THE EXTENT OF TEST ANXIETY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF

THE STEM SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF

MINDANAO

A SHS Thesis
Presented to the Faculty of the College of
Arts and Sciences Education

University of Mindanao

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

In Partial Research II
SY 2017-2018

Fuentes, Jose Manuel

Mepranum, Kenneth Brian
Morial, AG Arvin
Pulanco, Raphael
White, Kim Paulette
Talbo, Laren Dyne
Rosal, Peter Lloyd

October 2017
 Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Background of the Study

Academic performance is the basis of an individual’s performance in an

educational institution, it is a medium for educators in assessing their student’s

performance in terms of academics. Academic performance was measured

through the use of a grading system which depends on the stage of education, it

measures the level of participation, scholastic attainment and overall

performance of a student. When a student has high academic performance it will

represent the proficiency of a student, the effectiveness of the learning process

and will open a lot of opportunities for a student, however if a student have shown

poor academic performance it will represent poor understanding, results to

minimal opportunities and could lead to dropping out.

Therefore, researchers will continue to study about the academic

performance aiming to know the factors that affect a student’s academic

performance that could either improve or distract their performance. There are

some captivating studies that relate anxiety to the academic performance of the

students, it shows anxiety as one of the factors that affects the performance of a

student negatively. In today’s society, students are more exposed to stress due

to intensive pressure from the environment and majority of those stressor come

from school. This stress develops anxiety among the student wherein a feeling of

anxiousness towards their academics is formed. This study focuses on the extent

of test anxiety and academic performance of STEM senior high school students

in University of Mindanao.
 In Walberg’s theory of academic achievement, it theorized that students’

academic performance is influenced by the psychological environments such as

cognitive, behavioral and altitudinal (Reynolds & Walber, 1992). If a psychological

distraction such as anxiety will interfere on these three psychological

environments this will have a negative impact in a student’s academic

performance resulting to ineffective learning.

According to Heather, L. & April L., (2009) as cited by Afolayan, J.A., Donald,

B., et al (2013) anxiety occur in response to stress, it affects the learning and

memory of a students that result to poor academic performance. This was further

supported by Nelson and Harwood, (2011) and was cited by Dobson. (2012)

which stated that “Anxiety can have a negative effect on the information

processing system”. A person with high level of anxiety have difficulty in

recovering and remembering information while some students is difficult to

assess because of anxiety.

In the global setting, Carrey and Devine, et.al. (2017) Individuals with high

levels of mathematics anxiety are more likely to have other forms of anxiety, such

as general anxiety and test anxiety, and tend to have some math performance

decrement compared to those with low math anxiety. (Afolayan, J. A., Donald B.,

et.al, 2013) Anxiety has a distinguished affect in a student which involves

disrupting the mind, hands getting numb and some sudden disabilities.

The researchers, Professor Michael Eysenck and Dr Nazanin Derkshan,

designed several experiments to explore the effects of anxiety on our ability to

perform tasks such as avoiding distractions on a computer screen, when reading

a story, or solving a series of simple mathematics problems. According to

Professor Eysenck, these findings have clear practical implications in the

classroom: “A lot of the negative effects of anxiety appear to be caused by

difficulties with controlling attention. This suggests that training techniques

designed to enhance attentional control - the ability to ignore distractions and to

switch attention from one task to another - could help anxious students to achieve

their academic potential,” he explains.

In the Philippines, there is a dearth of literature on test anxiety and its effect

of academic performance. According to the study of Ali and Awan,2013;

Anwer,2012 as cited by Espinosa et al. (2015) high test anxiety lead to poor

attitude towards science; hence leading to lower rate of academic performance;

conversely, lower levels of test anxiety yields better attitude towards science

which results in higher academic achievement. Moreover, many studies showed

that female participants experience higher test anxiety; however, in the study of

Espinosa et al. (2015) results show that only a fair amount of it was reflected.

This indicated that the participants were able to overcome their test anxiety.

