The Effect of Self-directed Learning and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies on Reducing Test Anxiety of Senior High School Female Students of Ilam City, Iran

Shojaie, Samira; Jadidi, Hoshang; Moradi, Omid; Akbari, Maryam

Volume 12 - Articles-1401 MEJDS (2022) 12: 265 | Back to browse issues page

Mendeley

Zotero

RefWorks

Shojaie S, Jadidi H, Moradi O, Akbari M. The Effect of Self-directed Learning and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies on Reducing Test Anxiety of Senior High School Female Students of Ilam City, Iran. MEJDS 2022; 12 :265-265
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-2130-en.html

The Effect of Self-directed Learning and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies on Reducing Test Anxiety of Senior High School Female Students of Ilam City, Iran

Samira Shojaie¹

, Hoshang Jadidi ^*²

, Omid Moradi³

, Maryam Akbari³

1- PhD Student, Department of Psychology, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran
2- Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran
3- Assistant Professor, Counseling Department, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran

Abstract: (1365 Views)

Abstract
Background & Objective: The most important mission of schools and universities is to educate talented and elite human resources to conquer and reach the peaks of knowledge and provide a vision of progress and innovation for societies. However, these educational institutions depend on holding exams to assess students' knowledge levels in different stages to achieve a higher degree of education or to issue an academic certificate. This issue has made exams a barrier to achieving the desired job in students' academic success. Therefore, the present study investigated the effectiveness of an integrated intervention program based on self–directed learning and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in reducing test anxiety in female high school students in Ilam City, Iran.
Methods: The present study was quasi–experimental with a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The study population consisted of all female high school students in Ilam who were studying in the 2017–2018 academic year. Because at least 15 people are recommended for each study groups in the experimental methods, 30 students with a high test anxiety score were selected by purposive sampling. First, 5 schools were chosen as the sample from all schools in Ilam City. From these 5 schools, by referring to the schools and explaining the researcher about the study to the school principal and teachers, one school that measures students' test anxiety according to teachers and the school's principal was selected. Then, 30 students were chosen as the sample. Fifteen students were assigned to two groups: experimental and control groups. Finally, by observing ethical considerations and stating the research objectives, permission from the students was obtained to participate in the research. After consenting to participate in the study, the experimental group took part in ten 90–minute sessions for 5 consecutive weeks (two sessions per week). The integrated training program included self–directed learning and cognitive emotion regulation strategies. The control group received no intervention. Students answered the Spielberger (1970) questionnaire to collect data before and after the intervention. The obtained data were analyzed using the covariance analysis in SPSS version 23 software at a significance level 0.05.
Results: According to the results, the average test anxiety in the experimental group decreased from 36.40 in the pretest to 30.06 after the intervention of the integrated program based on self–directed learning and cognitive emotion regulation strategies. To perform an analysis of covariance, its assumptions were first examined. The results of Levene's test for homogeneity of variance of test anxiety variable (F=0.01, p=0.97) showed no significant difference in the variance of the groups. Therefore, the assumption of the equality of variance is established. The results of the homogeneity of the regression slope between the pretest and posttest scores in the groups for the test anxiety variable (F=2.15, p=0.154) show that the regression of the homogeneity of the regression slope is not significant, so the group–pretest assumption is approved. Therefore, the regression homogeneity assumption is established, and it can be ensured that the data of this study meet the assumptions underlying the analysis of variance. Also, the data in Table 2 show the results of univariate analysis of covariance on the mean posttest scores of dependent variables with pretest control in experimental and control groups. Therefore, teaching integrated programs based on self–directed learning and cognitive emotion regulation strategies has a reducing positive and significant effect on test anxiety (F=4.42, p= 0.001).
Conclusion: According to the research results, a combined program of self–directed learning and cognitive emotion regulation strategies can be used as a suitable intervention method to reduce students' test anxiety. Therefore, this method can be recommended to school principals and teachers to reduce students' anxiety.

Keywords: Self–Directed Learning, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies, Test Anxiety

Full-Text [PDF 392 kb] (286 Downloads)

Type of Study: Original Research Article | Subject: Psychology

References

1. Khalaila R. The relationship between academic self-concept, intrinsic motivation, test anxiety, and academic achievement among nursing students: mediating and moderating effects. Nurse Educ Today. 2015;35(3):432–8. [DOI]

2. Von Der Embse N, Jester D, Roy D, Post J. Test anxiety effects, predictors, and correlates: a 30-year meta-analytic review. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2018;227:483–93. [DOI]

3. Poorman SG, Mastorovich ML, Gerwick M. Interventions for test anxiety: how faculty can help. Teach Learn Nurs. 2019;14(3):186–91. [DOI]

4. Warshawski S, Bar-Lev O, Barnoy S. Role of academic self-efficacy and social support on nursing studentsʼ test anxiety. Nurse Educ. 2019;44(1):6–10. [DOI]

5. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th edition. American Psychiatric Association; 2018.

