ABSTRACT
Conclusion:
Early recognition of risky groups in terms of the emergence of test anxiety may be beneficial to protecting these individuals. Additionally, interventions with parents with high parental test anxiety could also prevent test anxiety in children.
Results:
Girls had higher TASCA scores than boys. According to the logistic regression analysis, the increase in EASP scores had an increasing effect on the total score of TASCA; the increase in the student’s academic success significantly affected the total score of TASCA. The increase in the TASCA-social sub-dimension score had an increasing effect on the EASP total score. We also found that the increase in the father’s educational level had a lowering effect on the EASP total score.
Materials and Methods:
The study sample was selected randomly from the secondary schools in the province. Students responded to the Test Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents (TASCA). Parents responded to the socio-demographic data form and the Exam Anxiety Scale for Parents (EASP). Research forms were filled online between 20.09.2021 and 01.10.2021. Six hundred fifty-eight students and parents were included in the study.
Objectives:
In this study, we investigated the test anxiety among secondary school students and the effect of parental test anxiety on children’s test anxiety in the two central districts of Denizli, a medium-sized city in Turkey.
Introduction
Test anxiety could significantly affect the exam performance of some students and could be seen in students of all grades. Test anxiety can be defined as experiencing fear and anxiety about the test and test performance before, during, or after the test. Physical symptoms often accompany this condition.1 Test anxiety may negatively affect students’ test performance.2-4 Also, the possibility of the emergence of different psychiatric disorders (e.g., anxiety disorder, eating disorder, depression, and sleep disturbance) in students with test anxiety further increases the interest in this subject.5,6
There are different results in studies on the prevalence of test anxiety. It has been reported that the prevalence of test anxiety in England is between 2% and 30%.7 In a recent multicenter study conducted in India, the rate of students with higher test anxiety was 18%.8 Many studies have reported higher test anxiety in girls than boys.7,9,10
Parents and the family may play a role in the child’s anxiety. Parental acceptance, control, and modeling may be associated with anxiety symptoms in children.11 A recent study underlined that parental anxiety control might be necessary, especially in the development of anxiety in the child.12 Parental anxiety might be a risk factor for the child’s anxiety disorder.13 Baytemir14 stated that the parent’s anxiety about the test might cause the child to experience test anxiety.
The first significant test that students attend in Turkey is the test that determines at which high school they will continue their education. They take this test at the end of secondary school. The number of students who took this exam in 2022 was around one million.15 According to their performance in this test, students continue their education in some qualified high schools. The rate of students placed in those schools in 2022 was approximately 19% of the students who took the exam.15 For this reason, with the transition of some students to secondary school age, they begin experiencing regular exams. The high school entrance exam, which is applied in Turkey at the end of secondary school, differs from America and Europe. For example, there is no exam for transition to secondary education in the USA. Students can attend any school they want.16 Germany has no central examination during the transition from secondary to high school. Students take the secondary school leaving exam.17 Similarly, in Italy, an exam that determines diploma qualifications is taken from secondary school to high school.18
Considering this information, our hypotheses regarding our research are as follows. Since students take the high school entrance exam at the end of the secondary school term, it may be thought that the rate of secondary school students with higher test anxiety scores might be high. Secondly, it can be expected that the test anxiety scores of female students are higher than that of male students. Finally, it has been estimated that factors such as the parent’s test anxiety score, educational status, and some variables related to the child (the child’s school success, adjustment, family and friend relations) could be factors that may affect the child’s test anxiety scores.
In this study, we aimed to investigate the test anxiety of the sixth-eighth-grade students and their parents and investigate the factors affecting the child’s test anxiety scores in the two central districts of Denizli, a medium-sized city in Turkey.
Materials and Methods
Our study was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The study sample was selected from the sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade students at secondary schools in two central districts in the province. The sample calculation was made with a known sample formula. There are 27,451 students and 114 secondary schools in the universe. The incidence of test anxiety was accepted as 48%.19 The deviation margin for determining the number of students was d=0.05 and d=0.3 for the number of schools for calculating the sample. We found that at least 378 students from 10 schools had to be included in the study. Ten secondary schools were determined randomly from the central districts. There were 44 public secondary schools, four private secondary schools in the Pamukkale district and 39 public secondary schools, and 27 private secondary schools in the Merkezefendi district. We randomly selected 4 of these schools in the Pamukkale district and 6 in the Merkezefendi district. The total number of students in the selected schools was 4,560. We planned to reach all these students and families online and conduct the study with those who accepted to participate. The study was conducted after the ethics committee permission, dated 22.06.2021 and number 12, obtained from the Faculty of Medicine of Pamukkale University, and written permission from the Denizli Provincial Directorate of National Education.