According to second hypothesis, academic stress will be higher in female

students as compared to male students. The result indicated the non-significant

difference between males and females on Perceived Stress Scale. It is supported

by the existing research conducted by Watson (2002) to inspect the academic

stress among college students enrolled in a state college in the Philippines with

reference to gender differences. The results found non-significant difference in

the perceived stress between male and female students because female

students have also learned the time management and stress coping strategies

like male students. They enjoy their studies by adopting effective and efficient

study habits. Moreover they are much devoted, concerned and consistent in their

studies
 Test anxiety is a prevalent problem that can handicap a student’s ability to

perform well academically. This problem has been said to affect nearly 35% of

the college student’s population. Specifically, about 18% are handicapped by

high test anxiety and an additional 16% are handicapped by moderately high test

anxiety (Driscoll, Holt and Hunter, 2005). These highly anxious students scored

about 12 percentile points lower than those with low anxiety, making test anxiety

one of the most serious academic handicaps among students today (Hembree,

1988). Meanwhile, Chapell et al.(2005) as cited by Suarez et al. (2016)

extrapolated from the literature and estimated that about 25% of American

primary and secondary school students or about 10 million students, suffered

lower academic performance due to test anxiety. In other studies, Khalid and

Hasan (2009) conducted a study with selected sample of 187 undergraduate

students to explore the relationship between test anxiety and academic

achievement have low test anxiety scores and vice versa. Additionally, the test

anxiety has been identified by many under graduate and graduate students as

an important problem (Chapell et al. 2005)

In the local setting specifically Mindanao, a study was conducted by Alico, J.

C. And Guimba, W. D. (2015) in Mindanao State University-Main campus

measures the level of anxiety in English subject among the students, the result

shows that students who have moderate and high level of anxiety tend to fail in

English exams .Pressure from the family, incompetence and negative perception

towards the subject is the cause of anxiety (Alico, J. C. and Guimbao, W. D.,

2015).

Sapini, G. C.(2014) examine test anxiety as a predictor of student’s academic

achievement in University of Mindanao the study conclude that test anxiety have
a negative impact on the student’s academic achievement. Sapini, G. C.(2014)

divide test anxiety into two components first one is the cognitive component

anxiety which focuses on the worry component while the second which is

emotional component which focuses on the autonomic component that occur in

examination.

Barabag,(2015) study find out that there is a distinct relationship between

test-anxiety and self-perspective of students.(Mizell,1999) as cited by Hibionada

L.C.(2009) some students that move from primary to secondary doesn't have the

proper knowledge, understanding and self-confidence that they need. This result

for some students to have negative perspective towards mathematics that

eventually turn into anxiety. According to Weil (2009) students who have anxiety

has a chronic fear of being watch and judged by other as well being humiliated

by their own actions.

Several psychological studies have been conducted to further know the

effects of anxiety in a specific field and scope. Experimental studies and survey

have already been conducted, but still, anxiety is frequent among younger people

whether they perform well or not in their academics. Strategies to ease anxiety

has been developed to minimize the effects of anxiety among the learners without

reducing the work and evaluation test of an educational institution. Finally, this

will also assess the majority of the research relating to anxiety that conclude

anxiety to be a factor that reduced academic performance and to know whether

it applicable for everyone.

Most of the motivated and willing students seek excellence in their academic

not only the students but also the teacher, therefore, educators apply strategies

to motivate their students for them to increase their student’s performance at

school. In relate to that applying pressure among the students is one of the

strategies that educators use which has shown to increase stress level, hence,

several studies was conducted that shows stress as a factor that influence anxiety

which result to reduce cognitive and motivation. This study will help the institution

itself (University of Mindanao) and teacher/educators to determine the test

anxiety level of the students and eliminate the discrepancy in the assessment of

learning. In addition to that there is still no studies conducted that assess the

participants of the K-12 program in terms of their test anxiety level.

Statement of the Problem

Researchers aims to determine the relationship between the anxiety and

academic performance of Senior High School Students under the STEM

strands of University of Mindanao

1. What is the extent of Anxiety of STEM Strand Senior High School

Students in terms of: a

1.1 cognitive anxiety,

1.2 academic anxiety, and

1.3 Emotional anxiety?

2. What is the level of academic performance of the students in terms

of:

2.1 performance task,

2.2 , and
 2.3 quiz?

3. Is there a significant relationship between the extent of anxiety and

academic performance of STEM senior high school students of University of

Mindanao?

4. What is the percentage of influence of anxiety and the level of

academic performance?

