An Examination of the Relationship between Test Anxiety and Decision Making Styles of Elementary School 8th Grades Students*

Abstract

The pupose of this study is to examine the test anxiety of 8 th grade students and career decision making styles with respect to gender. In addition, the purpose of this study is to examine whether the decision making styles that students use for coping with decision making predict test anxiety. The study group consists of 425 students (230 girl, 195 boy) who are receiving education at the 5 state and 2 private schools which are in Cankaya, Kecioren and Sincan in Ankara. The range of ages are between 13 and 15. The datas are collected with The Test Anxiety Inventory (Öner, 1989) and The Adolescent Decision Making Questionnaire (Çolakkadıoğlu, 2003) were used to collect data. The results of this study indicated that the levels of 8th grade girl students' test anxiety were significantly higher than the level of 8th grade boys' test anxiety. When coping with the decision making in terms of unacceptable styles, there were significant differences between the girls and the boys. However, it was found there was not a significant difference in terms of acceptable coping styles. In addition, the results of this study indicated that the coping with the decision making styles used by 8th grade the elementary school students was significant predictors of both the test anxiety and the worry and emotionality components of the test anxiety. The findings of the study were discussed in related literature and suggestions were made for future research. Summary According to Siebere (1980, p.17), test anxiety is a special case of general anxiety. Spielberger (1966) approached the test anxiety with the State-Trait Model. According to Spielberger, test anxiety is an unpleasant and stress creating Emotional condition experienced during a formal test or assessment situation. Worry and Emotionality are component of test anxiety. The Worry is the cognitive component of test anxiety. Worry is refers to focusing of attention on concerns about performance, consequences of failure, negative self-evaluation, evaluation of one's ability relative to others, and the like. Emotionality is the sensorial dimension which constitutes the physiogical component that stimulates the autonomus nervous system. Emotionality refers to the affective-physiological experience generated from increased autonomic arousal. The results of studies examining the effects of test anxiety on academic performance have indicated that in general, students with high levels of test anxiety perceive tests as difficult situations and have difficulty concentrating on the tests. It has been found that because they indicate low performance on the test they are unsuccessful. In addition, it has been found in these studies that students with high levels of test anxiety, do not use their cognitive compentences adequately because of their inadequate preperation, and experience intense Worry (Birenbaum and Nasser, 1994; Cassady, 2004; Cooley & Spielberger, 1980; Hong, 1999; Sullivan, 2002). The results of studies which examine the relationship between efficient study strategies and the test anxiety indicated that in general the students with high level of the efficient study strategies have low or vice versa levels of test anxiety (Gazelle, Maste & James, 1998; Kirkland & Hollandsworth, 1980; Rasor & Rasor, 1998). The general evaluation of results of studies which examine the relationship between test anxiety and performance indicated that in relation to students with low levels of test anxiety, those with high levels of test anxiety demonstrate lower performance on tests (Benjamin, 1991; Cassady, 2004; Cassady & Johnson, 2002; Culler & Holahan, 1980; Horn & Dollinger, 1989). A number of authors found that the test anxiety scores of girls were higher than that of the boys. Besides, Worry scores of the boys were higher than that the girls's and Emotionality scores of the girls were higher than the boys's (Brown, 2002; Cassady and Johnson, 2002; Di Maria & Di Nuovo, 1990; Woodburg, 2002). School counselors are aware of the importance of decision-making skills for the process of educational and career planning. Researchers have investigated the concept that people have different decision-making styles others have examined the relationship between both trait and state anxiety and different decision-making styles. The results of these researches indicated that state and trait anxiety were positively related to the decision making styles (Fuqua, Newman & Seaworth, 1998; Heppner, Ham, Dugan, 1988). It was thought that the test anxiety with the Worry and the Emotionality components were probably related to an individual's decision making styles while coping with decision-making. In the literature of decision making several studies have been made especially concerning how adolescents make decision and determining which styles were used when making decisions (Friedman & Mann, 1993; Loo, 2000; Mann, Hormony & Power, 1989; Mann & et al., 1998; Mincemoyer & Perkins, 2003; Ormond, Luszcz, Mann & Beswick, 1991; Radford, Mann, Ohta, & Nakane, 1993; Scout & Bruce, 1995). In the conflict theory developed by Janis and Mann (1977), four decision making syles were determined. These styles were defined as complacency, cop-out and panic as unacceptable styles and vigilance as an acceptable style (Friedmann and Mann, 1999; Janis and Mann, 1977; Mann, Beswick, Allouache and Ivey, 1989; Mitchell and Krumboltz, 1984). The Adolescent Decision Making Questionnaire (ADMQ) developed by Mann, Harmoni and Power (1989) added another component called self-esteem to the four styles of decision making. Schvaneveldt and Adams (1983) found that there was a difference in the decision making styles of adolescents according to time pressure, parental attitudes, events, socio-economic status and age. There were two purposes to this study; the first was to examine test anxiety and decision making styles in elementary school eighth grade students according to gender. The second purpose was to examine whether the decision making styles of the students could predict the test anxiety. Method Participants and procedure The study group was comprised of 425 (230 females, 195 males) 8th grade volunteers, from elementary schools. The participants' ages ranged from 13-15 years. Testing occurred in a single session in which participants were told that their responses would assist counselors. We emphasized that the session was voluntary and confidential. Instruments The Adolescent Decision Making Questionnaire (ADMQ). The ADMQ (Mann, Harmoni and Power 1989) was adopted to Turkish culture for adolescents by Çolakkadıoğlu (2003). The ADMQ consists of 30 items rating on a 4-point Likert scale. The underlying structure of ADMQ was examined using factor analysis technique. The factor analysis indicated that the ADMQ consists of five factors: complacency, cop-out, panic, vigilance and self-esteem. The criterion was analyzed with the correlation of ADMQ with Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), with State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC), and with Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (CSEI) were investigated. A significant negative correlation between maladaptive styles of ADMQ and CDI was found (r=.22 to .30). A positive correlation between maladaptive styles of ADMQ and CSEI were also determined (r=-.24 to .36). For adolescent student samples internal consistence coefficients have been found to range from .65 to .79; stability coefficients were reported to range from .80 to .86 across two week interval. Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI). The TAI (Spielberger, 1980) was adopted to Turkish culture by Öner (1989). The TAI consists of 20 items rating on a 4-point Likert scale. The underlying structure of TAI was examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis techniques. The factor analysis indicated that the TAI consists of two factors: Worry and Emotionality. The reliability coefficient obtained by Kuder-Richardson Equation No.20 was from .89 to .73. Three week test-retest reliability was from .70 to .90. Data Analysis The data were analyzed by the t test and simultaneous multiple regression techniques. Results The results of this study indicated that the scores of 8th grade the girl students' total The Test Anxiety were significantly higher than that the scores of 8th grade the boy students' total test anxiety (t=3.82, p<.001). In addition to, the results indicated that the scores of 8th grade the girl students' The Emotionality Subscale of the Test Anxiety were significantly higher than that the scores of 8th grade the boy students' The Emotionality Subscale of the Test Anxiety (t=5.106, p<.001). In The Worry Subscale of the Test Anxiety there is no significant difference between the boys and the girls' scores. The Complacency Subscale decision making styles of the boy students' score mean ( =5.08; s=3.27), was significantly higher (t=3.494, p<.001) than that of the score means of girl students ( =4.06, s=2.73). In a similar manner The Cop-Out Subscale of boy students score mean ( =5.51, s=2.93) was significantly higher (t=3.382, p<.001) than that of the score mean of girl students ( =4.57, s=2.86). However, significant differences were not found in score mean of The Self-Esteem in decision making subscale of both boy and girl students ( E=11.31, s=2.77; ( K=11.41, s=2.88, t=.364, p>.05), The Vigilance Subscale ( E=12.53, s=3.58; K=13.13, s=3.29; t=1.807, p>.05) and The Panic Subscale( E=7.17, s=3.29; K=7.67, s=3.34; t=1.551, p>.05) To determine whether overall independent variables (The Vigilance, Panic, Complacency, Cop-Out and Self-Esteem subcales of The ADMQ) accounted for a significant amount of variance in The Test Anxiety Inventory's scores, the total scores of the The Vigilance, Panic, Complacency, Cop-Out and Self-Esteem subscales of The ADMQ were used as predictors in a simultaneous multiple regression. This multiple regression was significant (R=.52, R2=.27; F=28.344, p<.001). Given that the overall variables significantly predicted The Test Anxiety Inventory's scores. The Vigilance, Panic, Complacency, Cop-Out and Self-Esteem subscales of The ADMQ scores accounted for a significant proportion of the variance (%27) of the The Test Anxiety Inventory's scores. To determine whether overall independent variables (The Vigilance, Panic, Complacency, Cop-Out and Self-Esteem subcales of The ADMQ) accounted for a significant amount of variance in The Worry Subscale scores of The Test Anxiety Inventory, the total scores of the The Vigilance, Panic, Complacency, Cop-Out and Self-Esteem subscales of The ADMQ were used as predictors in a simultaneous multiple regression. This multiple regression was significant (Multiple R=.50, R2=.25; F=26.790, p<.001). Given that the overall variables significantly predicted The Worry Subscale scores. The Vigilance, Panic, Complacency, Cop-Out and Self-Esteem subscales of The ADMQ scores accounted for a significant proportion of the variance (%25) of the The Worry Subscale scores. To determine whether overall independent variables (The Vigilance, Panic, Complacency, Cop-Out and Self-Esteem subcales of The ADMQ) accounted for a significant amount of variance in The Emotionality Subscale scores of The Test Anxiety Inventory, the total scores of the The Vigilance, Panic, Complacency, Cop-Out and Self-Esteem subscales of The ADMQ were used as predictors in a simultaneous multiple regression. This multiple regression was significant (R=.47, R2=.23; F=22.921, p<.001). Given that the overall variables significantly predicted The Emotionality Subscale scores. The Vigilance, Panic, Complacency, Cop-Out and Self-Esteem subscales of The ADMQ scores accounted for a significant proportion of the variance (%23) of The Emotionality Subscale scores. Discussion When the total scores of the TAI and the scores of the Worry and Emotionality subscales of the 8th grade students who participated in the study were compared; both the complete TAI and the Emotionality subscale in relation to test anxiety levels of girl students were found to be significantly higher than that of boy students. In comparison, in The Worry Subscale of the Test Anxiety there is no significant difference between the boys and the girls scores. The findings of this study in regards to test anxiety according to gender, to a great extent supports previous studies(Brown, 2002; Cassady and Johnson, 2002; Di Maria and Di Nuovo, 1990; Rasor and Rason, 1998; Woodburg, 2002; Zeidner and Scheleyer, 1999). In this study, it was found that boy students when compared with girl students used the complacency and cop-out styles significantly more often. The findings may be interpreted that when confronted with a decision making problem, the boy students who participated in this study showed complaceny behaviour and were tendency to cop-out more often than girl students. In addition this study found that there was little difference between the girls and boys use of self-esteem, vigilance and panic coping styles in the decision making. These findings indicated that there was no significant difference in the use of styles that helped effective decision making and acceptable decision making self-esteem and vigilance styles and the panic style of unacceptable decision making styles between girls and boys. The findings of this study in terms of examination of gender differences in coping with decision making may be interpreted as follows; both the girl and the boy students when approaching a problem tended to have confidence in themselves, acted with vigilance when evaluating alternatives related to the problem, but during the decision making process showed panic behaviour. These findings supported former studies related to decision making styles according to gender (Brown & Mann 1999; Kuzgun, 1993; Radford, Mann, Ohta and Nakane 1993). The findings indicated that there were significant relationship between the total scores of The Vigilance, Panic, Complacency, Cop-Out and Self-Esteem subscales of The ADMQ and both The Emotionality and Worry Subscale scores of The Test Anxiety Inventory and The Test Anxiety Inventory's total scores. In addition, the findings indicated that the all subscales of The ADMQ were important predictors of both The Emotionality and Worry Subscale scores of The Test Anxiety Inventory and The Test Anxiety Inventory's total scores. This study only examined whether there were significant relationships between the decision making styles and the test anxiety and its' sub components. Therefore these findings were not appropriate to form cause–results inferences. n summary, the results of the study indicated that the decision making styles should be taken into consideration when helping the elementary school student's test anxiety. In the literature of the test anxiety and the decision making styles, this study is the first which examines the relationship between decision making and test anxiety. Consequently, the findings of the relationship between the variables could not be compared to similar previous studies. However, it is expected that the results of this study will be able to contribute future studies and both decision making and test anxiety literatures.

