Test Anxiety Understanding Some Of The Ways - 1623 Words

Exploiting the Pressure: understanding some of the ways in which test anxiety can develop within students. Imagine sitting in a small coffeehouse with a delicious coffee sitting close by, on a peaceful rainy day. This is the perfect time to stay inside and prepare for an upcoming exam. A large stack of color coded, handwritten note cards are filled with all the information discussed within the class, textbooks and notes are scattered. Hours go by, a great amount of studying and reviewing is done. The student continues to study for several days leading to the exam, but there is just one problem, this student suffers from test anxiety. Test anxiety can be defined as, â€Å" an unpleasant feeling or emotional state that has a psychological and†¦show more content†¦In a response to these alarming statistics, it is crucial that educators understand how test anxiety can develop in the classroom, are able to recognize anxious behavior within a student, and how to help a student work through his or her anxiety. There are many ways in which test anxiety can develop within a student, it is crucial to first analyze some of the key factors that may come in to play within a classroom setting. The authors of Test Anxiety: A Major Problem and What Can We Do About It, Kennedy T. Hill and Allen Wigfield state, discuss that motivational factors may exert as much influence on their school performance as do cognitive skills and abilities, (Hill, Wigfield 106). This statement opens the discussion over positive and negative motivations, that may have a significant effect on a student’s academic success. Through a personal interview with social/emotional/behavioral teacher, Donna Barron discusses some positive and negative inspiration she has experienced. She states, â€Å"I encourage my students to be encouragers and up lifters.† This means if there is a situation where the classroom environment becomes competitive, each student is re-enforced, especially when collectively learning. Howeve r, Barron does not disagree in allowing her students to have chances to earn prizes for good behavior, â€Å"I am pushing them to work for a chance to win pizza if they do their