Hypothesis of the Study

The study will be tested with the null hypothesis at 0.05 level of

significance:

There is no significant relationship between Anxiety and the academic

performance of STEM strands in Senior High School student of University of

Mindanao.

Review of Related Literature

Readings and other pertinent information are presented in this section. This

is to establish a clear framework of the concepts and principles of the variables

under study. It is divided according to the variables, test anxiety and academic

performance while it is further divided according to its indicators respectively.

Test Anxiety

According to Attwood, T., (n.d) anxiety is a psychological response to stress,

it is a response of our body in times of danger which develops a feeling of being

worried, dreadful and uneasiness. It is a sign of healthy psychological state since

it makes an individual be alert and aware of its surrounding as wellbeing prepared

of occurring events in the environment, however when there is imbalanced in the

level of anxiety it starts to interfere a person’s usual activity negatively. According

to a study conducted by Huberty, T., (2009) 30% of the students experience

severe anxiety, this study specifically talks about test anxiety. Mazzini L, Ducky,

F.,(2007) as cited by Afolayan,J. A. et al,(2013) that the symptoms of anxiety

involves damage in memory and cognitive function which affects the academic

performance poorly.

There is an abundance of study that could relate anxiety and academic

performance. In a 2015 survey conducted by National College Health

Assessment discovered that anxiety has surpassed depression as the leading

mental health issue among the learners(Brown,J.,2017).The effects of Anxiety

has been identified by several researches including the study of Brian,K.(2010)

entitled “Academic Procrastination and Tolerance of Ambiguity Among

Undergraduate and Graduate Student” which consider academic procrastination

as a result of anxiety which could lead to poor academic performance.

Furthermore, students that are more test anxious have shown poor

performance and are less motivated ,in fact a statistical relationship reveals that

students who are more exposed to high level assessment environment have

shown a high level of anxiety in their academics(Hancock,2009 as cited by

Sapini,2014).According to Sapini(2014) Students became more concerned about

their performance in their education and the fear of the consequences of failure

develops a self-awareness which creates anxious behavior.

Students have different response to anxiety. According to (Zelazo & Lyons,

2012) that teaching students self-regulation in their childhood will lessen and

reduce the anxiety that they feel towards their academics. Nelson and Harwood,
(2011) stated that the capacity of students to retrieve and store information at

school has been reduced due to anxiety. Evaluation in the academic performance

like academic test has been developed which could serve as a stimuli in the

anxiety level of an individual or student (Kahan, L., 2008).

An examination on anxiety and academic performance was completed by the

Department of Pediatrics of Catania University in Italy of 2004, as referred to by

Mazzone, Ducci, Scoto, Passaniti, D'Arrigo, and Vitiello, (2007) and was cited by

Aloka, P. J. P., (2014). The division did an investigation on Anxiety Test

Performance on 478 youngsters and youths (age 8 - 16 years) who belongs in

the middle-class urban background. They considered the pervasiveness and

connection of anxiety in the academic performance. The kids were assembled

into three: basic (ages 8-10yrs) - N=131, center (ages11-13yrs) – N= 267, and

secondary school (ages 14-16 yrs.) - N= 80 with the end goal of the investigation.

The kids finished the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC). T-

Scores were figured for the frequencies returned. An examination of the

outcomes showed an average of 65% or above the accepted level of uneasiness

and anxiety. This score was above typical anxiety side effects that were generally

basic among kids and young people this could serve as a distraction in their usual

activity. They additionally demonstrated that the commonness of unusually high

level of anxiety expanded as age increases and was adversely connected with

academic performance.

A psychoanalytic theory of Sigmund Freud(n.d) that refers anxiety an

aversive inner state that people seek to avoid or escape which leads human to

tension reduction. Anxiety was considered as a defensive mechanisms for a

human being. Freud theory identify anxiety in 3 types; reality anxiety, neurotic
anxiety and moral anxiety. Reality anxiety refers to anxiety or fear that occurs in

reality, Neurotic anxiety refers to the unconscious fear and is driven by the fear

of punishment and the moral anxiety refers to fear of violating the norms or the

fear of shame.

