- Relationship between Test Anxiety and Its Effect on Test Performance
- The significant aspect of conducting this study is to look for the relationship between test anxiety and its effects on the overall test performance. This paper will provide further understanding on how test anxiety relates to the overall performance of students in most of their exams. This will therefore give a chance to most of the researchers in finding ways that they can help students to overcome anxiety and perform well in their academic careers.
- In a study done by Cohen, Ben-zur and Ronsenfeld (2008), the researchers measured test anxiety as the major contributor on how students tend to perform their exams. The data that the researchers managed to collect from college students illustrated that text anxiety play a significance role in the grades that the students achieved after performing a test. This is because students tend to be psychologically affected while having test anxiety hence affecting their performance. This study consisted of 216 first year graduates. Their grades were recorded after attending three obligatory courses they were given with an aim of establishing copying and test anxiety. The study was done during their final exam of the second semester. This is because the exams mean a lot to the students since it would determine whether one will manage to progress to the coming year and most of them find all means that can help them make a good pass. Therefore, the researchers were able to get the required and reliable information. All the participants were provided with 249 questionnaires but 33 of them were later excluded because of various reasons. The data of all the participants rated that 86.6% were women. All the participants were between the ages of 18-49. Moreover, 92.1% of the participants were single. This data helped the researchers to figure out what was the possible issue that could contribute the participants in having test anxiety in order to attain higher marks. The participants were to complete the questionnaires while indicating their ID on the exam papers in order to relocate them during the final exams. During the exam that took place in a period of between 2 to 4 weeks later, their results were recorded and all the ID numbers removed in order to ensure that there was anonymity. After the results were out, the researchers managed to figure out that there is considerable effect of test anxiety towards the performance of most students. Examination concerning test anxiety and performance revealed that the level of psychological arousal is highly associated with exam performance (Cohen, Ben-zur & Ronsenfeld, 2008).
- Kapitanoff and Pandey (2011) conducted another study demonstrating the relationship between test anxiety and test performance during collaborative testing. Both of the two researchers conducted a test in to 82 students. The students were undertaking psychological classes in two community colleges. The data related to the participants indicated that 48% were men while the rest were women. All the participants had a mean age of 19 years. Moreover, the participants had a mean of 13.8 in all the credits that they had managed to complete within the semester. The instruments that were used during the test included a pre-test survey. The test contained the Likert style and various open-mended questions. After the test, the students were asked to describe their experience regarding the test and that of their friends. The researchers used both the Spielberger items for testing anxiety. After conducting the collaborative testing study, the researchers found that anxiety contributed to low performance in most of the students. As some of them explained, they this was a new experience and therefore they were not sure of what to expect. This kind of anxiety contributed to their failure in performing well.
- Another similar study conducted by Bruch, Juster and Kaflowitz (1983), suggested that there was a significance evidence that test anxiety contributes to the failure of most students to perform well during their test performances. Several questionnaires were developed to assess 72 college students on their ability to solve various problems in relation to test anxiety. The authors managed to assess the students’ performance by enacting Test Tactics Probe. In order to measure the level of anxiety among the students during the study, the authors used Subjective Units of Disturbance Scale. After completing several stimulated test, the authors found that there was a high probability that test anxiety reflect on the overall performance of the students. Moreover, the authors found that the participants’ internal dialogue that determined their anxiety reflected that it was related to performance even though in an indirect way.
- Researchers have for the past years managed to develop various methods of measuring test performance. However, there have been various disagreements concerning various issues related of test anxiety. According to the above illustrations made by various authors through their study, there is clear evidence that test anxiety relates to the performance of students. The more the students have anxiety before and when performing the test, the higher the probability of failing to do well.
- References
- Bruch, M. A., Juster, H. R., & Kaflowitz, N. G. (1983). Relationships of cognitive strategies, and test anxiety as predictors of test performance among college students. InternationalJournal of Stress Management, 15(3), 289-303.
- Cohen, M., Ben-Zur, H., & Rosenfeld, M. J. (2008). Sense of coherence, coping
- components of test anxiety to test performance: Implications for assessment and treatment. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 30(4), 527-536.
- Kapitanoff, S & Pandey, C. (2011). Active learning in higher Education: The influence of anxiety and quality of interaction on collaborative test performance, 12 (3), 162-174.
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