Investigating the relationship between test anxiety and academic performance of secondary students / Aminath Saadha

Abstract:

The aim of this study is to find out the relationship between test anxiety and academic performance. This research is a quantitative, non-experimental, cross sectional survey research. The sampling for this study was drawn by using the satisfied random sampling technique. The research was conducted among 118 secondary grade (8,9, and 10) students of two selected schools: A.DH Atoll Education Center (A.Dh.AEC) A.DH Mahibadhoo and A.DH Atoll School (A.DH AS) A.DH Maamigili. The instrument is Test Anxiety Inventory by Spielberger and the final average marks of second term 2015 is taken as academic performance. The data has been analysed by using both inferential and descriptive statistical techniques. Statistical package for the Social Science (SPSS) with alpha level of 0.05 was used to analyse the data. As for inferential statistics Spearman Rho test, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA and multiple regression test have been used. The findings from this study have shown that there is a moderate inverse relationship with test anxiety and academic performance of secondary students. However, there was no difference in test anxiety and academic performance. Similarly, there was no difference in test anxiety across the secondary grades. Furthermore, there was a week inverse relationship between emotionality subscale of test anxiety and academic performance. Likewise, the result also showed a moderate inverse relationship between worry subscale and academic performance. The results of the multiple of the multiple regression revealed that 16.2% of test anxiety contributed to the academic performance of the students.

Keywords:Test anxiety, academic performance. secondary students.