6. İnangil D, Irmak Vural P, Doğan S, Körpe G. Effectiveness of music therapy and emotional freedom technique on test anxiety in Turkish nursing students: a randomised controlled trial. Eur J Integr Med. 2020;33:101041. [DOI]

7. Knapp AA, Feldner M, Allan NP, Schmidt NB, Keough ME, Leen-Feldner EW. Test of an anxiety sensitivity amelioration program for at-risk youth (ASAP-Y). Behav Res Ther. 2020;126:103544. [DOI]

8. Chicca J, Shellenbarger T. A new generation of nurses is here: strategies for working with generation Z. American Nurse Today. 2019;14(2):48–50.

9. Yazıcı K. The relationship between learning style, test anxiety and academic achievement. Universal Journal of Educational Research. 2017;5(1):61–71. [DOI]

10. Almardani Some’eh S, Nourian Aghdam J, Hashemi Nosrat Abad T. The role of the strategies of emotion regulation in predicting test anxiety. Applied Research in Educational Psychology. 2015;2(1):29–40. [Persian] [Article]

11. Salibi ZH, Hassani F, Niusha B. A study on the efficacy of a combination of critical thinking and critical thinking on self-directed learning among high-school students in Qom. Innovation and Creativity in Human Sciences. 2015;4(3):55–77. [Persian] [Article]

12. Duarte AC, Matos AP, Marques C. Cognitive emotion regulation strategies and depressive symptoms: gender's moderating effect. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2015;165:275–83. [DOI]

13. Lopes JB, Cunha AE. Self-directed professional development to improve effective teaching: Key points for a model. Teach Teach Educ. 2017;68:262–74. [DOI]

14. Beach P. Self-directed online learning: a theoretical model for understanding elementary teachers' online learning experiences. Teach Teach Educ. 2017;61:60–72. [DOI]

15. Schweder S, Raufelder D. Positive emotions, learning behavior and teacher support in self-directed learning during adolescence: do age and gender matter? Journal of Adolescence. 2019;73:73–84. [DOI]

16. Lee S, Kim DH, Chae SM. Self-directed learning and professional values of nursing students. Nurse Education in Practice. 2020;42:102647. [DOI]

17. Yasmin M, Naseem F, Masso IC. Teacher-directed learning to self-directed learning transition barriers in Pakistan. Studies in Educational Evaluation. 2019;61:34–40. [DOI]

18. Tekkol İA, Demirel M. An investigation of self-directed learning skills of undergraduate students. Front Psychol. 2018;9:2324. [DOI]

19. Chakkaravarthy K, Ibrahim N, Mahmud M, Venkatasalu MR. Predictors for nurses and midwives' readiness towards self-directed learning: an integrated review. Nurse Education Today. 2018;69:60–6. [DOI]

20. Moghadam Zadeh A, Aliakbari Z, Mazari E. A study on the relationship between self-directed learning and organizational learning in educational organizations. Organizational Culture Management. 2018;16(4):827–50. [Persian] [Article]

21. Veis Karami HA, Garavand H, Naserian Hjiabadi H, Afsharizadeh SE, Montazeri R, Mohammadzade Ghasr A. A comparative study of functions of thinking style and self-directed learning among nursing and midwifery students in Mashhad. Research in Medical Education. 2012;4(2):53–62. [Persian] [DOI]

22. Shojaee S, Jadidi H, Moradi O, Akbari M. Compilation of the test anxiety model based on self-directed learning and metacognitive awareness components by mediating cognitive-emotional ordering strategies. Analytical Cognitive Psychology. 2020;10(38):61–76. [Persian]

23. Delavar A. Educational and psychological research. Tehran: Virayesh Pub; 2009. [Persian]

24. Garrison DR. Self-directed learning: toward a comprehensive model. Adult Education Quarterly. 1997;48(1):18–33. [DOI]

25. Wells A. Meta-cognition and worry: a cognitive model of generalized anxiety disorder. Behav Cogn Psychother. 1995;23(3):301–20. [DOI]

26. Gross JJ, Thompson RA. Emotion regulation: conceptual and empirical foundations. In: Gross JJ; editor. Handbook of emotion regulation. New York: Guilford Press; 2007.

27. Speilberger C. Test anxiety inventory. In: Weiner IB, Craighead WE, editors. The Corsini encyclopedia of psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc; 2010. [DOI]

28. Gholami Booreng F, Mahram B, Kareshki H. Construction and validation of a scale of research anxiety for students. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology. 2017;23(1):78–93. [Persian] [DOI]