The Extent of Test Anxiety Symptoms on Sample of Learners at Al-Quds Open University (QOU) and the Effect of Some Variables on the Learners

The Extent of Test Anxiety Symptoms on Sample of Learners at Al-Quds Open University (QOU) and the Effect of Some Variables on the Learners

Yousef Awwad

yawwad@qou.edu

Received : 30-06-2007 , Accepted : 25-11-2007

Language: Arabic

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the extent of test anxiety symptoms on the learners of Nablus Educational Region at QOU, so as to classify these symptoms in terms of their significance. It also aims at examining the effect of sex, marital status, academic level and the accumulative average of learners on the extent of these symptoms. A fifty_one (51) item "Likert Scale" type questionnaire covering the symptoms of test anxiety was administered to cover two domains: the psychological domain and the physical one. A sample of (419) learners was chosen randomly from 4063 (10,31%) learners who consisted the population of the study. The questionnaire was distributed among the learners during the mid-term exam in the academic year (2006/2007). The results of the statistical analysis revealed that the level of test anxiety symptoms among learners was totally high (60,23%), and the range of symptoms was between medium and high. According to the results of the study, there were no statistically significant differences due to the variables of sex, marital status, academic level and their interaction. Whereas there were statistically significant differences due to the accumulative average which indicates that the lowest accumulative average is usually accompanied by a high level of test anxiety and vice versa. Moreover, statistically significant differences were found due to the nature of test anxiety either psychological or physical symptoms in favor of the psychological symptoms. But both, the psychological and physical symptoms, have impact on creating test anxiety. According to these results, the researcher recommends that other researchers have to carry out similar studies in other educational regions and other universities as well as to adopt evaluative and educational system, and also, to adopt guidance and counseling training programs (comparative studies) which aim at reducing the negative effects of test anxiety among learners.

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