“A STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A STRUCTURED TEACHING PROGRAMME ON STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING TEST ANXIETY AMONG PRE-UNIVESITY STUDENTS AT SELECTED COLLEGES IN TUMKUR”
PROFORMA FOR REGISTRATION OF SUBJECT FORDISSERTATION
SUBMITTED BY:
MS.BLESSY.P
1YEAR M. Sc NURSING
MENTAL HEALTH NURSING
2009-2011
SRI SIDDHARTHA COLLEGE OF NURSING
AGALAKOTE,B.H ROAD
TUMKUR
RAJIV GANDHI UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCE
BANGALORE, KARNATAKA
PROFORMA FOR REGISTRATION OF SUBJECT FOR
DISSERTATION
1 / NAME OF THE CANDIDATE AND ADDRESS / MS.BLESSY.P,1st YEAR MSc NURSING,
SRI SIDDARTHA COLLEGE OF NURSING,
AGALAKOTE,TUMKUR.
2 / NAME OF THE INSTITUTION / SRI SIDDARTHA COLLEGE OF NURSING,
AGALAKOTE,TUMKUR.
3 / COURSE OF THE STUDY AND SUBJECT / 1st YEAR MSc NURSING,
MENTAL HEALTH NURSING.
4 / DATE OF ADMISSION TO THE COURSE / 8thJUNE 2008
5 / TITLE OF THE STUDY / A STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A STRUCTURED TEACHING PROGRAMME ON STRATEGIES FOR REDUCSING TEST ANXIETY AMOUNG PRE-UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AT SELECTED COLLEGES IN TUMKUR.
6. BRIEF RESUME OF THE INTENDED WORK
6.1 INTRODUCTION
“A person starts to live when he can live outside himself”
(Albert Einstein)
Anxiety is a basic human emotion consisting of fear and uncertainty that typically appears when an individual perceives an event as being a threat to the ego or self-esteem (Sarason, 1988). In some instances, such as avoiding dangerous situations, anxiety can be helpful. However when taken to extremes, it may produce unwarranted results.1
Stress comes in all forms and is an unavoidable consequence of life. Transient feeling of anxiety and Stress is part of life for every individual.In the course of normal development transient feeling of anxiety is experienced and usually mastered by every child and adolescent. Anxiety may be focused around certain issues or situation. A mild degree of anxiety and stress may be stimulating and motivating, and may help to overcome stress; but high degree of stress may be disrupting.2
Adolescence is a transition period that involves physiological, psychological, and social changes. Emotional problems such as symptoms of anxiety and depression may develop due to these changes. Although many of these problems may not meet diagnostic thresholds, they may develop into more severe disorders and may impact on functioning.3
Testing is a primary tool for measuring students' comprehension of course material in many collegiate business courses. Test anxiety experienced by students may adversely affect the ability of testing to measure students' comprehension of course material.4
Almost everyone feels nervous before an exam. Butterflies in the stomach and worrying thoughts – ‘Will I be able to answer the questions?’ ‘Have I done enough revision?’ – are indications of exam nerves that are probably familiar to all students. In fact, a certain amount of nervous tension probably helps us perform to the best of our ability, producing a rush of adrenaline that helps us to feel alert and focused. But too much anxiety can block thoughts, create a negative frame of mind, and lead to panic and potentially poor exam performance.5
One of the most threatening events that cause anxiety in students today is testing. When students develop an extreme fear of performing poorly on an examination, they experience test anxiety. Test anxiety is a major factor contributing to a variety of negative outcomes including psychological distress, academic underachievement, academic failure, and insecurity (Hembree, 1988). Many students have the cognitive ability to do well on exams but may not do so because of high levels of test anxiety. Because of the societal emphasis placed on testing, this could potentially limit their educational and vocational opportunities (Zeidner, 1990).1
6.2 NEED FOR STUDY
Anxiety can affect each person in different ways; there are several symptoms that are quite common. Some of these are emotional, which include feelings of fear, disappointment, anger, depression, or helplessness. Other symptoms are more behavioral, ranging from fidgeting or pacing to substance abuse or other self-destructive behaviors. There are also physiological symptoms, which include fast heartbeat, feelings of nausea, headaches, lightheadedness, sweating, and other disruptions in bodily functions. Finally, many people experience cognitive symptoms, such as negative thinking about oneself, racing thoughts, loss of memory, and “blanking” out (Glendale Community College Counseling Center, 2000).6