Test anxiety was referred as a hyper-arousal condition that result in the

change in physiological, emotional and intellectual modification that disrupt

learners in attaining and storing knowledge (Ndirangu, Moula, 2009).In a

experiment that was conducted by Sommer, M. and Arendassy M.E. (2014)

concluded that there is a moderate negative correlation in a test anxiety

independent variable and test performance dependent variable. The research

that was conducted by Kinga, M., Busdragi, C., et al (2014) that uses CRT

(Cognitive Reflection Test) to measure the cognitive performance or the level of

performance in mathematics, the results shows that the math anxiety and math

performance has a significant relationship with the test anxiety, to sum it up

mathematical anxiety has a negative effect in the ability of an individual to decide

and have good choices.

In conclusion there are several studies that relates test anxiety and academic

performance. Majority of those studies proposed that anxiety and test anxiety has

a negative impact in the students’ academic performance.

Emotional component of anxiety focuses in the autonomic reaction of an

individual towards a stimuli (Corsin, 1984 as cited by Hasan & Kalid, 2014).This

autonomic reaction such as increased heart rate, palpitation and nervousness is

cause by a buildup of physiological excitement level which creates significantly

more grounded enthusiastic feeling that something terrible will happen, in result
the increase in nervousness and physiological arousal is formed (Cox & Stone,

2006).

In addition to that, emotionally anxious people produces unnecessary

thoughts that disrupt a person’s attention and focus(Hasan &

Kalid,2014).According to Schwarzer and Quast,(2011) as cited by Sapini,(2014)

define emotional anxiety as a feeling that involves emotion, namely this involves

embarrassment, disappointment, happiness, relieved or anger. Emotionality is

usually define as a physiological over arousal.

Some studies have shown that test anxiety could cause panic attacks

wherein students experienced immediate fear, difficulty in breath and a sensation

of being not comfortable(Schwarzer & Quast,2011 as cited by

Sapino,2014).Heckhausen (1982) as cited by Hasan and Kalid,(2014) likewise

trusts that it is self-concern and not emotionality that adversely associates with

academic performance. He inferred that emotionality is just high when

examination, though self-concern exists before and afterward the examination.

Cognitive component of anxiety or worry is a component of anxiety that

relates to cognitive which focuses to the result of failure. This was further

supported by Sharma & Sud, (1990) and Mathews, Zeidner & Roberts, (2009) as

cited by Barabag, 2015) that cognitive component disrupts the attention and

results to ineffective thinking process. Previous research reveal that anxiety

affects sport performance (Albenza et al., 2009), music performance (Thurber,

2006), as well as student performance (McCraty, 2005).In addition to that a study

of Hembree,(2008) as cited by Sapini,(2014) shows that cognitive component

anxiety has always been the cause of reduce performance.

 According to Robb (2005) researcher have classified anxiety into two

dimension namely cognitive (mental) and physical component. Cognitive anxiety

is parallel to negative concern and self-doubt linked to performance and among

the student can be associated to nervous feelings, lack of confident, fail in

examination, learning difficulties, or uninterested in doing the task. Cognitive

anxiety is the component that mostly affects the academic performance (Ingugiro,

1999; Robb, 2005; Vitasari et al., 2010). This anxiety interfere the students’

performance through memory blocks, concentration, attention, resources, or

mere cognitive interference from fears and worries due to negative self-

expectation and negative expectation (Vitasari et al., 2011). Moreover, the study

of Sena et al. in 2007 have identify students with higher level of anxiety have

problems with reduced memory span, lose concentration, and lack confidence,

and poor reasoning power. Sansgiry and Sail (2006) study have shown that

cognitive anxiety is positively associated factor to the decreased performance of

the student in the research conducted in College of Pharmacy, University of

Houston.

A study of Depreeuw(2009) as cited by Sapini,(2014) have examine the

most common type of worries among the students, the result shows that 80%

were moderately or intensely concerned about taking up a similar the similar

examination, loss of self-worth and causing sorrow in parents.in connection in

the study of Rana and Mahmood (2010) were Oludipe (2009) investigated how

the test anxiety affects the students’ performance, specifically in Physics, and

found that high test-anxious students performed worse than the low-test anxious

both on numerical and non-numerical task in Physics which requires the use

cognitive. Additionally, numerous researches reportedly students’

underachievement and low performances in their educational life caused by test

anxiety and said to be major cause at different level. Cassady & Johnson (2002)

as cited by Rana and Mahmood (2010) shows that cognitive test anxiety

negatively impacted the academic performance in the investigation how cognitive

test anxiety affects academic performance. Spielberger’s theory of anxiety gives

a thorough understanding of the concept of anxiety. The anxiety is measured by

state and trait (STAI) instrument, which means that high scores of state and trait

determines high level in cognitive anxiety (Spielberger, 1983).