Procedure
Research forms were filled online between 20.09.2021 and 01.10.2021. Before the survey, brief information about the research was given. Those who agreed to participate in the study were directed to complete the survey. After the parents filled out the socio-demographic data form and the Exam Anxiety Scale for Parents (EASP), students filled out the Test Anxiety Scale for Children and Adolescents (TASCA). The number of people who read the information about the study was 1,029, the number of people who agreed to participate in the study was 957, and the number of people who completed the questionnaires was 682. Since the study was planned to be conducted in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, 24 students who did not attend these grades were exclude; therefore, so 658 students were included.
Data Collection Tools
Socio-demographic data form: Researchers created the form, which consisted of 15 questions. It questioned children’s gender, age, grade, academic success, the adjustment in the home, parental relations, friend relations and health status, family structure, parental education status, and family income.
TASCA: Tan developed the scale. It is a 30-item, 3-point Likert-type scale (1= No/Never, 2= Sometimes, 3= Yes/Always). There is no reverse item on the scale, and the lowest 30 and the highest 90 points can be obtained. The scale has “Biological”, “Psychological”, and “Social” sub-dimensions. Validity and reliability were tested for students aged 10-18. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.91 for the total, 0.83 for the biological sub-dimension, 0.85 for the psychological sub-dimension, and 0.83 for the social sub-dimension.20 Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.927 in the current study.
EASP: Baytemir and Ilhan21 developed this scale to measure parental exam anxiety. The scale consists of 18 items and a 5-point Likert type (strongly disagree, moderately agree, strongly agree, 1-5). The scale has “Worry” and “Physiological” sub-dimensions. The validity and reliability of the scale were tested. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.93 for the total scores, 0.88 for the worry sub-dimension, and 0.91 for the physiological sub-dimension.21 Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.927 in the current study.
Statistical Analysis
The data were analyzed with the SPSS 25.0 package program. Continuous variables were given as mean ± standard deviation and categorical variables as numbers and percentages. Significance test of difference between two means and One-Way Analysis of Variance compared independent group differences when parametric test assumptions were provided: When parametric test assumptions were not met, the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis Analysis of Variance were used to compare independent group differences. Pearson correlation for normally distributed parametric variables and Spearman correlation analysis for non-normally distributed and non-parametric variables were used to evaluate the relationship between the variables. Logistic regression analysis was applied to examine the factors influencing the TASCA and EASP scores. The statistical significance level was accepted as p<0.05 for all values.
Results
Questionnaires filled by 76.4% (n=503) mother, 13.4% father (n=88), 9.6% (n=63) mother and father together, 0.6% (n=4) another caregiver. Six hundred fifty-eight students were included in the study.
Participant’s 36.22% (n=238) were in the sixth grade, 31.6% (n=208) were in the seventh grade, and 32.2% (n=212) were in the eighth grade. 50.3% of the children (n=331) were girls and 49.7% (n=327) were boys. The mean age of the children was 12.07±0.87 (10-15 years). Other sociodemographic information about the children participating in the study are shown in Table 1.
The mean score of the TASCA was 52.21±12.29. The mean score for the biological sub-dimension of the scale was 14.42±4.21, the mean score for the psychological sub-dimension was 18.49±4.68, and the mean score for the social sub-dimension was 19.29±5.13. The distribution of the scale according to the total scores was as follows: 1.1% (n=7) participants with 0-30 points, 73.9% (n=486) participants with 31-60 points, and 25.1% (n=165) participants with 61 points and above.
The mean total score of the EASP was 42.02±14.37 points. The worry sub-dimension of the scale was 26.88±8.80, and the physiological sub-dimension was 15.15±6.99.
Comparisons of the TASCA and EASP scores of the participants in terms of gender, family structure, and chronic and psychiatric disorders are shown in Table 2. There were statistical differences in terms of gender and family structure.
