Test Anxiety among First-Year College Math Students

Researchers discovered significant proof of performance variations in First-year students as a result of math anxiety. According to Ashcraft and Kirk (2001), these variations were not customarily noted on the easy addition or multiplication processes. The differences are, however, quite prominent when the arithmetic issues tested are a bit more complicated. The time taken to solve the complex problems was almost three times as long for respondents with high anxiety compared to those with low anxiety. Thus, respondents with high test anxiety displayed slower problem-solving skills leading to a conclusion that the anxiety affected their mathematical skills. 

A different conclusion was also possible that students with high anxiety were less competent and unable to display the same level of accuracy as their low-anxiety counterparts (Ashcraft & Kirk, 2001). In light of this, it is necessary to look at the issue of test anxiety among first-year students in more detail and determine its effects on the current and future education of the students. It is also essential to come up with recommendations that can be implemented by the relevant stakeholders to reduce the adverse effects of test anxiety of these students. 

Topic Approach

Since the research used the interview method of data collection, the narrative approach seemed ideal to allow the professor to narrate her experiences involving first-year math students. The interview enabled the study to gather firsthand information on the study phenomenon giving the data a bit more credibility, although it also opened up the research to bias from the narrator. The insights offered by the professor were used to develop a narrative that attempts to explain what precisely first-year students go through when they sit for a math test. For this study, the narrative approach enabled us to acquire firsthand insights into the effects of test anxiety on first-year students sitting for their maths exams. 

Problem Statement

The main issue addressed by the study was the effect of test anxiety on the performance of first-year math students in college. The current educational system is characterized by a considerable focus on passing exams to enable one to move on to the next level or get admission into prestigious colleges. This focus on passing exams has created a situation where students are determined to pass at all costs creating unnecessary pressure during tests. This pressure creates anxiety among the students, which in turn negatively affects the performance of some students. These are students who would have otherwise performed better had it not been for the pressure to avoid failure at all costs. 

First-year college students represent movement from the high school level to the more elite college level. Here, there was an assumption that students have grown from the unnecessary pressures of passing tests to a more literary form of education. The presence of test anxiety among first-year college students thus shows that they have not shifted to a literary form of education as expected. This needs to be looked into further to reduce the effect it may have on the students.

The study gained insight into the problem of test anxiety among college students by listening to a firsthand experience of a college math professor in constant interaction with first-year students. The ideas from the professor enabled the study to get a more comprehensive outlook of the issue of test anxiety and let wholesome recommendations be made. The experience of the professor in handling high-anxiety first-year students was of great help in determining which methods would be successful in addressing test anxiety among the students. This experience was a significant factor that contributed to her inclusion in the study.

Other factors that may lead to the issue of test anxiety in first-year students were also looked into. Apart from the pressure to avoid failure at all costs, other factors such as socioeconomic status of the students, health/ genetics of the students, age, gender, race, and even mental strength of the students may lead to test anxiety in first-year students. 

A precise determination of the causes of test-anxiety in first-year college math students will allow early detection of anxiety problems. It would also provide a better avenue for educators to come up with comprehensive programs that address the issues that may lead to anxiety in the students. Furthermore, students taking math in college sometimes find themselves in careers that require them to make quick decisions that may be life-threatening. It is, therefore, crucial for them to get exposed to different ways of managing anxiety and in the process, enhance their performance. 

Evidence from Literature

College teachers often evaluate the understanding and skills that learners acquire through various tasks and assignments. However, student grades at the end of each study period are primarily assessed by exam results. Therefore, students are compelled to perform well for graduation and improve their chances of succeeding in their next chapter of life, which is the job market. Students thus spend most of their time studying not to fail their exams, opening them up to the possibility of test anxiety. The researcher hypothesizes that the current examination system in colleges is discouraging, especially to first-year students admitted into the institutions. These students are faced with many other critical life decisions, thus predisposing them to test anxiety disorder when they think of the consequences of not succeeding.

Measures taken to decrease test anxiety among college learners include implementing early childhood interventions such as self-regulation learning. This helped to reduce school-related stress during the early phases of a child's growth. Luttenberger, Wimmer, & Paechter (2018) state that anxiety has significant adverse effects on the ability of individuals to process information. It is often hard for high-anxiety individuals to retain and extract learned content. Besides, Owens et al. (2012) stated that due to anxiety, it was hard for some college learners to evaluate understanding informally or formally. On the other side, not all college professors know or understand the symptoms of text anxiety disorder and the resultant effects on the students (Luttenberger et al., 2018). If the professors were the only ones capable of detecting early symptoms, there should be a program where this knowledge was shared with the students. The students can benefit from knowing different techniques of coping with stress. Furthermore, by integrating various therapeutic procedures into the university student learning system, much can be accomplished in terms of decreasing test anxiety instances during examinations (Luttenberger et al., 2018).

