Impact of Yoga on High School Students' Academic Performance
KP Vaishnavi, Chethana R Acharya
International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) September 11, 2026 DOI: 10.21275/mr26909104308 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test control-group design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 100 |
| Population | High school students |
| Interventions | warm-up exercises yoga asanas pranayama meditation |
| Duration | 5 days, sessions approximately 30-40 minutes |
| Measures | 12-item objective academic test, 15-item stress scale, 15-item concentration scale, 15-item psychological well-being scale |
| Key findings | The yoga group's academic performance improved from a mean of 6.22 to 9.20, significantly more than the control group's increase from 5.86 to 6.38. The authors suggest structured yoga may support academic and psychological functioning, while cautioning that the brief intervention and quasi-experimental design require cautious interpretation. |
Abstract
The present study examined the impact of yoga on the academic performance of high school students and related psychological functioning. A quantitative, intervention-based pre-test-post-test control-group design was used with 100 high school students, comprising 50 students in an Experimental Group and 50 in a Control Group. The Experimental Group received a structured yoga programme for five days, with sessions lasting approximately 30-40 minutes, while the Control Group continued routine school activities. The programme included prayer/Om chanting, warm-up exercises, selected yoga asanas, pranayama, meditation and relaxation. Academic performance was assessed using a 12-item objective test. Stress, concentration and psychological well-being were also assessed using 15-item scales. Academic performance in the Experimental Group increased from M=6.22 (SD=1.66) at pre-test to M=9.20 (SD=1.56) at post-test, compared with an increase from M=5.86 (SD=1.62) to M=6.38 (SD=1.60) in the Control Group. The Experimental Group showed significant pre-post improvement in academic performance, t(49)=12.512, p<.001, and the improvement was significantly greater than that of the Control Group, t(98)=9.354, p<.001. The findings suggest that structured yoga may be a useful complementary school-based practice for supporting academic and psychological functioning, although the brief intervention and quasi-experimental design require cautious interpretation.