Stresten Başarıya Sınav Kaygısı Diş Hekimliği Öğrencilerinin Performansını Nasıl Etkiler?

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, diş hekimliği öğrencilerinin sınav öncesi kaygı düzeylerini ve bunun akademik başarıya etkisini sınıf düzeyi ve sınav türü açısından değerlendirmektir. Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli Üniversitesi Diş Hekimliği Fakültesi’nin 1. ve 3. sınıflarında öğrenim gören toplam 74 öğrenci (45 kadın, 29 erkek) çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. Öğrencilerin kaygı düzeyleri, 40 sorudan oluşan Durumluk-Sürekli Kaygı Envanteri ile ölçülmüştür. Katılımcılar 1. sınıf ve 3. sınıf olarak iki gruba ayrılmış, teorik (Anatomi) ve pratik (Protetik) sınavlar öncesinde değerlendirilmiştir. Sınav öncesi kaygı ile sınav notları arasında anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmamıştır. Ancak sınıflar arası analizde, Teorik Sınav Öncesi Durumluk Kaygı Puanlarında (p=0.004) ve Genel Durumluk Kaygı Puanlarında (Önce-Sonra) (p<0.001) anlamlı farklılık saptanırken, Pratik Sınav Öncesi Kaygı Puanlarında fark gözlenmemiştir (p=0.088). Sınıf içi değerlendirmelerde, 1. sınıflarda teorik sınav öncesi ortanca puan 44, pratik sınav öncesi ise 39 bulunmuş ve bu fark anlamlıdır (p<0.001). 3. sınıflarda ise teorik sınav öncesi ortalama 38.8 iken, pratik sınav öncesi 43.2 ile daha yüksek bulunmuş ve fark anlamlıdır (p=0.025). Kaygının akademik başarıyı doğrudan etkilemediği görülse de sınıf düzeyi ve sınav türüne göre farklılık göstermesi dikkat çekicidir. Bulgular, sınav kaygısının etkin yönetiminin ve öğrenci desteğinin önemini vurgulamaktadır.

Keywords

• Akademik başarı
• diş hekimliği öğrencileri
• sınav kaygısı
• pratik sınav
• teorik sınav

From Stress to Success Show Exam Anxiety Affects Dental Students’ Performance?

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate dental students' anxiety levels and their effects on academic performance in relation to class level and exam type. A total of 74 students (45 females, 29 males) from the 1st and 3rd years of Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University Faculty of Dentistry participated. Anxiety was assessed using State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (40 items). Participants were categorized into two groups (1st-year and 3rd-year) and evaluated before theoretical (Anatomy) and practical (Prosthetics) exams. No significant relationship was found between exam scores and pre-exam anxiety levels. However, inter-class analysis revealed significant differences between Pre-Theoretical State Anxiety Scores (p=0.004) and overall State Anxiety Scores (Pre-Post) (p<0.001), whereas no difference was observed in Pre-Practical State Anxiety Scores (p=0.088). Intra-class evaluations showed that in 1st-year students, the median pre-theoretical score 44 was significantly higher than the pre-practical score 39 (p<0.001). In contrast, in 3rd-year students, the mean pre-theoretical score was 38.8, while the pre-practical score was significantly higher at 43.2 (p=0.025). Although anxiety did not significantly affect exam performance, differences according to academic year and exam type were evident. These findings emphasize the importance of monitoring and managing exam-related anxiety, and providing effective psychological support to dental students to promote academic success.

Keywords

• Academic achievement
• dental students
• test anxiety
• practical exam
• theorical exam