Owens et al. (2012), claimed that learners often have emotions of anxiety when confronted with exams. However, the level of anxiety felt by the students varies amongst them. Some have high anxiety rates, while others have low or mild stress rates. This article will examine how anxiety affects the achievement of different university learners and suitable measures to reduce the effects of anxiety on their performance in math tests.

Purpose Statement

The main aim of the study is to establish the relationship between test anxiety among first-year college students and their academic performance in math tests. It will further look at the effect of various other factors such as gender, age, and socioeconomic status on the level of anxiety in first-year college students. The study will then attempt to come up with ways in which educators and students can manage or even eliminate stress during math exams.

Central Question

The central guiding question in the research was, ‘does test anxiety affects the performance of first-year college math students?' Every section of the study attempted to answer this question or go further and look at the various ways to manage test anxiety among the group under review.

Data Collection

The study had only one participant taking part in the interview stage of the process. The participant was a college mathematics professor who has for many years been in constant interaction with first-year students and more specifically, those taking mathematics.

Consent for the study was through the approved methods by the Institution Review Board (IRB). This included ensuring that the participant was fully aware of the details of the study, its duration and intended purpose, before being given time to decide whether they want to take part in the survey ( Manti & Licari, 2018). An email was sent to the professor informing her of the general purpose of the study and asking if she would be interested in taking part in the study. Upon receipt of their approval on email, a meeting was held with the professor where they signed informed consent approval forms. A convenient date when the interview would be carried out was then agreed on and on the scheduled day, the discussion was done lasting 90minutes as promised to the professor.

Data collection for the study was through two primary forms; oral examination (interview) of math professor at the University in constant dealings with first-year math students, and the second form through review of literature closely related to the topic. Several questions were put forward to the professor to enable the research to have as much information as possible to arrive at an informed conclusion. The answers were collected in 1st person narrative to reduce the level of distortion of the words and the message that is usually brought about by paraphrasing. The following were the questions put across;

Tell me about your experiences with first-year math students ?

Tell me about your experiences with your math students that have experienced test anxiety ?

What preventive measures or interceptive strategies have you, or the University implemented to address test anxiety in your first-year math students?

What specific areas of intervention would you like to see your University improve upon to address test anxiety schoolwide? Please give suggestions or examples.

What advice would you give professors when they face first-year incoming math students who exhibit test anxiety symptoms at your University?

The answers to these questions were thoroughly checked for any contradicting statements, exaggerated statements or even areas where the respondent elicited doubts on her given answers. This thorough scrutiny of the responses was necessary to ensure the information collected had been verified and classified as reliable data. The literature review data was compared to that from the interview to check for any glaring contradictions or variances.

Data Analysis

The firsthand data from the interview was color-coded to make it easier to identify any patterns or themes in the data. The color-coding helped in identification of the main points from the meeting that were relevant to the study question and purpose. Phrases that represented the professor's personal experiences had highlights in yellow, with green being used to highlight the anxiety symptoms that the professor identified. A light blue highlighter was used for the causes of anxiety the professor mentioned while a dark blue color covered the expectations that the first-year students had for themselves. A red color was used to highlight the effects of anxiety on the students while dark green was for the preventive measures put in place to address the issue. Pink was used for the intervention strategies that could be implemented to deal with the problem, and finally grey for recommendations on how colleges can tackle the issue more comprehensively.

The color-coding enabled similar ideas to be grouped and looked at in unison, creating a more comprehensive outlook of the issue at hand, its causes and effects, and the possible intervention strategies.

Results

From the study, it is possible to conclude that test anxiety negatively affects the performance of first-year college students in their math tests. The interview with the professor gave profound and useful insights on the leading causes of test anxiety in the first-year students, and the effects of this anxiety on their academic performance. According to the professor, test anxiety is rife in American colleges with more than 50% of students experiencing test anxiety. At least half of this number display moderate to severe symptoms of test anxiety disorder. Despite this high occurrence of test anxiety disorder, only 20% of the affected students seek professional help for the issue. This then justifies the need to create and expand intervention programs aimed at addressing test anxiety. It also came out that test anxiety was not necessarily a bad thing. It only becomes an issue that needs to be addressed when it reaches levels where it interferes with the learning of the student or disrupts their normal daily activities.