Correlations between the TASCA and EASP scores and variables such as the child’s age, mother’s education level, father’s education level, family income and child’s academic success, home adjustment, parental relationship, and friend relationship are shown in Table 3. The correlation between the total score of TASCA and the total score for EASP was statistically significant.
The logistic regression analysis examined the factors that affected the TASCA and EASP scores. We found that the increase in EASP-worry sub-dimension and EASP-physiological sub-dimension scores had a significantly increasing effect on the total score of TASCA, and an increase in the student’s academic success had a significant lowering effect on the total score of TASCA (Table 4). We found that the increase in the father’s education level had a significant lowering effect on the EASP total score, and an increase in the TASCA-social sub-dimension score had a significantly increasing effect on the EASP total score (Table 5).
Discussion
In this study, we investigated the test anxiety of secondary school students and their parents in Denizli, Turkey. According to the results, 25.1% of all students had higher TASCA scores; girls had higher total, psychological, and biological TASCA scores than boys. We also found that the increase in EASP scores had an increasing effect on the total score of TASCA, the increase in the student’s academic success had a significant lowering effect on the total score of TASCA, and increase in the educational level of the father had a lowering effect on the total score of EASP. The increase in the TASCA-social sub-dimension score significantly affected the EASP total score in the logistic regression analysis.
Test anxiety is common in school-age children and young people and could be at different prevalence rates.22 The prevalence of test anxiety in secondary school children was examined in England: 16.4% of the students had higher levels of test anxiety.7 Although there were many studies on test anxiety among secondary school students in Turkey, there was a limited study on the prevalence of test anxiety. The prevalence of test anxiety was 48% among students who will take the university entrance test in Turkey.19 In another study conducted with students who will take the university entrance test, the prevalence of students with higher levels of test anxiety was 42%.23 The data in our study were lower than the high school age in Turkey. Reasons such as children could better evaluate themselves as their age increases and their expectation increases1 could explain the result of our research. In our study, approximately 1 of 4 students had higher anxiety scores, slightly higher abroad. In the Turkish education system, students who want to continue their education in qualified high schools must be successful in the high-school entrance exam. As students start secondary school, this exam begins taking place in their lives. This may explain why the proportion of students with higher test anxiety scores is high abroad in secondary school-age children. The TASCA scores were higher in girls than in boys in our study. Putwain found that girls had higher test anxiety scores than boys in his study.24 In a 2018 meta-analysis, in which thirty years of data were reviewed, it was found that test anxiety in girls was higher than in boys at almost every grade.25 In a study investigating test anxiety in seventh and eighth-grade students in Turkey, test anxiety scores were higher in girls than boys.26 In another study conducted with eighth-grade students in Turkey, the test anxiety scores of girls were higher than boys.27 A reason for this situation may be that girls can express their anxiety easier than boys.1 Another possible explanation is that the academic motivation of male students is lower in Turkey.28,29 The low motivation of male students may cause them to care less about exam-related situations, and therefore, their anxiety levels may be lower than that of female students.
TASCA total score positively correlated with the EASP total score and the child’s age and negatively correlated with the father’s educational status, child’s academic success, home adjustment, and family and friend relations. As the age of the child increases, the grade will also increase. Students from the sixth to eighth grade participated in our research. In Turkey, the exam was taken at the end of the eighth grade. Since the students closest to taking the exam are the eighth-grade students, it may be expected to be a correlation between the test anxiety scores and the child’s age. The father’s education level and the child’s test anxiety scores were negatively related. In other words, the decrease in the father’s educational status was associated with the increase in the child’s anxiety scores. Deb et al.30 found that fathers with low education levels can pressure their children to perform better academically in high school. The child must show a higher level of success to continue education in a qualified high school in Turkey’s high school entrance exam. This situation may cause the father with a lower education level to pressure the child about the exam and increase the child’s anxiety scores. There was also a negative correlation between friend relations and test anxiety. The test anxiety scores of those with more problematic friend relations were increased. In their study, Shanahan et al.31 found that friendship difficulties were associated with anxiety disorders. When adolescents face a stressful situation, the support of their peers could be beneficial in coping.32 Students with problematic peer relations may not receive adequate support from their peers and may be experiencing increased anxiety about the exam. A negative correlation was found between family relations, home adjustment, and test anxiety. There was an increase in the test anxiety scores of the students whose family relations and adjustment at home were problematic. Good family relations cause more positive results in anxiety over a long time, and children with anxiety disorder have lower family relations.33 The family has a role in children in expressing emotions, handling stress, and coping with anxiety.34 Having problems in family relations may cause the child not to be able to obtain the support of the family regarding a situation where the child may experience anxiety, such as an exam. It may make it difficult for the individual to deal with test anxiety and increase test anxiety scores.