Measurement of Cognitive componenet anxiety uses the cognitive test

scale wherein it evaluate the worry and the inclination to irrelevant thoughts

during preparation to test and during the test.

Academic anxiety indicator will focus on the negative impression formed

due to anxiety this is based on several research that focuses on a specific subject

or skill. A little level of anxiety is typical, however, extreme anxiety can be a major

issue. Academic anxiety can turn out to be more adverse over time. As a student

academic performance endures, the nervousness and anxiety level identified with

certain academic anxiety builds up (Huberty, 2012).

In the study of Ohata, (2005) as cited by Dianne, et al (2011) it focuses in the

language anxiety of students, language anxiety was the level of anxiety in

learning the secondary language this anxiety may expand from several stimuli.

Specifically, this involves anxiety occurrences when at the language classroom

where constant evaluation occurs (Dianne, G., et al 2011).

Mallow,(2006) determine the anxiety in taking up science related subject,

students that shows symptoms of science anxiety usually became more

conscious in their science evaluation test causing panic. Educators may likewise

incite anxiety., An American Institute of Physics (AIP) learn toward the start of

this thousand years (AIP 2001) yielded the startling measurement that exclusive

47% of the general population showing material science in secondary school had

either a minor or more in physical science or material science training; just 33%

had a four year college education with a physical science or physical science

instruction major

Math anxiety is anxiety formed towards math this anxiety usually composed

of thoughts and worries to the subject affecting the Working memory(short term

memory) which is vital in performing problem solving(Ramirez,2013).math

anxiety in the classroom is a problem for the field of education, as math anxiety

contributes to poor student performance and lessen the math competence of

students, in result, student’s tend to avoid math related courses and subject

which is very important in attaining their desired career(Hembree, 1990 as cited

by Ramirez,2013).

Academic Performance

To the students, Ali et al., (2009) defined the Academic Performance as the

vital role in creating the first quality alumnae who will become leader and

manpower of a particular country, consequently responsible for the country's

social and economic development. In past researchers, the academic

performance of the students have gained significant attention. There are some

factors that strongly influence the performance of the students but these factors

different from country to country and person to person. These factors are

psychological, economic, social, personal and environmental factors that affects

in the performance of the students. Most of the previous studies on academic

performance of the students focused on such issues like teacher education, class

environment, gender difference, teaching style, family educational background

and socioeconomic factor.

Darling (2005) and Galiher (2006) used GPA (grade point average) to evaluate

performance of the students. GPA is the average result of all the grades achieved

throughout your degree.

Several studies have been conducted to find out student's academic

performance (Applegate and Daly, 2006; Hedjazi and Omidi, 2008; Ramdan and

Quraan, 1994; Alforo 2010; Torki 1988; Hijaz and Naqvi, 2006; Naser and Peel,

1998; Aldullah, 2005). All these studies engaged the Grade Point Average (GPA)

as common indicator of the performance of the students. The performance of the

students depends on these factors like, learning facilities, age and gender

differences. This is how the Researchers demonstrated it. Competence in English

is the most significant factor that gives a positive result on the student

performance and also, having good communication skill will develop the

performance of the students. (Abdullah, 2011)

According to Noble (2006) that the perceptions of the academic activities of

the students of their adapting strategies and background qualities were indirectly

connected to their compound scores during academic achievement on their

secondary school. Example of this are family pay, direction from parents, and

number of negative circumstances in the house and parents and their level of

education. Opposite of this are the students who are properly guided by their

guardians who done well in the exams because the guidance from the guardians

and the students directly influence the students’ performance (Hussain, 2006).
Lujan and DiCarlo (2006) also found out the through peer interaction, the students

might increase the level of their skills on solving qualitative problems.