References

1. Stormon N, Ford PJ, Kisely S, Bartle E, Eley DS. Depression, anxiety and stress in a cohort of Australian dentistry students. Eur J Dent Educ. 2019;23(4):507-514. doi:10.1111/eje.12459
2. Sekhon, T. S., Grewal, S., Gambhir, R. S., & Sharma, S. (2015). Perceived sources of stress among dental college students: An Indian perspective. EurJ Gen Dent. 2015; 4(3), 121–126. doi:10.4103/2278-9626.163335
3. Schmalz G, Büchi S, Haak R, Ziebolz D, Strauß M. Illustration of self-perceived knowledge, skills, and interests in undergraduate dental students using a visual metaphor- results of a monocentric cross-sectional study. BMC Med Educ. 2024;24(1):271. doi:10.1186/s12909-024-05257-w
4. Tokuc M, Alpkilic DS. Evaluation of anxiety-provoking situations related to clinical training in dental education. Eur J Dent Educ. 2022;26(4):857-864. doi:10.1111/eje.12773.
5. Mocny-Pachońska K, Doniec R, Trzcionka A, et al. Evaluating the stress-response of dental students to the dental school environment. PeerJ. 2020;8:e8981. doi:10.7717/peerj.8981.
6. Schüler IM, Heinrich-Weltzien R, Eiselt M. Effect of individual structured and qualified feedback on improving clinical performance of dental students in clinical courses-randomised controlled study. Eur J Dent Educ. 2018;22(3):e458-e467. doi:10.1111/eje.12325
7. Grock CH, Luz LB, Oliveira VF, et al. Experiences during the execution of emergency endodontic treatment and levels of anxiety in dental students. Eur J Dent Educ. 2018;22(4):e715-e723. doi:10.1111/eje.12385.
8. Lugassy D, Ben-Izhack G, Zissu S, et al. Anxiety, stress, and depression levels among dental students: gender, age, and stage of dental education related. Psychol Health Med. 2025;30(7):1394-1408. doi:10.1080/13548506.2025.2476085

