TEST ANXIETY AND ITS IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NDOP-SUB DIVISION NORTH WEST REGION OF CAMEROON
Abstract
The present study was intended to find out the impact of test anxiety on students’ academic achievement. Specific objectives were to examine students’ attitudes towards tests, find out students’ mastery of subjects and test anxiety on achievement, investigate the students’ teachers’ relationship and test anxiety, and to find out how test anxiety can be reduced in students. The study adopted a correlation research design.
Questionnaires to measure the impact of test anxiety on students’ academic achievement were administered to 50 students of forms Five and upper sixth and they were selected using a simple random sampling technique. The descriptive analysis in particular frequencies, percentages, averages, and pie charts were used to analyze the data
The findings of the study indicated that: The causes of test anxiety in students significantly affect the educational achievements of students as they are generally afraid to write a test or an examination. How to test anxiety affects the academic achievement and behavior of students since they sometimes become frightened, panic, tense up, and sweat during the examination.
How to test anxiety can be reduced in students; that more opportunities be given to students to interact with their teachers on academic matters and clarifications of difficulties, Counselors on their part should always orientate students on learning strategies and test-taking skills; parents should always give enough time to their children to rest, study at home, and also encourage them to study well.
The researcher design used is the sample survey design. Based on these findings, some recommendations were made to counselors, teachers, and parents to encouraged students to do their best, work hard and study for the purpose of understanding the subject matter, learning and practicing good study skills and test-taking strategies in their academic process which will help them enhances their academic achievement.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
This chapter presents the background of the study, the statement of the problem, the objective of the study, research questions, significance of the study, justification of the study, scope, and delimitations of the study, and operational definition of terms.
Test anxiety over the years has been a serious problem to learners’ performances in schools. Students usually pay attention in class, take notes in detail, attending extra classes or tutorials. Do all their assignments, study hard, and think they have a grip over the material. All effort is to perform well during a test or an exam. When the day of the test or exam comes, a student suddenly feels blank or nervous, that they cannot get it together to respond to those questions they knew the answers well just so before. If this experience sounds familiar, then you might be suffering from what is known as test anxiety.
It is normal to feel a little nervous and stressed before a test or an examination just as everyone does. A touch of nervous anticipation can keep a student at peak performance while taking the test. Nervous students feeling before a test can be so strong that it interferes with their concentration or performance. Test anxiety varies considerably from one person to another. Some people might feel like they have ‘butterflies’ in them, while others might find it difficult to concentrate on the test. Others may experience a heartbeat and a sense of shakiness. In the most severe cases, people can feel nervous and short of breath.
Test anxiety is not the same as doing poorly in a certain test or examination not because the teaching-learning process was incomplete. It may be as a result of distraction. Most students know that having other things on their minds such as a breakup or the loss of someone close can also interfere with students’ concentration and prevent them from doing their test or preparing for it. Learners are expected to perform or succeed well after preparing for a test or examination but most of them fail not because they did not know but just because of the anxiety before and during tests, it affects their performance.
The most common causes of test anxiety are said to be; students who worry a lot or who are perfectionists and students who are not prepared for tests but care about doing well. Though test anxiety keeps increasing in the test process, others still find their test anxiety dropping and giving them away to think appropriately.
According to Hebb (1972), his theory of Arousal, which is useful in explaining the relationship between test anxiety and academic performance, was an adaptation of Yerke’s Dodson law (1908). The theory states that students seek out an optimal level of arousal such that too low arousal brings about boredom while too high arousal leads to stress. This theory predicts a U-shaped function between arousal (anxiety) and performance. It assumes that both low and high levels of arousal (anxiety) produce minimum performance while a moderate level results in maximum performance. Arousal can be high at times of excitement or panic.
According to Mandler and Seymour Sarason (1950), highly test anxious students score about twelve percentile points below their low anxiety peers; Test anxiety is prevalent amongst student populations of the world. It is in this light that the researcher seeks to investigate the impact of test anxiety on students’ academic achievement.