Academic achievement represents performance outcomes that indicate the

extent to which a person has accomplished specifies goals that were the focus of

activities in instructional environments. Specifically in school, college and

Universities. Spinath, 2012 emphasizes the importance of the academic

achievement with regards to different perspective. Such as for individuals and

societies, as well as psychological and educational research.

Performance Task. Performance assessments are making a strong

comeback after nearly disappearing from the state and national scene around the

turn of this century (Stecher, 2010). In 2014, the Virginia General Assembly

passed legislation to eliminate several Standards of Learning (SOL) tests and

gave local school boards the option to use authentic performance assessments

and integrated assessments to ensure students are learning the content in these

areas (Virginia Board of Education, 2014). The terms “performance assessment”

and “performance task” are sometimes used interchangeably. However,

according to Stecher (2010) saw performance assessment as a compilation of

performance tasks and defined performance task as “a structured situation in

which stimulus materials and a request for information or action are presented to

an individual, who generates a response that can be rated for quality using explicit

standards” (p. 3). This definition is suitable for the performance tasks that are the

topic of the present article. This more detailed view on students’ performance,

would argue for the use of performance-based assessment criteria. Following the

results of Fastré et al. (2009), it can be concluded that the use of performance-

based criteria is especially beneficial for novice students because of their task-
specific character. In addition, providing these students with performance-based

assessment criteria would give them redundant information on the task which

may hamper their learning. This is called the expertise reversal effect

(Kalyuga 2007). This more detailed view on students’ performance, would argue

for the use of performance-based assessment criteria. To judge student

performance on a certain task, performance-based assessment criteria should

be formulated on task-level as for each task a different set of criteria is relevant.

Performance-based criteria are thus task-dependent. As is shown by Fastré et

al. (2009), for novice students it is important to know the relevant criteria in every

task. For example, when a nurse has to conduct stoma care, some of the relevant

criteria are to remove the old stoma bag and apply a new one. In order to attract

as many students as possible, performance task condition should be pragmatic,

relevant, and age-applicable. Savvy educators know students tend to be more

attentive in information with explicit connections to their world, rather than

literature about something they recognize as not being relevant. Along these

lines, we utilized GRASPS (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005), a performance task

design framework that stands for Goal, Role, Audience, Situation, Product or

Performance, and Standards. (See the appendix for the GRASPS frameworks

that describe our original tasks.)

Quiz. The significant writing on recurrent test has seen a considerable

measure of controversy. On the one hand, the advocates of quizzes trust that

quizzes have obvious points of interest; frequent quizzes helps the students to

be ready and prepared for long test and remember the lessons in longer time.

(Johnson & Kiviniemi, 2009).

 The conducted study by Zarei (2008), pointed that the outcomes

uncovered that the all the more frequently students were presented to tests, the

better their performance exposed to be. In addition, the outcomes demonstrated

that the organization of frequent quizzes had a positive relationship with

classroom participation. He added that taking a quiz has round impact in that

students where the test itself is a good source of motivation.

However, a study on meta-analysis was conducted by Basol and

Johanson (2009), on the impact of different quizzes on the students learning and

exam performance. To this end, authors create utilization among 78 studies. The

studies classified in to three frequency level: high, medium, and low frequency.

The results of met analysis uncovered that in spite of the fact that there were no

measurably difference among the three groups but frequent testing still beneficial

to student learning and academic progress.

Moreover, A study conducted by Shirvani (2009) where the Hispanic

students in four geometry classes were the participants and there are dependent

variables such as two experimental group that took every day short quizzes and

control group that took weekly quizzes. His study objects if there were a

significant effect on student’s final exams scores and homework grades. As a

result, the researcher concluded that both dependent variables are significantly

affected by daily quizzes.

A similar study by Dineen, Taylor and Stephens (2010) tested the impact

of testing recurrence upon the accomplishment of Students in secondary school

mathematic courses. In this examination one group of the students took daily

quizzes and the other gathering week by week quizzes. The students with daily

quizzes demonstrated change, however this change was not significant.

 From the perception of Marshall (2007), that an excessive testing does not

prompt productive and lifelong learning since educators put their emphasis just

on the tests and instruct to the test, giving their students only with the amount of

information they need to do well on the tests. Because teachers instruct to the

test and students read to the test, learning does not keep going for a long time.