When the variables with a significant correlation were included in the logistic regression analysis, the factors affecting TASCA total scores were EASP worry sub-dimension scores, EASP physiological sub-dimension scores, and child’s academic success. The effects of parents’ behaviors and parenting styles on the child’s development are known.35 Parent’s anxiety could cause anxiety in the child.36,37 Additionally, situations that the anxious parent might perceive negatively could increase their stress and anxiety, which might indirectly cause the child’s anxiety.38 Like our results, in a study by Baytemir14 on students between the eighth and twelfth grades, it was reported that the parent’s test anxiety might cause test anxiety in the child. Parental anxiety about the test might cause the parent not to show appropriate coping skills verbally or behaviorally, and the child might experience test-related anxiety. Another recent study found that parents’ test anxiety was negatively associated with perfectionism.39 Perfectionism in parents could also cause anxiety in children.40 This situation might be a possible explanation for our results. Our study found that the decrease in academic success had an increasing effect on the TASCA scores. Test anxiety in children was associated with decreased academic achievement.41,42 The decrease in academic success might also cause children to feel pressure to perform better on the test and increase their anxiety.
When the variables with a significant correlation were included in the logistic regression analysis, the factors affecting the EASP total scores in the model were TASCA social sub-dimension score and the father’s education level. TASCA social sub-dimension score investigates the effect of family and environment on the anxiety experienced by the child.20 Our study found that the increase in the TASCA social sub-dimension scores had an increasing effect on the EASP scores. The increase in the social sub-dimension score could be interpreted as the child being more worried about the family and environment. Our study also found that the increase in the EASP scores affected the TASCA scores. A recent study showed a bi-directional relationship between the child and the parent in terms of anxiety, and the child’s anxiety affected the parent’s anxiety.43 The result of our study could be evaluated in a similar context, an increase in the parent’s anxiety might affect the child’s anxiety, and an increase in the child’s anxiety might affect the parent’s anxiety. Bjelland et al.44 stated that higher education might have a protective effect on anxiety throughout life. Similarly, in another recent study, anxiety symptoms were higher in individuals with low education levels.45 Our result, as the education level of the father increases, the decrease in EASP scores was consistent with these data.
Study Limitations
Our study should be evaluated within several limitations. The data for the research was collected shortly after the opening of the schools when the children were coming out of the holiday season. This situation might have affected the choices of the participants. Another limitation was that the data were obtained through questionnaires. We did not conduct clinical interviews with children and families. This situation made it difficult for us to understand the extent of the anxiety level. Finally, most of the parents in our study were mothers. This situation could also be considered as a limitation. The strength of our research was that the sample was selected randomly from secondary schools in the district where the research was conducted. In this respect, it could provide an idea about the test anxiety of secondary school students and their parents in Turkey.
Conclusion
In our study, test anxiety scores were higher in almost one out of every four students of secondary school age. Girls and students with lower academic success may also have higher test anxiety scores. Parental test anxiety, which could affect test anxiety in children, should not be overlooked, and interventions for parents might also influence test anxiety in children.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the parents and children who participated in this study. The authors would also like to thank Denizli provincial directorate of national education for their help.
Ethics
Ethics Committee Approval: The study was conducted after the ethics committee permission, dated 22.06.2021 and number 12, obtained from the Faculty of Medicine of Pamukkale University, and written permission from the Denizli Provincial Directorate of National Education.
Informed Consent: Patient consent was obtained.
Peer-review: Externally peer-reviewed.
Authorship Contributions
Concept: A.B., Ö.B., Design: A.B., Ö.B., Data Collection or Processing: A.B., Ö.B., Analysis or Interpretation: A.B., Ö.B., Literature Search: A.B., Ö.B., Writing: A.B., Ö.B.
Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.
Financial Disclosure: The authors declared that this study received no financial support.