Validation of a new State Test Anxiety Scale (STAS)

Year 2021, , 872 - 887, 04.12.2021

Alper Şahin

https://doi.org/10.21449/ijate.838622

Abstract

This study aimed to validate the English version of Sahin’s (2019) State Test Anxiety Scale (STAS) which was originally developed in Turkish based on the latest bio-psychosocial model of test anxiety. For this purpose, the Turkish version of STAS was translated into English and administered to 360 (123 females, 237 males) students from 22 countries. The data were subjected to the confirmatory factor analysis to confirm the three-factor structure as in the Turkish version. Most of the fit indices examined (χ2/df=1.94, CFI=.98, NFI=.96, NNFI=.98, IFI=.98, RMSEA=.05, SRMR=.05) indicated that the data of the STAS had a good fit to the three-factor structure as its Turkish version. The Alpha internal consistency coefficients were found to be .81, .77, .91, and .92, for Physiological effects, Psychosocial effects, Cognitive effects subscales, and the total scale respectively. Stratified Alpha was also calculated and was found to be .93. All in all, evidence collected in this study indicated that the English version of STAS was a valid and reliable scale as its Turkish version.

Keywords

Test Anxiety, State Test Anxiety Scale, Bio-psychosocial model, STAS English.

References

• Aydın, U., Bulgan, G. (2017). Adaptation of children’s test anxiety scale to Turkish. Elementary Education Online, 16(2), 887-899. https://doi.org/10.17051/ilkonline.2017.304742
• Akın, A., Demirci, İ., & Arslan, S. (2012). Revize edilmiş sınav kaygısı ölçeği: Geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması [Revised Test Anxiety Scale: Validity & Reliability Study]. Educational Sciences and Practice, 11(21), 103-118.
• Bados, A. & Sanz, P. (2005). Validation of the revised test anxiety scale and the Friedben test anxiety scale in a Spanish sample. Ansiedad y Estrés, 11 (2/3), 163-174.
• Başol, G. (2017). IDA test anxiety scale: Validity and reliability study. The Journal International Education Science, 4(13), 173 193. https://doi.org/10.16991/INESJOURNAL.1506
• Benson, J., & El-Zahhar, N. (1994). Further refinement and validation of the revised test anxiety scale. Structural Equation Modelling, 1(3), 203 221. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519409539975
• Bozkurt, S., Ekitli, G. B., Thomas, C. L., & Cassady, J. C. (2017). Validation of the Turkish version of the cognitive test anxiety scale-Revised. Sage Open, (7)1, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244016669549
• Cassady, J. C., & Finch, W. H. (2014). Confirming the factor structure of the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale: Comparing the utility of three solutions. Educational Assessment Journal, 19(3), 229-242. https://doi.org/10.1080/10627197.2014.934604
• Chapell, M. S., Blanding, B., Silverstein, M. E., Takahashi, M., Newman, B., Gubi, A., & McCann, N. (2005). Test anxiety and academic performance in undergraduate and graduate students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97(2), 268 274. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.97.2.268
• Çokluk, Ö., Şekercioğlu, G., & Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2010). Sosyal Bilimler için Çok değişkenli istatistik : SPSS ve LISREL uygulamaları [Multivariate Statistics for Social Sciences: SPPS and LISREL Applications]. Pegem Academy Press.
• Delvecchio, E., Cavallina, C., Di Riso, D., & Mazzeschi, C. (2017). Early evidence of Italian validation of the trait anxiety scale of the state trait anxiety inventory for children. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 15(2), 214 223. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2017.1297227
• Driscoll, R. (2007). Westside test anxiety scale validation. Education Research Information Center. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED495968.pdf
• Friedman, I. A., & Bendas-Jacob, O. (1997). Measuring perceived test anxiety in adolescents: A self-report scale. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 57(6), 1035-1046. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164497057006012
• Gençdoğan, B. (2006). Lise öğrencilerinin sınav kaygısı ile boyuneğicilik düzeyleri ve sosyal destek algısı arasındaki ilişkiler [The relationship between the test anxiety, submissive behavior level and perception of social support of high school students]. Atatürk University Journal of Social Sciences Institute, 7(1), 153-164.
• Hagtvet, K. A., & Benson, J. (1997). The motive to avoid failure and test anxiety responses: Empirical support for integration of two research traditions. Anxiety, Stress and Coping, 10(1), 35-57. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615809708249294
