Standardized STATE Testing and Stress - Research Paper Example

Running head: TEST ANXIETY Standardized Testing and Stress and Anxiety in Elementary School Children in 3rd-5th Grades of institution Course code Date the assignments is due Abstract Children start taking the standardized tests as early as first grade in many states. Elementary school students in 3rd – 5th grade in Texas must take the TAKs (Texas Assessment and Skills test) every year in order to be promoted to the next level. State testing anxiety has physical, cognitive, behavioral and emotional effects on the children. Researchers have established that the students can be equipped with physical habits and emotional skills to deal with test anxiety and the related symptoms. Changes should be implemented in the education sector by the introduction of test relaxation programs in schools to minimize the levels of test anxiety among elementary school students. This paper is going to give an in-depth analysis of test anxiety and how it can be controlled. Keywords: Test anxiety, Elementary students, Standardized tests. Introduction The use of standardized testing in the education sector has become ever-present (Cassady, 2010). As significant as examinations are in the life of students, test anxiety among elementary students seems to have been disregarded. The demands for students to perform well in examinations are a reality. The TAKS test produce stress and anxiety on many children resulting to emotional tension. Pressure and demand is placed on students to perform and achieve higher scores in their examinations. This calls for the need of counselors to implement interventions to help reduce stress and anxiety (Putwain and William, 2008). Researchers in the fields of education and psychology have described test anxiety as a relatively stable personality trait. In advanced and critical cases it generates devastating psychological and behavioral responses. Review of literature Cassady (2010) and Putwain and William (2008) agree that elementary students show signs and symptoms of test anxiety. Test anxiety has many effects on the cognitive abilities, behavior, emotions and health of the child as explained by BNET (2010), Carter et al. (2008) and Cassady (2010). The elementary students can be equipped with tools to enable them to deal with test anxiety as cited by Cassidy et al. (2002), Walsh and Murphy (2003) and Putwain and William (2008). Carter et al. (2008), BNET, (2010) and Cassidy et al. (2010), state that the test anxiety affects the performance of the students. Cassidy et al. (2002) and Lohaus and Klein- Hessling (2003) concur that the children at the elementary level can be taught relaxation tools to handle test anxiety. Signs and symptoms of test anxiety Students in the elementary level experience tension and apprehension before and during an examination (Cassady, 2010). This state can be described as anxiety which can be a powerful motivator but can interfere with learning and lead to poor performance among students. The students in the elementary level show signs and symptoms of test taking anxiety which are classified into the following categories: i) Behavioral- this includes fidgeting, avoidance, pacing, substance abuse and avoidance. ii) Cognitive- difficulty in organizing thoughts, difficulty in concentrating, negative talk about oneself and constant comparison with others (Carter et al., 2008). iii) Physical- headaches, extreme body temperatures, excessive sweating, quick heart beat and diarrhea. iv) Emotional- fear, disappointment, despair, depression in the advanced stages and irritability. Data evidence from an experiment Data collected from an experiment shows that there is the possibility that test taking anxiety affects the scores (Cassidy et al., 2002). In the experiment a random group of students was used and tested on the levels of anxiety before a test. It was observed that the implementation of a relaxation program led to decreased levels of anxiety and the associated signs and symptoms among students. Following the administration of a statewide test, the students reported a relaxed attitude. It was found out that 75% passed in the reading session while 94% passed in the mathematics section (BNET, 2010). It can be concluded that anxiety interventions are partially responsible for the improved performance among the students (Walsh and Murphy, 2003). Research on the issue has led to a better definition and understanding of the relationship between test taking anxiety and how it affects academic performance and learning. Students can be equipped with skills and strategies on how they can overcome the anxiety before, during and after a test (Cassady, 2010). The strategies equip the students with skills that help them overcome the related signs and symptoms of anxiety while improving on their academic capability. It is significant to help students identify and actualize what they are feeling and teach them on how to handle the anxiety (Cassidy et al., 2002). There are suggested physical activities that enable students to retain enough energy and stamina for the brain to function appropriately during the test. The ASCA national model principles should be applied when handling the students at the elementary level. Skills students can be taught to release their test taking anxiety There are skills students that can be taught to release their test taking anxiety. Practicing the following tools before a test can assist the student to limit the level of anxiety and leads to better performance (Putwain and William, 2008). Elementary students should be well prepared physically and emotionally before taking any test. The students’ diet on the day of the test should contain a high content of energy giving foods. The brain needs a great deal of energy to concentrate fully on the test for the specified hours. The students should have relaxed emotions before taking the test and they are advised to participate in a fun or sporting activity the previous night to help divert their attention from the test. The students should get enough sleep (8- 10 hours) since the test requires stamina to focus on the test. The students should practice neutral tools including taking a deep breath as it helps them to relax before and during the test (Lohaus and Klein- Hessling, 2003). Conclusion and recommendations Children in the elementary level need interventions to fight against the adverse behavioral, physiological, cognitive and physiological effects of test anxiety (Carter, Williams and Silverman, 2008). Findings from recent research show that children at the elementary level can benefit from relaxation training. Reforms should be introduced in the education centre to incorporate relaxation training as it leads to overall performance improvement. Schools can play a major role in addressing the issue of test anxiety by introducing relaxation programs into the system (Cheek et al., 2002). School counselors should have a scheduled time to teach students how to react to psychological and emotional stress and anxiety. The findings suggest that there are different possibilities for future research on how various factors including pressure by principals, parents and teachers impact on the anxiety levels. References BNET. (2010). An intervention for helping elementary students reduce test anxiety: Perspective from the field. Retrieved Sept. 29, 2010 from, . Carter, R., Williams, J. & Silverman, W. K. (2008). Cognitive and emotional facets of test anxiety in African American school children. Cognition and emotion. Cassady, J. C. (2010). Anxiety in schools: The causes, consequences, and solutions for academic anxieties. Peter Lang. Cassidy, J. R., Bradley, L. J, Reynolds, J., Coy, D. (2002). An intervention for helping elementary students reduce test anxiety. Professional school counselling. 6(2). 162- 165. Lohaus, A. & Klein- Hessling, J. (2003). Relaxation in children: Effects of extended and intensified training. Psychology and health. 18(2). 237-249. Putwain & William, D. (2008). Deconstructing test anxiety, emotional and behavioral difficulties. 141- 155. Walsh, M. A. & Murphy, J. A. (2003). Children, health, and learning: A guide to the issues. Greenwood Publishing Group. 24- 27. Read More