Statement of the Problem
To meet the challenge of higher education standards and higher expectations in education, the issue of test anxiety on students’ performance has to be treated appropriately. In other words, for the teaching-learning process to be completed, there must be a valid and reliable assessment tool and evaluation of learners which justifies the uses of tests.
Although most often teachers together with learners try to always cover the syllabus in each subject, providing all the facilities such as teaching aids or instructional materials, no matter how the student masters the content of the subject, if the issue of test anxiety is not reduced, performance will be low and will affect students’ achievement. This study set out to investigate the effect of test anxiety on students’ academic achievement.
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study was;
To examine the impacts of test anxiety on students’ academic achievement.
Specific Objectives
The study seeks:
- To examine students’ attitudes towards tests.
- To find out students’ mastery of subjects and test anxiety on achievement.
- To investigate the student’s teachers’ relationship and test anxiety.
- To find out how test anxiety can be reduced in students.
Project Details | |
Department | Educational Psychology |
Project ID | EPY0028 |
Price | Cameroonian: 5000 Frs |
International: $15 | |
No of pages | 69 |
Methodology | Descriptive Statistics |
Reference | Yes |
Format | MS Word & PDF |
Chapters | 1-5 |
Extra Content | Table of content, Questionnaire |
This is a premium project material, to get the complete research project make payment of 5,000FRS (for Cameroonian base clients) and $15 for international base clients. See details on payment page
NB: It’s advisable to contact us before making any form of payment
Our Fair use policy
Using our service is LEGAL and IS NOT prohibited by any university/college policies. For more details click here
We’ve been providing support to students, helping them make the most out of their academics, since 2014. The custom academic work that we provide is a powerful tool that will facilitate and boost your coursework, grades and examination results. Professionalism is at the core of our dealings with clients
For more project materials and info!
Contact us here
OR
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TEST ANXIETY AND ITS IMPACT ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NDOP-SUBDIVISION NORTHWEST REGION OF CAMEROON
Project Details | |
Department | Educational Psychology |
Project ID | EPY0028 |
Price | Cameroonian: 5000 Frs |
International: $15 | |
No of pages | 69 |
Methodology | Descriptive Statistics |
Reference | Yes |
Format | MS Word & PDF |
Chapters | 1-5 |
Extra Content | Table of content, Questionnaire |
Abstract
The present study was intended to find out the impact of test anxiety on students’ academic achievement. Specific objectives were to examine students’ attitudes towards tests, find out students’ mastery of subjects and test anxiety on achievement, investigate the students’ teachers’ relationship and test anxiety, and to find out how test anxiety can be reduced in students. The study adopted a correlation research design.
Questionnaires to measure the impact of test anxiety on students’ academic achievement were administered to 50 students of forms Five and upper sixth and they were selected using a simple random sampling technique. The descriptive analysis in particular frequencies, percentages, averages, and pie charts were used to analyze the data
The findings of the study indicated that: The causes of test anxiety in students significantly affect the educational achievements of students as they are generally afraid to write a test or an examination. How to test anxiety affects the academic achievement and behavior of students since they sometimes become frightened, panic, tense up, and sweat during the examination.
How to test anxiety can be reduced in students; that more opportunities be given to students to interact with their teachers on academic matters and clarifications of difficulties, Counselors on their part should always orientate students on learning strategies and test-taking skills; parents should always give enough time to their children to rest, study at home, and also encourage them to study well.
The researcher design used is the sample survey design. Based on these findings, some recommendations were made to counselors, teachers, and parents to encouraged students to do their best, work hard and study for the purpose of understanding the subject matter, learning and practicing good study skills and test-taking strategies in their academic process which will help them enhances their academic achievement.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the study
This chapter presents the background of the study, the statement of the problem, the objective of the study, research questions, significance of the study, justification of the study, scope, and delimitations of the study, and operational definition of terms.
