The Treatment of Test Anxiety in Elementary School-Age Children

“I Feel Nervous . . . Very Nervous” Addressing Test Anxiety in Inner City Schools Through Play and Performance

“…Test anxiety, a fear of performing poorly on examinations, is a problem for many school-aged children (Beidel, Turner, & Taylor-Ferreira, 1999; MacDonald, 2001; Strumpf & Fodor, 1993; Tingey, 2009). Reviews of the literature (Ergene, 2003; MacDonald, 2001; Strumpf & Fodor, 1993) reveal that 10% to 30% of children fear taking tests (Tingey, 2009). The numbers are even higher for poor and minority children (Hodge, McCormick, & Elliot, 1997).…”

“…Over a decade of research on standardized testing has shown that factors such as stereotype threat, the experience that one’s test scores will confirm negative beliefs about your racial group, produce added anxiety, a negative aversion to testing, and lower test scores among non-White students (Good, Aronson, & Inzlicht, 2003; Steele & Aronson, 1995). These fears have serious ramifications because anxiety is negatively associated with test scores (Hancock, 2001), later school success, and even career choices (Duchesne, Vitaro, Larose, & Tremblay, 2008; Strumpf & Fodor, 1993).…”

“…While test anxiety has been regarded as a disorder for decades, there has not been consensus about what it is or how it should be treated. Among the various approaches are those that see anxiety as a mostly emotional response that is manifested physiologically and treat it with stress reduction techniques such as meditation, breathing exercises, and other relaxation activities (Bradley et al, 2007; Cheek, Bradley, Reynolds, & Coy, 2002; Strumpf & Fodor, 1993). Others approach test anxiety as a mostly cognitive problem and treat it with various forms of rational-behavior therapy (Strumpf & Fodor, 1993).…”

Family environment, discrepancies between perceived actual and desirable environment, and children's test and trait anxiety

“…Anxiety over test performance affects 10-30% of all students, with a disproportionately higher prevalence in learning disabled and minority students (e.g. Strumph & Fodor, 1993). Test-anxious children are more likely to receive lower scores, repeat a grade, and perform more poorly on tasks requiring new learning and those administered in an evaluative manner (Beidel et al, 1994;Birenbaum & Pinku, 1997;De Rosa & Patalano, 1991;Zeidner, 1998).…”

An investigation into university students’ study skills

“…According to the literature, test anxiety is a common problem among university students (Nicaise, 1995;Strumph & Fodor, 1993). Thanks to repeated academic failure, Tobias (1979) state twenty-per cent of test anxious students quit school before graduating.…”