Test anxiety will begin to appear in the elementary grades, continue to increase with age, and appears to peak during the college years. Unfortunately, many of the highly anxious high school students may not pursue higher education.7
Test anxiety reduction findings are stronger with college students than with grade school students, but that may also be due to the fact that the college students are more ready to self-identify and seek assistance. Unfortunately, only a small portion of students seek treatment for test anxiety. Many students, especially grade school students, do not wish to be identified as test anxious. Teacher referrals are very helpful in identifying students.7
Anxiety symptoms are relatively common among children and adolescents and can interfere with functioning. The prevalence of anxiety and the relationship between anxiety and school performance were examined among elementary, middle, and high school students in Italy. In 478 children, 35 (7.3%) had a MASC T-score in the anxious range. The rate of children in the anxious range was 2.3% in elementary, 7.9% in middle, and 15.9% in high school and was 14.1% among students with insufficient grades, 9.4% among those with sufficient grades, and 3.9% among those with good or very good grades (chi2 = 11.68, df = 2, p < 0.01). The prevalence of abnormally high self-reported levels of anxiety increased in frequency with age and was negatively associated with school performance.8
The complexion of our world's economy has changed dramatically over the past few years, and there has been a corresponding increase in pressure for teens to succeed in school and meet these external pressures. The competition to get into college has increased. Teens and their parents are more and more concerned about education . Teen test anxiety disorder is a problem many teens have, and it acts as a barrier to their achieving their potential in life. Helping students overcome test anxiety can go along way in helping them succeed academically and in life.
6.3STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
“A study to assess the effectiveness of a structured teaching programme on strategies for reducing test anxiety among pre-university students at selected colleges in Tumkur”.
6.4 OBJECTIVES
- To study the demographic variables.
- To assess the level oftest anxiety among pre-university students atselectedcolleges in Tumkur.
- To provide structured teaching programme on strategies for reducing test anxiety amongpre-university students at selected colleges.
- To reassess the level of test anxiety among pre-university students at selectedcolleges.
- To find out the association between the level of test anxiety and selected demographic variables among pre-university students atselectedcolleges.
6.5 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION
- ASSESS:It is the measurement of test anxiety by using Westside Test Anxiety Scale before and after the structured teaching programme on strategies for reducing test anxiety.
- EFFECTIVENESS:It means the extent to which the specific intervention strategies adopted by the researcher to achieved the desired objectives.
- STRUCTURED TEACHING PROGRAMME:In this study structured teaching programme means a programme of information which includes a class related to test anxiety and strategies for reducing test anxiety to educate the pre-university students and thereby making an effort to reduce test anxiety.
- STRATEGY: Strategies are the interventional techniques which are used for reducing test anxiety.
- TEST ANXIETY:Test anxiety is a psychological condition in which a person experiences distress before, during, or after a test or other assessment to such an extent that this anxiety causes poor performance or interferes with normal learning.
- PRE-UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: In this study, pre-university students, means sixteen to nineteen years’ old students who are attending an educational establishment for higher studies after 10th standard.
6.6 ASSUMPTION
This study assumes that
1. Test anxiety is a normal phenomenon among pre-university students.
2. Test anxiety negatively affects the performance.
3. Structured teaching programme may help the pre-university students to reduce test anxiety
6.7 HYPOTHESIS
H1: The post test mean test anxiety will be significantly less than pre test anxiety among the pre-university students.
H2:There will be significant association between level of test anxiety and demographic characteristics of pre-university students.