Test anxiety over the years has been a serious problem to learners’ performances in schools. Students usually pay attention in class, take notes in detail, attending extra classes or tutorials. Do all their assignments, study hard, and think they have a grip over the material. All effort is to perform well during a test or an exam. When the day of the test or exam comes, a student suddenly feels blank or nervous, that they cannot get it together to respond to those questions they knew the answers well just so before. If this experience sounds familiar, then you might be suffering from what is known as test anxiety.
It is normal to feel a little nervous and stressed before a test or an examination just as everyone does. A touch of nervous anticipation can keep a student at peak performance while taking the test. Nervous students feeling before a test can be so strong that it interferes with their concentration or performance. Test anxiety varies considerably from one person to another. Some people might feel like they have ‘butterflies’ in them, while others might find it difficult to concentrate on the test. Others may experience a heartbeat and a sense of shakiness. In the most severe cases, people can feel nervous and short of breath.
Test anxiety is not the same as doing poorly in a certain test or examination not because the teaching-learning process was incomplete. It may be as a result of distraction. Most students know that having other things on their minds such as a breakup or the loss of someone close can also interfere with students’ concentration and prevent them from doing their test or preparing for it. Learners are expected to perform or succeed well after preparing for a test or examination but most of them fail not because they did not know but just because of the anxiety before and during tests, it affects their performance.
The most common causes of test anxiety are said to be; students who worry a lot or who are perfectionists and students who are not prepared for tests but care about doing well. Though test anxiety keeps increasing in the test process, others still find their test anxiety dropping and giving them away to think appropriately.
According to Hebb (1972), his theory of Arousal, which is useful in explaining the relationship between test anxiety and academic performance, was an adaptation of Yerke’s Dodson law (1908). The theory states that students seek out an optimal level of arousal such that too low arousal brings about boredom while too high arousal leads to stress. This theory predicts a U-shaped function between arousal (anxiety) and performance. It assumes that both low and high levels of arousal (anxiety) produce minimum performance while a moderate level results in maximum performance. Arousal can be high at times of excitement or panic.
According to Mandler and Seymour Sarason (1950), highly test anxious students score about twelve percentile points below their low anxiety peers; Test anxiety is prevalent amongst student populations of the world. It is in this light that the researcher seeks to investigate the impact of test anxiety on students’ academic achievement.
Statement of the Problem
To meet the challenge of higher education standards and higher expectations in education, the issue of test anxiety on students’ performance has to be treated appropriately. In other words, for the teaching-learning process to be completed, there must be a valid and reliable assessment tool and evaluation of learners which justifies the uses of tests.
Although most often teachers together with learners try to always cover the syllabus in each subject, providing all the facilities such as teaching aids or instructional materials, no matter how the student masters the content of the subject, if the issue of test anxiety is not reduced, performance will be low and will affect students’ achievement. This study set out to investigate the effect of test anxiety on students’ academic achievement.
Purpose of the study
The purpose of this study was;
To examine the impacts of test anxiety on students’ academic achievement.
Specific Objectives
The study seeks:
- To examine students’ attitudes towards tests.
- To find out students’ mastery of subjects and test anxiety on achievement.
- To investigate the student’s teachers’ relationship and test anxiety.
- To find out how test anxiety can be reduced in students.
This is a premium project material, to get the complete research project make payment of 5,000FRS (for Cameroonian base clients) and $15 for international base clients. See details on payment page
NB: It’s advisable to contact us before making any form of payment
Our Fair use policy
Using our service is LEGAL and IS NOT prohibited by any university/college policies. For more details click here
We’ve been providing support to students, helping them make the most out of their academics, since 2014. The custom academic work that we provide is a powerful tool that will facilitate and boost your coursework, grades and examination results. Professionalism is at the core of our dealings with clients.
For more project materials and info!
Contact us here
OR
Click on the WhatsApp Button at the bottom left
Email: info@project-house.net