• Hagtvet, K.A., Man, F., & Sharma, S. (2001). Generalizability of self-related cognitions in test anxiety. Personality and Individual Differences, 31(7), 1147 1171. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00212-9
• Harper, F. (1971). Specific Anxiety Theory and the Mandler-Sarason Test Anxiety Questionnaire. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 31(4), 1011-1014. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447103100431
• Hembree, R. (1988). Correlates, causes, effects, and treatment of test anxiety. Review of Educational Research, 58 (1), 47-77. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543058001047
• IBM Corp. (2015). IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 23.0. IBM Corp.
• Jöreskog, K. G., & Sörbom, D. (2001). LISREL 8.5 for Windows [Computer software]. Scientific Software International, Inc.
• Kahraman, S., Özbaşı, D., & Özdemir, M. (2018). A Study on the Development of an Attitude Scale Towards the Use of PowerPoint in Classroom. Kastamonu Education Journal, 26(4), 1237-1246. https://doi.org/10.24106/kefdergi.434168
• Karataş, H., Alıcı, B., & Aydın, H. (2013). Correlation among high school senior students’ test anxiety, academic performance and points of university entrance exam. Educational Research and Reviews, 8(13), 919-926. https://doi.org/10.5897/ERR2013.1462
• Liebert, R. M., & Morris, L.W. (1967). Cognitive and emotional components of test anxiety: A distinction and some initial data. Psychological Reports, 20(3), 975 978. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1967.20.3.975
• Lowe, P. A., Lee, S. W., Witteborg, K. M., Prichard, K. W., Luhr, M. E., Cullinan, C. M. … Janik, M. (2008). The test anxiety inventory for children and adolescents (TAICA): Examination of the psychometric properties of a new multidimensional measure of test anxiety among elementary and secondary school students. Journal of Psychoeducational Measurement, 26(3), 215-230.
• Mandler, G., & Sarason, S. B. (1952). Some correlates of test anxiety. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 47(4), 810-817. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0060009
• McDonald, A. S. (2001). The prevalence and effects of test anxiety in school children. Educational Psychology, 21(1), 89-101. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410020019867
• Osterhouse, R. A. (1970). Desensitization and study skills as treatment for two types of test-anxious students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 19(4), 301 307. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0034177
• Popa, C., Bochis, L., & Clipa, O. (2019, July 3-5). School assessment and test anxiety at primary school pupils [Paper Presentation]. 4th International Conference on Lifelong Education and Leadership for All, Wroclaw, Poland.
• Sahin, A. (2019). State Test Anxiety Scale (STAS): Validity and Reliability Study. Trakya Journal of Education, 9(1), 78-90. https://doi.org/10.24315/tred.450423
• Sapp, M., Farrel, W., & Durand, H. (1995). The effects of mathematics, reading and writing tests in producing worry and emotionality test anxiety with economically and educationally disadvantaged college students. College Students Journal, 29(1), 122- 125.
• Sarason, I. G., & Stoops, R. (1978). Test anxiety and the passage of time. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46(1), 102- 109. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-006x.46.1.102
• Schermelleh-Engel, K., Moosbrugger, H. & Müller, H. (2003). Evaluating the fit of structural equation models: Tests of significance and descriptive goodness-of-fit measures. Methods of Psychological Research Online, 8(2), 23-74.
• Seçer, İ. (2015). Process of psychological test development and adaptation: SPSS and LISREL applications. Anı Publishing.
• Spielberger, C. D. (1972). Theory and research in anxiety. Academic Press.
• Spielberger, C. D. (1980). Test anxiety inventory: Preliminary professional manual. Consulting Psychologists Press.
• Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., & Lushene, R. E. (1970). Manual for state-trait anxiety inventory. Consulting Psychologists Press.
• Spielberger, C. D., & Vagg, P. R. (1995). Test anxiety: A transactional process model. In C. D. Spielberger & P. R. Vagg (Eds.), Test anxiety: Theory, assessment, and treatment (pp. 3-14). Taylor & Francis.
• Stevens, J. P. (2009). Applied multivariate statistics for the social sciences (5th ed.). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
• Suinn, R. M. (1969). The STABS, a measure of test anxiety for behavior therapy: Normative data. Behavior Research and Therapy, 7(3), 335-339. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(69)90018-7
• Tornio, S. (2019, March 14). More kids than ever are dealing with test anxiety, and we need to help. We Are Teachers. https://www.weareteachers.com/test-anxiety/