Impact of Examination Anxiety on Academic Performance Among Public Secondary School Students in Kajiado North Constituency, Kenya
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Date
2022-06-11
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Tangaza University College
Abstract
Anxiety is the most frequent psychological disorder among school going adolescents.
Although frequent examinations are part of the learning process, examination anxiety can make
some students to underperform. This study carried out in Kajiado North Constituency, Kenya,
was designed to compare levels of students’ examination anxiety during normal school time
and examination time; to measure levels of subject-elicited anxiety in relation to academic
performance; and to investigate the impact of examination anxiety on academic performance
of students in public secondary schools. A sample of 360 was drawn from a population of 6268
students from 16 public school using cluster and simple random sampling techniques. The
study used descriptive correlational research design employing quantitative methods of data
collection and data analysis. Two standardized tools (questionnaires) were used to collect
primary data. A mark sheet was used to collect secondary data of student test/exam marks.
Using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 22, data were analyzed and presented in
descriptive and inferential forms, and discussed according to the objectives. Examination
anxiety was measured in non-high-stakes evaluative conditions. It was found that 69.7%
participants experienced moderate level during normal school time and 62.8% during
examinations. However, High anxiety levels increased from 28.3% in normal school time to
34.4% during examinations. The study also found out that the class of participants and type of
school had significant influences on examination anxiety while gender, age, class, and type of
school had significant influences on academic performance. Moreover, different subjects
elicited varying degrees of subject worry-emotionality, leading to change in examination
anxiety. The study revealed that, examination anxiety had a significant but weak and inverse
correlation with academic performance both during normal school time (r = -.159, p = .002)
and during examination time (r = -.151, p =.004). Regression analysis confirmed that
examination anxiety predicted 6.1% increase in academic performance during normal school
time. This reduced to 4.3% during examinations. Therefore, the study concludes that, despite
being significant (p = .000 or p = .009), examination anxiety impacts dismally and negatively
on academic performance.
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Keywords
Impact of Examination Anxiety on Academic Performance Among Public Secondary School Students in Kajiado North Constituency, Kenya