Learners’ characteristics, test anxiety, learning efforts, and performance: Validating their structural relationships

Heckel, CH (Christian)¹, Messerschmidt-Grandi, C (Caterina)², Ringeisen, T (Tobias)^3
1Merseburg University of Applied Sciences, Eberhard-Leibnitz-Str. 2, 06217, Merseburg
²Claudiana College of Healthcare Professions, Lorenz-Böhler-Str. 13, 39100, Bozen
³Berlin School of Economics and Law, Alt-Friedrichsfelde 60, 10315, Berlin

 

Submission type

Oral only

Scheduled

Sinzendorfzaal, 26-09-2019, 15:30 - 17:00

Keywords

control-value theory, test anxiety, learner characteristics, learning, university students, academic performance

Summary

 

Control-value theory (CVT) proposes a framework to examine the structure of the relationships between learners’ characteristics, achievement emotions (here: test anxiety), learning behavior, and academic performance. Since research remains pending which confirms the proposed structure, the current study examined whether the four facets of test anxiety (emotionality, worry, interference, lack of confidence) serve as intervening variables between learners’ characteristics (performance approach goals, assertiveness) and learning behavior (perseverance and diligence), which, in turn, should predict academic performance. Based on a sample of 746 Italian university students (57% female; Mage = 21.64, SD = 4.04), structural equation modeling largely supported the proposed structure of relationships. Learners’ characteristics were differentially related with the four test anxiety facets: assertiveness was negatively associated with emotionality, interference, and lack of confidence; performance approach goals were negatively related to lack of confidence and positively to worry and emotionality. Lower levels of interference and lack of confidence, yet higher levels of worry, were associated with a greater use of perseverance and diligence, which in turn, predicted a better grade. Findings suggest that CVT provides a useful framework to explore the differential role of test anxiety facets between learners’ characteristics and learning behavior, which may be beneficial for performance.

 

Auteurs