A longitudinal study of test-related emotions in school aged secondary education students in England.

Abstract

Anxiety about examinations is a recognised and widespread problem, with serious implications for school-aged children. Government bodies have called for reliable measures and a better understanding of test anxiety to gather clear data, drive change, and improve practices in schools. This research provides a contribution to knowledge and understanding of test anxiety and wider related emotions. In Paper 1, the PRISMA framework is used to systematically review the literature on test anxiety and identify the measures used in studies published from 2000 to 2020. The findings reveal issues with the reliability of current evidence due to outdated test anxiety measures and their supporting standardisation groups. There are also concerns about the validity of the measures due to the wide variation in the language used to describe different aspects of test anxiety. Additionally, the research highlights a lack of incorporation of young people's views and perspectives on test anxiety. Paper 2 presents the findings of a quantitative, longitudinal study conducted in two secondary schools located in the Northwest of England. The study examines the levels of test emotions and anxiety in 15-16-year-old students throughout their final year of secondary education. The findings show that while some test-related emotions remain stable over time, others, such as test anxiety, test relief, test shame, and test hopelessness, fluctuate in response to significant testing events like mock and final exams. The study also reveals that young people in different school settings experience test emotions differently, possibly due to variations in school culture and broader contextual factors. Paper 3 reflects on the implications and practical value of the research for educational psychologists and schools. It also discusses the dissemination plans to reach psychologists, teachers, and students.

Date of Award	31 Dec 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Kevin Woods (Supervisor) & Tee McCaldin (Supervisor)