scholarly journals Strategies for Remediating Anxiety in High School Math

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Pizzie ◽  
David Kraemer

Anxiety associated with academic tasks, including test anxiety and math anxiety, creates significant impediments for students to fulfill their potential in classes such as mathematics. Test anxiety has been characterized by intrusive and distracting thoughts, and is also associated with maladaptive study skills, such as procrastination. To combat these behaviors, we introduced two interventions into two samples of high school math classrooms: one intervention focused on regulating anxiety using cognitive reappraisal, and the other encouraged students to improve their study habits. Students in the study skills (SS) intervention increased their grades during the intervention quarter, whereas students in the emotion regulation (ER) intervention were unaffected by the intervention. Across two samples of high school students, the SS intervention encouraged even the most anxious students to incorporate self-testing and overcome avoidant behaviors, ameliorating the performance deficits associated with increased anxiety. Notably, the SS intervention was most effective for students who habitually engaged in emotion regulation strategies. This strategy results in better performance, allowing students who are challenged by feelings of anxiety to reach their potential.

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-49
Author(s):  
Natalie Spadafora ◽  
Emily L. Murphy ◽  
Danielle S. Molnar ◽  
Dawn Zinga

It is estimated that 15-22% of students have high levels of test anxiety (von der Embse, Jester, Roy, & Post, 2018), which can be associated with greater academic stress and poorer educational performance (e.g., Steinmayr, Crede, McElvany, & Withwein, 2016). First-generation students (where neither parent has completed post-secondary education) are a critical group to study given that they are at higher risk for poorer educational attainment and being unsuccessful at the post-secondary level. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the link between basic psychological needs and test anxiety in a sample of first-generation Ontario high school students across two points in time (N = 147;  Mage = 14.82, SD = 1.28). Self-report data was collected as a part of an on-going longitudinal study focusing on students attending a high school with specialized programming to enhance the transition to post-secondary institutions. Results from cross-lagged path analyses indicated that being older, female, and having higher levels of needs frustration significantly predicted higher levels of test anxiety over time within this sample. Our results highlight important educational implications, emphasizing the importance of fostering classroom environments where students perceive their psychological needs to be met, particularly within this unique population of students.


2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talida M. State ◽  
Judith R. Harrison ◽  
Lee Kern ◽  
Timothy J. Lewis

Little is known about the feasibility and acceptability of interventions designed to address the needs of high school students with emotional and behavioral challenges and adopted by their teachers. In this study, 336 general and special education teachers rated classwide interventions (e.g., expectations, routines, positive student–teacher interactions [PSTI]) and individual student interventions (e.g., study skills, organizational skills) in terms of priority, feasibility, and acceptability before implementation. Teachers who implemented the interventions rated their acceptability post-implementation. Results indicated that acceptability ratings varied across interventions, and it appeared that teachers rated interventions that required the least amount of time to implement (e.g., PSTI) most acceptable and those that required the most time for implementation (e.g., study skills) least acceptable. Lack of time, perceived lack of effectiveness, and poor environmental fit were often cited as reasons for lack of feasibility. Regression analyses revealed that teacher characteristics (e.g., years of experience) and type of intervention (e.g., classwide vs. individualized) contributed to teacher ratings of intervention acceptability. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. e460
Author(s):  
Qiubo Jiang ◽  
Yingxin Zhao ◽  
Qiang Hou ◽  
Hui Sui ◽  
Huaibao Lü ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document