Among the leading causes of test anxiety in first-year students found out by the study was the fact that the first-year students were "transitioning into adulthood." They were expected to make big decisions about their careers, relationships, and not to fail in any of these areas, thus creating pressure on them to succeed at all costs. This pressure to pass exams many times resulted in test anxiety disorder as was witnessed by the professor. In her interview, the professor aptly attributed test anxiety disorder to "complicated relations between cultural, social, physical, psychological and hereditary influences." It is these various influences that first-year students find themselves expected to balance and many times, they get overwhelmed and develop anxiety disorders.

The biological perspective of the test anxiety disorder goes against the common belief that it is a simple issue usually experienced by students, and does not need any specialized care since it will disappear on its own. This biological component can be purely genetic, or it can be a mix of both genetic and environmental conditions. It was, therefore, necessary that the professor gave an insight into how these conditions combine to create a high-anxiety environment for students. Mental problems usually require a more contextual and flexible approach that may involve the use of medicines, among other intervention programs. Exposure to anxiety disorder caused by one's genetics allows the disorder to be detected early, and its effects managed through medication or other social/ emotional interventions.

Stigmatization was a major theme that could be derived from the interview with the professor. Students with high anxiety were easily stigmatized with some looked at as mentally ill students, which further led to the isolation of affected students. As a result, they did not receive the appropriate care and attention to help manage the disorder despite anxiety having a possible medical origin, just like other neurologic disorders (Luttenberger & Paechter, 2018). The professor alluded to various studies that pointed at a "failure of some hormones and transmitters in the brain," leading to the anxiety disorder. 

It is necessary to talk about the causes of test anxiety in first-year math students, and also look at the intervention strategies that can be employed to manage the disorder. One practical way that has proved helpful in addressing anxiety is by encouraging breathing and relaxation techniques that can get done before and during tests. The professor attributes to these techniques having the ability to calm the feelings of anxiety and "bring the body and mind back in equilibrium." This technique can be encouraged for all students in the school, thus reducing the stigma that high-anxiety students tend to feel when particular intervention strategies single them out for implementation. Social-emotional learning can also get added to the curriculum. The lessons will equip students with skills in dealing with high anxiety situations they are likely to meet in the course of their studies and also their personal lives. The skills will go a long way in molding students who are not afraid to take on challenges despite the probability of failure.

The introduction of teacher-guided revision classes would help students to become familiar with the test formats and question type, thus reducing their anxiety during math exams. These revision classes would seek to enhance the students' study skills and offer additional support to the weaker students in the class. The students can also use the lessons to challenge any negative thoughts that they may have regarding their math tests or their academics in general.

Conclusion

Test anxiety disorder not only affects the performance of first-year college math students, but it also affects the quality of life they can live. This adverse effect is as a result of stress, depression, laziness, feelings of inadequacy, restlessness, and so on. The negative impact of test anxiety on first-year college math students cannot be taken lightly anymore. Its effects are far-reaching from dropping out of school, depression, and hopelessness, and even suicide, among other effects. These are enough reasons to warrant intervention strategies to be implemented to address the causes and also manage the anxiety disorder. The professor rightly pointed out that colleges have failed in their quest of treating test anxiety with many cases going mostly unnoticed. The educators were also unable to provide continuous training to first-year math students on how to address issues touching on test anxiety. It is now upon everyone to come together and play their role in addressing the issue of test anxiety in first-year college students.

References

Ashcraft M. H. & Kirk E. P. (2001). The Relationships Among Working Memory, Math Anxiety, and Performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology : Vol. 130, No. 2, 224-237

Luttenberger, S., Wimmer, S., & Paechter, M. (2018). Spotlight on math anxiety.  Psychology research and behavior management ,  11 , 311–322. DOI:10.2147/PRBM.S141421

Manti, S., & Licari, A. (2018). How to obtain informed consent for research.  Breathe (Sheffield, England) ,  14 (2), 145–152. DOI:10.1183/20734735.001918

Owens, M., Stevenson, J., Hadwin, J. A., & Norgate, R. (2012). Anxiety and depression in academic performance: An exploration of the mediating factors of worry and working memory.  School Psychology International , 33(4), 433-449.