9. Lakshmi, B., Fammina, C., & Ganesh, R. Clinical anxiety-provoking situations among dental students in Chennai. Indian J Oral HealthRes. 2016;2(1):77-81. doi:10.4103/2393-8692.196112
10. Moradi S, Fateh MS, Movahed E, et al. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorder among dental students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Dent Educ. 2024;88(7):900-909. doi:10.1002/jdd.13506.
11. Zakaria NH, Zakaria N, Lee KY. Relationships between burnout and coping strategies among assistant medical officers in Malaysian public healthcare facilities. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1):30058. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-14036-6
12. Buldur B, Erdem S. More than just a child: dental students' perceptions of children using a mixed-method approach. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2024;48(1):52-59. doi:10.22514/jocpd.2024.007.
13. Akman M, Ovalıoğlu Z, Bozkurt D.Endodontik Tedavi Öncesi ve Sonrası Anksiyete Seviyesi ve Korku Analizi. Selcuk Dent J, 2021;8:494-499. doi:10.15311/selcukdentj.71 5242
14. Knowles KA, Olatunji BO. Specificity of trait anxiety in anxiety and depression: Meta-analysis of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Clin Psychol Rev. 2020;82:101928. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101928
15. Oken BS, Chamine I, Wakeland W. A systems approach to stress, stressors and resilience in humans. Behav Brain Res. 2015;282:144-154. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2014.12.047
16. Güneş Z, Arslantaş H. Insomnia in nursing students and related factors: A cross-sectional study. Int J Nurs Pract. 2017;23(5):10.1111/ijn.12578. doi:10.1111/ijn.12578
17. Wong CWS, Schweitzer RD. Individual, premigration and postsettlement factors, and academic achievement in adolescents from refugee backgrounds: A systematic review and model. Transcult Psychiatry. 2017;54(5-6):756-782. doi:10.1177/1363461517737015.
18. Nechita D, Nechita F, Motorga R. A review of the influence the anxiety exerts on human life. Rom J Morphol Embryol. 2018;59(4):1045-1051.
19. Noubani A, Diaconu K, Loffreda G, Saleh S. Readiness to deliver person-focused care in a fragile situation: the case of Mental Health Services in Lebanon. Int J Ment Health Syst. 2021;15(1):21. doi:10.1186/s13033-021-00446-2
20. Güdücü N, Özcan NK. The effect of emotional freedom techniques (EFT) on postpartum depression: A randomized controlled trial. Explore (NY). 2023;19(6):842-850. doi:10.1016/j.explore.2023.04.012
21. V Machado A, O Castro C, R Botelho Filho C, et al. Anxiety and Sleep Quality in Dental Students at a Private Brazilian University. Bull Tokyo Dent Coll. 2020;61(1):27-36. doi:10.2209/tdcpublication.2018-0072
22. Wu JH, Du JK, Lee CY, Lee HE, Tsai TC. Effects of anxiety on dental students' noncognitive performance in their first objective structured clinical examination. Kaohsiung J Med Sci. 2020;36(10):850-856. doi:10.1002/kjm2.12231
23. Kalantari M, Zadeh NL, Agahi RH, Navabi N, Hashemipour MA, Nassab AHG. Measurement of the levels anxiety, self-perception of preparation and expectations for success using an objective structured clinical examination, a written examination, and a preclinical preparation test in Kerman dental students. J Educ Health Promot. 2017;6:28.doi:10.4103/jehp.jehp_97_15
24. Luz LB, Grock CH, Oliveira VF, et al. Self-reported confidence and anxiety over endodontic procedures in undergraduate students-Quantitative and qualitative study. Eur J Dent Educ. 2019;23(4):482-490. doi:10.1111/eje.12456
25. Fernandes Azevedo AB, Câmara-Souza MB, Dantas IS, de Resende CMBM, Barbosa GAS. Relationship between anxiety and temporomandibular disorders in dental students. Cranio. 2018;36(5):300-303. doi:10.1080/08869634.2017.1361053
26. Chowdhury CR, Khijmatgar S, Chowdhury A, Harding S, Lynch E, Gootveld M. Dental anxiety in first- and final-year Indian dental students. BDJ Open. 2019;5:15. doi:10.1038/s41405-019-0017-9
27. Basudan S, Binanzan N, Alhassan A. Depression, anxiety and stress in dental students. Int J Med Educ. 2017;8:179-186. doi:10.5116/ijme.5910.b961
28. Garcia FF, Casarin M, Silva FH, Muniz FWMG. Association between history of academic failure during dental school and self-reported depression, anxiety, and stress: A retrospective cohort. J Dent Educ. 2023;87(11):1502-1511. doi:10.1002/jdd.13333
29. Alammari MR, Bukhary DM. Factors contributing to prosthodontic exam anxiety in undergraduate dental students. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2019;10:31-38. doi:10.2147/AMEP.S187351
30. Malghani PG, Abbasi LS, Majeed S, Saleem T. Level of anxiety in clinical settings and coping mechanisms used by dental undergraduate students to overcome it. J Dent Educ. 2021;85(11):1749-1755. doi:10.1002/jdd.12751
31. Chimea T, Kanji Z, Schmitz S. Assessment of clinical competence in competency-based education. Can J Dent Hyg. 2020;54(2):83-91.1.
32. Sallam A, Atwa H, Abdelaziz A, Nasser AA. Medical Students’ Perception of a Newly Implemented Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in Orthopedic Surgery and Trauma: A Mixed-Method Study. JEOH.2022;22:29-38. doi:10.18311/jeoh/2022/29397
33. Majumder MAA, Kumar A, Krishnamurthy K, Ojeh N, Adams OP, Sa B. An evaluative study of objective structured clinical examination (OSCE): students and examiners perspectives. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2019;10:387-397. doi:10.2147/AMEP.S197275
34. Neuwirt H, Eder IE, Gauckler P, et al. Impact of familiarity with the format of the exam on performance in the OSCE of undergraduate medical students - an interventional study. BMC Med Educ. 2024;24(1):179. doi:10.1186/s12909-024-05091-0
35. Duty SM, Christian L, Loftus J, Zappi V. Is Cognitive Test-Taking Anxiety Associated With Academic Performance Among Nursing Students?. Nurse Educ. 2016;41(2):70-74. doi:10.1097/NNE.0000000000000208.
36. Ubaka CM, Sansgiry SS, Ukwe CV. Cognitive Determinants of Academic Performance in Nigerian Pharmacy Schools. Am J Pharm Educ. 2015;79(7):101. doi:10.5688/ajpe797101.