‘A completely different ballgame’: female A-level students’ experiences of academic demands, stress and coping

The elongation in the amount of time that adolescents remain in education in England has coincided with mounting concerns about increasing adolescent mental health problems. In light of research suggesting that A-level students in post-16 education may face a particularly high degree of academic pressure, this study aimed to deepen our understanding of how this stage of education is experienced. Sixteen female students in English sixth forms participated in task-based, semi-structured interviews aimed at generating a better understanding of their experiences of studying A-levels. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to systematically analyse the transcripts. The themes highlight that because students both aspire intensely to perform well and find studying A-levels challenging, particularly in comparison to GCSEs, it is an inescapably stress-inducing and sometimes overwhelming experience. This is especially true for students who have not cultivated a rich repertoire of time-management strategies or feel unable to seek support from adults. Our analysis suggests that studying A-levels is a uniquely difficult stage of education and that further research is needed to understand how best to support A-level students.