The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between junior high school students’ test stress and their academic achievements. The study also investigated the relationship between different levels of test stress and their academic achievements. It aimed to understand junior high school students’ test stress in order to increase teaching effects.
Questionnaire survey as well as semi-structure interview methods were used in the study. Questionnaires about junior high school students’ test stress were carefully designed. 480 eighth-grade students from Ching-Shuei Junior High School in Taichung County were randomly selected as subjects in the survey. There were 480 valid samples obtained. The statistics procedures including t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson product-moment correlation were conducted to analyze the results. 15 eighth-grade students in the same school were interviewed in a semi-structure way. Both qualitative analysis and quantitative method were used to analyze the results.
The findings of the study are as follows:
1. The results showed that junior high school students’ test stress was of a medium level.
2. Among the four levels of test stress for the junior high school students, the degree of test stress for pre-test preparation was the highest, and then pre-test nervousness, on-site reaction and scores’ stress.
3. There were significant differences in correlation between test stress and the students’ academic achievements.
4. It was found that the results from 15 students’ testing experiences in the interviews were consistent with those of the questionnaire survey.
In conclusion, the results of the study make educational contributions and suggestions to the educators, junior high school teachers, parents and researchers in the future study.
