Test anxiety in mathematics among early undergraduate students in a British university in Malaysia

TL;DR

This study investigates test anxiety levels among early undergraduate students in a Malaysian university, examining how anxiety relates to expectations, performance, and demographic factors, with findings indicating no significant correlation between anxiety and actual scores.

Contribution

It provides empirical data on test anxiety in a Malaysian university context, highlighting the lack of significant correlation with academic performance across different demographics.

Findings

Students with lower score expectations were more anxious but scored better than expected.

No significant correlation between test anxiety and actual academic performance.

Effect sizes of correlations ranged from extremely small to moderate.

Abstract

The level of test anxiety in mathematics subjects among early undergraduate students at The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus is studied in this paper. The sample consists of 206 students taking several mathematics modules who completed the questionnaires on test anxiety just before they entered the venue for midterm exams. The sample data include the differences in the context of academic levels, gender groups and nationality backgrounds. The level of test anxiety in mathematics is measured using seven Likert questionnaire statements adapted from the Test Anxiety Inventory describing one's emotional feeling before the exam start. In general, the result shows that the students who had a lower score expectation were more anxious than those who had a higher score expectation, but that they obtained a better score than the expected score. In the context of academic levels, gender groups and nationality backgrounds, there were no significant correlations between the level of test anxiety and the students' academic performance. The effect size of the correlation values ranged from extremely small to moderate.