Keywords

• test anxiety , decision-making styles , adolescent

İlköğretim 8. Sınıf Öğrencilerinin Sınav Kaygıları ve Karar Verme Stilleri Arasındaki İlişkilerin İncelenmesi

Öz

Bu araştırmanın amacı ilköğretim 8. sınıf öğrencilerinin sınav kaygıları ve karar verme stillerini cinsiyete göre incelemektir. Bunun yanı sıra, bu öğrencilerin karar vermeyle başa çıkmada kullandıkları karar verme stillerinin sınav kaygılarını yordayıp yordamadığını incelemektir. Çalışma grubu, Ankara İli Çankaya, Keçiören ve Sincan ilçelerindeki Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı'na bağlı 5 resmi ve 2 özel ilköğretim okulunda öğrenim gören 425 (230 kız 195 erkek) öğrenciden oluşmaktadır. Öğrencilerin yaş ranjı 13-15 arasında değişmektedir. Araştırmada veriler Ergen Karar Verme Ölçeği: EKVÖ (Çolakkadıoğlu, 2003), Sınav Kaygısı Ölçeği: SKÖ (Öner, 1989) ve Kişisel Bilgi Formu kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Araştırmanın sonuçları 8. sınıftaki kız öğrencilerin sınav kaygılarının erkeklerinkinden anlamlı olarak daha yüksek olduğunu göstermiştir. Karar verme ile başa çıkmada kullanılan uyumsuz stiller açısından kızlar ve erkeklerin anlamlı olarak farklılaştıkları, ancak uyumlu stiller açısından farklılaşmadıkları bulunmuştur. Ayrıca, bu araştırmanın sonuçları ilköğretim 8. sınıf öğrencilerinin karar verme ile başa çıkmada kullandıkları stillerin sınav kaygıları ile sınav kaygısının Kuruntu ve Duyuşsallık öğelerinin önemli yordayıcıları olduğunu göstermiştir. Bulgular ilgili literatüre dayanılarak tartışılmış, gelecek araştırmalara yönelik öneriler sunulmuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• sınav kaygısı , karar verme stilleri , ergen

Kaynakça

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