6.8 REVIEW OF LITERATURE
The literature review helps to lay foundations for the study and also inspire new research ideas.
A study was conducted to find out Strategies for reducing test anxiety and optimizing exam preparation in German university students.Test anxiety is a significant problem among university students which is frequently accompanied by a decline in performance and severe psychological problems.A variety of intervention techniques for the treatment of test anxiety was detected, from which cognitive behavioral methods were found to be most effective for the treatment of test anxiety. According to empirical findings, university students should be taught strategies to cope with the demands and organization of their studies at a very early stage to prevent test anxiety and its concomitants. The University of Wurzburg (Germany) started a pilot project in fall 2007 comprising lectures and peer coaching with the aim to optimize learning skills and exam preparation to prevent test anxiety. The evaluation of the present concept showed a high level of acceptance among students.9
A study was conducted with 28 students attending an examination anxiety workshop prior to their A level examinations. The workshop included a discussion of anxiety and stress, study skills, how to challenge negative self-defeating statements, and a 30-minute hypnosis session. The hypnosis was aimed at mental and physical relaxation and changing attitudes about examinations. Feedback immediately after the workshop clearly indicated that all students felt that their attendance was very worthwhile, and that the most highly rated part of the day was the hypnosis element. Follow-up 4 months later indicated that most participants thought that the workshop was helpful in managing anxiety both before and during the examinations. 10The study was done to examine the factors affecting examination anxietyand aimed to increase schools’ understandingof this topic. The study was a school-basedinitiative, evaluating intervention strategies to help secondarypupils with the self-management of their examinationanxiety. Data suggest that interventions using cognitive behavioral approaches combined with relaxationhelped pupils to improve their examination performancein Math. Results encourage theview that school-based programmes using mixedinterventions may be effective in the preventionof excessive examination anxiety and in the improvement of examinationperformance if compared to single interventions,but show variations depending on the curriculumsubject. 11
The study was done to identify students suffering from exam anxiety. Significant improvement in student performance occurred when faculty included measures of student performance other than the final exam (such as term work, projects, and self-assessment) and when students contracted for the weighting that die final exam would contribute to their final grade. The use of self-assessment was effective for all students regardless of their level of exam anxiety.12
A study was conducted to examine the relation between exam anxiety experienced by students at the time of the final exam &student’s performance expectations, actual performance, and the level of preparation for the final exam. Evidenced was observed supporting of the relationship hypothesized between test anxiety & performance expectations at the time of the final exam. 13The study was described theinterrelationshipamong academic stress, anxiety, time management, and leisure satisfaction among 249 university undergraduates by age and gender. Time management behaviors had a greater buffering effect on academic stress than leisure satisfaction activities. Significant gender differences existed among all the measures. Females had more effective time management behaviors than males, but also experienced higher academic stress and anxiety. Males benefited more than females from leisure activities. Anxiety reduction and time management in conjunction with leisure activities may be an effective strategy for reducing academic stress in college students.14
A study was conducted to assessed the mixture of fatty acids lowers test anxiety Administration of a polyunsaturated fatty acid mixture of omega-3 and -6 can improve the behavioral variables associated with this type of anxiety, i.e. appetite, mood, mental concentration, fatigue, academic organization and poor sleep, as well as lowering elevated cortisol level, with a corresponding reduction of anxiety.15
A longitudinal study was conducted the students' perceptions of using deep breathing meditation to reduce testing stresses.Students reported having perceptions of decreased test anxiety, nervousness, self-doubt, and concentration loss, using the technique outside of the two classes, and believing it helped them academically and would help them as a physician. The Deep Breathing Meditation technique was successfully implemented each academic year, and it provided students with a promising solution for meeting challenging academic and professional situations.16
