Influence of Test Anxiety on Students’ Academic Achievement at Secondary Level

Abstract

Anxiety is one of the major setbacks of academic performance. Students with anxiety disorder display a passive attitude in their studies such as lack of interest in learning, poor performance in exams and low academic achievement etc. In this context, main objective of this study was to analyze the influence of test anxiety on students’ academic achievement at secondary level in Multan district by using
marks of students and responses on questionnaire who passed their 9th class Board examination (BISE) in 2018. This article also deals with investigation of relationship between test anxiety factors and students exams’ score and explore the gender differences in effect of test anxiety on academic achievement of students at secondary level. This article contributes to an understanding to what extent test anxiety influence on student-achievement, whereas 8 private schools and 4 public schools both (male & female) at secondary level were taken as a sample at Multan district by using simple random technique. Total number of sample students was 187 both male and female who enrolled in 10th class and completed their 9th Board examination (BISE) in 2018. For the selection of the sample from the population convenient sampling technique was used. Being the descriptive-nature study, survey method was used. Selfdeveloped a Likert scale questionnaire consist of 34 restricted response items to measure the anxiety among the student at secondary level (close-ended with Strongly Agree, Agree, Undecided, Disagree and Strongly Disagree, options) was designed and scoring from 5 to 1, descending was allotted to each level. Reliability analysis of the questionnaire was also computed through Cronbach's Alpha Model where the value of 0.834 was deducted which shows the scale was very consistent and reliable. Then the instrument was used to collect the data towards secondary school level for measuring the effect of anxiety on students ‘academic performance. Collected data was tabulated analysis and interpreted in the light of objectives of study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to obtain the answers of research questions. The filled back questionnaires were sorted school wise, scored and feed into computer for calculations. Frequency, mean performance, standard deviation, correlation, and independent sample t-test was used for analysis. Data analysis revealed that anxiety really matters for students during, before and after the exams because of fear of failure, competition with other classmates and friends or fear of losing the race of competition influences the performance of students. But it was also found the weak relationship between the results of students and score on scale. It was also revealed in gender wise comparison, on most of the statements there was no significance mean difference observed between male and female students. It was suggested that further studies can be made to explore the measures to control the test anxiety among students that could support them to rise up for
competition with zeal and zest to achieve their study targets efficiently and effectively.