Analysis of Test Anxiety in Human Anatomy and Physiology I Students at the University of Mississippi

Author

Anne PiazzaFollow

Date of Award

Spring 4-29-2022

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Biology

First Advisor

Carol Britson

Second Advisor

Carol Cleveland

Third Advisor

Gregg Roman

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

Student anxiety, specifically test anxiety, is common hindrance to student performance in various courses including Human Anatomy and Physiology at the University of Mississippi. Through a sequence of three surveys we collected demographic information, anxiety data related to the course, and test anxiety in general We researched factors that could potentially influence student anxiety such as at what point in the semester the student is evaluated, when students feel the most stressed, outcomes on previous evaluations, and perceived outcomes of the course. We also examined what effect the anxiety has on the student such as lowered performance, lowered test scores, and course withdrawal. Our results showed that those who entered the course anxious were likely to remain anxious throughout its entirety despite how they were doing in the course. We also found that those who reported higher levels of test anxiety were more likely to receive lower scores on exams and other assessments. Lastly, our analysis showed that females were more likely to report higher levels of anxiety, but it also should be noted that the sample size of females was relatively large compared to the sample size of males. This data can be used to gain further insight on when and what type of student is most likely to have detrimental effects due to test anxiety. We believe further research could investigate which levels of stress provide beneficial and which prove to be deterrents to success in the course.

Recommended Citation

Piazza, Anne, "Analysis of Test Anxiety in Human Anatomy and Physiology I Students at the University of Mississippi" (2022). Honors Theses. 2550.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/2550

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