The study was conducted s to investigate the relationship between test-anxiety andgrade point average through memory in high school students. The sample was 400 students (200 male and200 female) in the age range of 15-19 years. The instrument used for data collection wasthe Test-Anxiety Inventory (TAI). An analysis of the data obtained from the current studyshowed that, for the respondents, test-anxiety had a significant impact on grade point average (GPA) through memory (z=1.93, p≤ 0.02). Given the results of the study, it is Memory as Mediator between Test-Anxiety and Academic Achievement in High School Students 275 recommended that academic achievement and mental health be developed in school settings, through the use of support strategies such as educational guidance and counseling, teaching life skill programs and psychotherapy.17
The quasi experimental study was done to establish test anxiety is an uneasiness or apprehension experienced before, during, or after anexamination because of concern, worry, or fear. This study established the efficacy ofRational Emotive Behaviour Therapy on the reduction of test anxiety on identified testanxious students. Two independent variableswere involved in the study namely, treatment (2 types), and entry test anxiety level (2levels). The independent variable of primary interest is the Rational Emotive BehaviourTherapy (REBT). Instrument used for assessment was Test Anxiety Inventory. Entry testanxiety level was studied. Total scores from pre-test anxiety inventory (TAI) were used toblock subjects into groups with low entry test anxiety level, moderate entry test anxietylevel and those with high entry test anxiety level. REBT was found effective in thereduction of test anxiety F = 22.751, df (1, 76). Entry test anxiety level was significant onthe level of reduction of test anxious students; F= 83.566, df (1, 76). F-ratio of interactionof treatment by entry test anxiety level was 10.347, df (1, 76). It is recommended thatREBT be used in the treatment of test anxious adolescents in schools.18
The study was conducted to test several propositions about an important construct in Bowen's (Family Therapy in Clinical Practice, Aronson, New York, 1978; Family Evaluation, Norton, New York, 1988) theory of differentiation, using an Israeli sample of adolescents to examine relationships between differentiation of self, family differentiation, test anxiety, trait anxiety and cognitive performance. The main findings were that family differentiation (specifically, adolescents' relationships with their mothers) was negatively correlated with levels of test and trait anxiety and positively correlated with cognitive performance.19
7.MATERIALS AND METHODS
7.1 SOURCE OF DATA
Data will be collected from the pre-university students
7.1.1RESEARCH DESIGN
Quasi-experimental research design will be used to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on strategies for reducing test anxiety among the pre-university students.
7.1.2RESEARCH VARIABLE
Study variable:-
Dependent variable:-Test anxiety
Independent variable:-Structured teaching programme on strategies for reducing test anxiety.
Demographic variables: age, sex, educational qualification, income
7.1.3 SETTING
Study will be conducted in selected pre-university colleges at Tumkur.
7.1.4 POPULATION
Population will be the pre-university students at selected colleges in Tumkur.
7.2METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION
After obtaining permission from school authorities the investigator will obtain informedconsent from the students personally in the pre-university classes. The investigator personally assesses test anxiety level of the students by using Westside test anxiety scale.
Duration of study:4-6 weeks
7.2.1 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
Simple random sampling Technique by using Lottery method.
7.2.2SAMPLE SIZE
All pre-university students who fulfill the inclusion criteria at selected colleges in Tumkur are considered as sample and sample size is 60
7.2.3CRITERIA FOR SAMPLE SELECTION
INCLUSION CRITERIA
- Pre-university students between the age group of sixteen to nineteen years.
- Both male and female students.
- Students who are willing to participate.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA
-Students who are absent at the time of data collection.
-Students who are not coming to class regularly.
-Students who are physically ill.
7.2.4 TOOL FOR DATA COLLECTION
It consist of two sections
Section A-To assess the demographic data
Section B-To assess the test anxiety level of pre-university students.
- The Westside Test Anxiety Scale is a brief, ten item instrument designed to identify students with anxiety impairment. Westside scale is a reliable and valid measure of test-anxiety impairment. It is recommended that the Westside Test Anxiety Scale be considered by intervention programs to screen for test-anxiety impairments.
7.2.5. PLAN FOR DATA ANALYSIS
1. Frequency and percentage analysis will be used to describe the demographic characteristics of pre-university students