Vol. 6, Issue 2, Part D (2024)

Family conflicts, financial instability, emotional stress, and health issues are considered as major factors affecting academic achievement. Then the highly competitive scenario of the Indian education system entwined with peer performance pressure further exacerbated the issue. Current study is an attempt to review the underlying causes affecting academic achievements among students. Considering the higher secondary is the transitioning platform from school to graduation, this review was limited to the studies focused on students belonging to this category only. We focused mostly on peer-reviewed publications concerning societal expectation, psychological aspects, and the national-level education system. The study found that family issues, emotional, social, health, and financial challenges are crucial factors in shaping the students' academic outcomes. The findings arguably mean that schools, parents, and policymakers must address these issues through support systems such as counselling, peer programs, free education to all, and awareness programs.