Reducing test anxiety among school-aged adolescents: a field experiment

Abstract

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of a multimodal and information technology (IT)-delivered intervention for test anxiety. Participants were randomly allocated to an intervention or waiting list group. Test anxiety was measured pre-and post-intervention and academic buoyancy, a construct that refers to students' capacity to withstand academic challenge and pressure, as a covariate. In the intervention group, 13.7% of participants completed the full intervention programme comprising six sessions; 25.5% partially completed the programme (one or more sessions); and 60.8% of participants chose not to complete any sessions. Results showed that, after completing the intervention and when controlling for academic buoyancy, highly test anxious students showed a reduction in the worry and tension components of test anxiety, relative to those who did not complete the intervention. The findings suggest that the intervention may offer highly test anxious students a means of reducing their anxiety that does not rely on face-to-face delivery.

The influence of personality factors, value appraisals, and control appraisals on cognitive test anxiety

“…Therefore, we advocate for the implementation of multifaceted intervention approaches emphasizing the development of effective self‐regulation as well effective test‐taking skills, an understanding of ones' emotional states, and the understanding of effective coping responses for managing the physiological and cognitive manifestations of test anxiety. Recent work adopting a “multimodal approach” incorporating key aspects of cognitive‐behavioral therapy and academic skill‐building have observed considerable success in reducing test anxiety severity among K–12 learners through the implementation of full‐scale intervention efforts with the capability to meet the unique needs of different subtypes of test‐anxious students (e.g., strategies to tackle exam pressure and stress program; Putwain, Chamberlain, Daly, and Sadreddini (); Putwain and Pescod (2018)). Given the success of these efforts, we believe there is great value in developing similar intervention programs for use among university students to ensure students at‐risk for academic struggle due to test‐anxious responses are exposed to strategies that are most appropriate for addressing the unique challenges associated with their particular test anxiety profile.…”

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based colouring for test anxiety in adolescents

“…One-third of adolescents report experiences of test anxiety (Lowe & Lee, 2008;Whitaker-Sena, Lowe, & Lee, 2007), which includes test anxiety states (immediate concerns before a test) or individual traits (day-to-day concerns associated with testing situations; Lowe & Lee, 2008). Adolescents report that their greatest school-based worries and anxieties include test-taking and assessment (Putwain, Chamberlain, Daly, & Sadreddini, 2014), and unlike other fears, test anxiety increases with age as youth progress through school (McDonald, 2001;Peleg, 2004).…”

“…Many test anxiety interventions for youth are time-consuming, (e.g., Bradley et al, 2010;Gregor, 2005;Larson et al, 2010;Weems et al, 2009;Yahav & Cohen, 2008), and continuous implementation of these programs poses a challenge for educators due to existing curriculum demands. Given that adolescents report tests as a critical source for worry throughout their school experience (Putwain et al, 2014) and that there are many challenges associated with test anxiety, there is a need for feasible and effective test anxiety interventions.…”

Teacher acceptability of progressive muscle relaxation in the classroom for the treatment of test anxiety

“…It includes instructions on identifying test anxiety symptoms, self-reflection, practice of strategies to manage anxiety (including abdominal breathing and PMR), and videos detailing the personal experiences and strategies of students with test anxiety. The STEPS intervention was designed with consideration to school resources and can be delivered utilising technology, rather than needing the assistance of a school psychologist or counsellor (Putwain et al, 2014).…”

“…Consequently, school psychologists and counsellors may want to consider an intervention that focuses on physical symptom relief, such as PMR, at the elementary level. Although previous studies have demonstrated that interventions that include PMR can be effective at reducing anxiety in school settings (see Larson et al, 2010;Putwain et al, 2014;Rasid & Parish, 1998;Zaichkowsky & Zaichkowsky, 1984), the level of intervention acceptability by those involved with implementation can influence intervention integrity and outcomes (Cross Calvert & Johnston, 1990;Reimers, Wacker, & Koeppl, 1987;Tarnowski & Simonian, 1992;Von Brock & Elliott, 1987;. Therefore, when implementing a classroom-based intervention, it is imperative to assess the classroom teacher's level of acceptability for the intervention.…”