in two different areas; to get an average over the students’ scores in Sweden, and for each individual student to receive feedback on their academic level. “I think that the national tests are too big of an aspect within Swedish education both in time and scope,” Hill apprises. He wants the constructors of the tests to decide which of the aforementioned areas they should measure, as he believes that the Tests only have quality time to evaluate one area. Hill also imagines that it would greatly help students if their teachers would notify them of the importance of the Tests, as they have the same weight as any other assessment in that subject.
“We [teachers] need to teach about the process of learning as much, if not more, [than] what we are learning.” Hill stresses the significance of a student’s understanding of their assignments, as he is convinced that it is crucial for teachers to explain the purpose of homework and other assessments, not only to decrease stress levels among students, but to make it easier for teachers, too.
Signs of stress incorporates cold hands, frequent clench of jaw, increased or decreased appetite, constant tiredness, insomnia and feelings of overwhelm. Long term stress may stem depression or anxiety. It is essential for students that their parents or legal guardians take time to recognize the hardship of being a student, but also the general pressure teenagers go through.
It is worth to notice that although stress is mainly a negative feeling, the right dose may be helpful for productive efficiency. If a student does not feel the need to do homework before a deadline, they may never do the homework at all. But there is a fine line between efficient work and unproductive stress, a line which teachers and students should be aware of.
Works Cited:
Sutter Health – Palo Alto Medical Foundation, 06-01-2017
I believe this page is reliable because it was written by Becky Beacom, a “health education manager for PAMF” and she asked 124 teens on what made them stressed. This results in the relevancy and reliability of the page, as my article is about stress in teens, and the survey asked teens about stress.
The site is made up of educators, scientists, social workers and researchers focused on the health of teenagers. Some of the articles are even written by teenagers – though it should be noted that those articles are peer edited and reviewed for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and false facts.
The American Institute of Stress, 06-01-2017
The AIS is a non-profit organisation founded in 1978, and in their FAQs it says, “The Institute is dedicated to advancing understanding of the role of stress in health and illness, the nature and importance of mind/body relationships and how to use our vast innate potential for self-healing.”
I find the site trustworthy because of their aspiration of helping people with facts about stress; “We make a living by what we get, but a life by what we give.” The slogan suggests their wish to help people, and that they receive money by donations, which they do. The site is also redundant due to the fact that my article is about stress, and the site is literally called “The American Institute of Stress.” Because of this, I can conclude that the site is indeed relevant and trustworthy.
American Psychology Association, 06-01-2017
On APA’s About APA page, it says “Our mission is to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives.” The site is made up of volunteer workers with official staff members overlooking their progress at their HQ in the capital of the United States. On their Who We Are page, it says that the association was founded in 1892 and that it has 115,700 members (doesn’t say last updated).
I trust them because they have their official files and documents from 2017 to after 1950 published on the site, and they seem to be aspiring for the development of people’s understanding of psychology. I don’t think they would want to further the knowledge of the human mind if they themselves hadn’t studied it. I chose the site because they had extensive information about my topic and the physical effects of stress.
Thus, from the former examples and facts, I can conclude that American Psychology Association is indeed relevant and reliable.
Interview with Mr Hill and Ms Bergström, 09-01-2017
As this is only a copy of the answers – of my interviewees’ subjective perspectives – I received from Mr Hill and Ms Bergström, I don’t see how these could be anything but reliable and redundant; I based my article on the answers I got from Mr Hill and their opinions are fully subjective and are not linked to further sites.