Exam. According to Saima and Bukhsh (2011) exams are important to the

educational system. It is beneficial because it measures a student’s progress

with regards to predetermined objectives. It is an activity to test the capacity or

performance of students in any subjects.

And also van Bergen and Lane (2014) stated that exams sometimes promote

“deep”, “rich”, and “authentic assessment tasks. These are project based tasks

that bases on students’ creativity and interest. Example, students on history class

will be tasked to research a historical character, business students will be tasked

in designing the pitch for a new business seeking venture capital

These tasks do improve some crucial high-order thinking skills, and also

analysis and decision-making. Nevertheless, they’re not substitute to

examinations. They do different things. And this is what we want: numerous,

different tasks to maximize students’ opportunities to show what they know and

can do. Research also tells us that learning is strong when students learn by

themselves. Instead than reading and remembering by rote, we want our

students to learn by creating proper questions, searching memory for relevant

responses, and unite this answer to form proper answers.

Fine assessment programs aims to provide a balanced, fair evaluation of

students. They can achieve this in two ways. Firstly, they use of a different of
strategies and tasks. This gives students chances, to expose what they know and

can do. It also enables teacher to be confident of the accuracy of their teaching.

Second task must be “fit for purpose”. Assumed that a subject has a number of

goals, each task should be suitable for the fixed goal. This means that a task

evaluating base knowledge will look unusual to one assessing creativity.

According to Putwain (2011) test anxiety is considered as a situation specific

attribute accounting for individual contrast into a degree which people find exams

threatening. Narrow definitions focus on fear of failing, or evaluation anxiety.

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

Anxiety and test anxiety has been shown to have negative impact to the

academic performance of a learner .According to Mazzone and Ducci (2007) as

cited by Afolayan, et al,(2013) stated that “anxiety symptoms are associated

with impairment of memory and cognitive functions and can contribute to poor

school performance and academic failure”. In order to support this claim, theories

are given and explained to support this idea and to highlight the idea used in this

research.

It is believed that test anxiety disrupt the attention by thinking unnecessary

thoughts of the student resulting to poor academic performance Psychoanalytic

theory of Sigmund Freud(1926) that refers anxiety as an feeling seek to avoid or

escape which leads human to tension reduction. Anxiety was considered as a

defensive mechanisms for a human being. Freud theory divide anxiety in three

types (1) reality anxiety, (2) neurotic anxiety and (3) moral anxiety. Reality anxiety

refers to anxiety or fear that occurs in reality, Neurotic anxiety refers to the

unconscious fear and is driven by the fear of punishment and the moral anxiety

refers to fear of violating the norms or the fear of shame.

 The theory of Attention Control Theory by Eysenck and Calvo's (1992)

support the theory of Freud .This theory states anxiety to be related to changes

in attentional procedures that shows decrease in performance noted over a wide

scope of errands including spatial and verbal thinking. Attention control theory

was formed into two assumption first assumption the goal-directed attentional

system and the stimulus-driven attentional system. According to the Attention

control theory, anxiety causes imbalance to this two assumption making stimulus-

driven attentional system more dominant which results to irrelevant thoughts and

poor performance (Corbetta & Shulman, 2002).

This study uses the state and trait anxiety theory, state anxiety divides anxiety

com into two components cognitive and emotional component. Trait anxiety in

the other hand refers to response with state anxiety (Speilberg, 1983 as cited by

MacArthur, n.d) this theory was further use in our study to serve as an indicator

for test anxiety.

Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework of the study. The independent

variable which is test anxiety focuses on the emotional, cognitive as well

academic anxiety, the basis of this indicator was from the theory of state and trait

anxiety theory by Speilber, (1983) and the study Sapini, (2014).

Test anxiety was referred as a hyper-arousal condition that result in the

change in physiological, emotional and intellectual modification that disrupt

learners in attaining and storing knowledge (Ndirangu, G.W., Moula,J.

M.,2009).Test anxiety also refers to anxiety that occurs before and during an

evaluation test, this result for a learners to think of unnecessary

Thoughts. Anxiety have shown to affect the cognitive and emotion of an

individual.
Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Test Anxiety Academic

Performance

Emotional Anxiety Quiz

Cognitive Anxiety Performance task

Academic Anxiety Exam

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework Showing the Variables of the Study