Test anxiety difference as a function of gender in African American college students

Abstract

Students of all levels of academic achievement and intellectual abilities can be affected by test anxiety. Motivation and self-regulation of cognition and behavior are necessary components to promote student achievement. According to research, females experience more test anxiety, beginning in elementary school, than what is reported by their male counterparts. Traditional and standardized testing does not necessarily measure what it purports to measure. Empirical research has found that test anxiety is associated with lower academic performance. It has been suggested that traditional classroom instruction, which does not encourage personal student investigation and discovery of concepts and ideas, actually retards the movement of students through the cognitive stages identified by Piaget.