Test anxiety with regard to self-concept, gender and students' school achievement

Klarić, Nataša. (2013). Test anxiety with regard to self-concept, gender and students' school achievement. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Psychology. [mentor Vlahović-Štetić, Vesna].

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Abstract

Studies that examine test anxiety show that it is an essential factor in explaining the various psychological constructs, including self-esteem and academic achievement. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between test anxiety, self-esteem and academic success in elementary school and to check whether there are gender differences in the correlation of test anxiety with self-esteem and academic achievement. The research was conducted on a sample of 116 seventh grade students (54 boys and 62 girls). To measure self-esteem, we used Coopersmith's Self-esteem Inventory (SEI, Coopersmith, 1967; Lacković-Grgin et al., 2002), and to assess test anxiety Questionnaire for the measurment of test anxiety (UMSI, Arambašić, 1986). School achievement was calculated as the average score of subjects with greater variability (Croatian, mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, history, geography and English). The research results show that test anxiety is significantly negatively correlated with self-esteem (r=-0,572; p<0,01) and school achievement (r=-0,218; p<0,05). Results also indicate that girls show higher levels of test anxiety than boys. Examining gender differences in the structure of test anxiety indicates that there is a statistically significant correlation between test anxiety and school achievement in girls (r=-0,358; p<0,01), but not in boys (r=-0,058; p>0,05). Gender differences in the correlation of test anxiety and self-esteem has not been established.

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