The effect of a training program in executive functions based on Anderson’s model
in reducing cognitive test anxiety
1
Department of Basic Sciences and Humanities, Faculty of Science and Arts, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
2
Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
3
Department of Educational Psychology, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
Submission date: 2024-01-29
Final revision date: 2024-07-11
Acceptance date: 2024-07-11
Online publication date: 2024-10-07
Corresponding author
Thaer A. Ghbari
Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, The Hashemite University, P.O. Box 330127, Zarqa 13133, Jordan
Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, The Hashemite University, P.O. Box 330127, Zarqa 13133, Jordan
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
treatment processes and recoverythe individual-health care system interface, particularly communication, and psychologically- based interventionschild and adolescent health
ABSTRACT
Background:
The choice of specialization at the secondary level in Jordan depends on the average scores of the student in the previous stages, specifically the scores of the tenth-grade year. Therefore, students in this grade experience cognitive test anxiety (CTA) at elevated levels, and the presence of deficiencies or weaknesses in the skills of executive functions impacts subse-quent career-related milestones for students. The current investigation aimed to assess the influence of an Anderson model-based training program on executive function as a means of alleviating CTA.
Participants and procedure:
Employing a quasi-experimental pre-post design, the study examined the effectiveness of the training intervention. 36 tenth-grade students were stratified into two groups: 19 in the experimental group and 17 in the control group. Both groups un-derwent administration of the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale before and after the test. The experimental group participated in a 14-session training program conducted three times weekly.
Results:
The results exhibited a statistically significant difference in post-test means between the experimental and control groups, signifying the successful reduction of CTA levels among students in the experimental group.
Conclusions:
The enduring significance of CTA in the ongoing assessment process, encompassing both historical and contemporary con-texts, highlights the necessity for proactive intervention. Recognizing the inherent diversity among students, our study aimed to create a customized training program to alleviate CTA. This endeavor is especially crucial for adolescents navi-gating a developmental stage where educational materials become more intricate. The effectiveness of the intervention is elevated by its strategic foundation in executive functions, which directly and influentially affects CTA. Aligning the training program with these crucial cognitive processes enhances its ability to effectively reduce the underlying factors contributing to CTA, thereby providing a promising approach for meaningful and sustainable outcomes in addressing the challenges faced by students in this regard.
The choice of specialization at the secondary level in Jordan depends on the average scores of the student in the previous stages, specifically the scores of the tenth-grade year. Therefore, students in this grade experience cognitive test anxiety (CTA) at elevated levels, and the presence of deficiencies or weaknesses in the skills of executive functions impacts subse-quent career-related milestones for students. The current investigation aimed to assess the influence of an Anderson model-based training program on executive function as a means of alleviating CTA.
Participants and procedure:
Employing a quasi-experimental pre-post design, the study examined the effectiveness of the training intervention. 36 tenth-grade students were stratified into two groups: 19 in the experimental group and 17 in the control group. Both groups un-derwent administration of the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale before and after the test. The experimental group participated in a 14-session training program conducted three times weekly.
Results:
The results exhibited a statistically significant difference in post-test means between the experimental and control groups, signifying the successful reduction of CTA levels among students in the experimental group.
Conclusions:
The enduring significance of CTA in the ongoing assessment process, encompassing both historical and contemporary con-texts, highlights the necessity for proactive intervention. Recognizing the inherent diversity among students, our study aimed to create a customized training program to alleviate CTA. This endeavor is especially crucial for adolescents navi-gating a developmental stage where educational materials become more intricate. The effectiveness of the intervention is elevated by its strategic foundation in executive functions, which directly and influentially affects CTA. Aligning the training program with these crucial cognitive processes enhances its ability to effectively reduce the underlying factors contributing to CTA, thereby providing a promising approach for meaningful and sustainable outcomes in addressing the challenges faced by students in this regard.
REFERENCES (40)
1.
Anderson, P. (2002). Assessment and development of executive function (EF) during childhood. Child Neuropsy-chology, 8, 71–82. https://doi.org/10.1076/chin.8....
2.
Anderson, V., Anderson, P., Grimwood, K., & Nolan, T. (2004). Cognitive and executive function 12 years after childhood bacterial meningitis: Effect of acute neurologic complications and age of onset. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 29, 67–81. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy....
3.
Anderson, V., Anderson, P. J., Jacobs, R., & Smith, M. S. (2008). Development and assessment of executive func-tion: From preschool to adolescence. In V. Anderson, R. Jacobs, & P. J. Anderson (Eds.), Executive functions and the frontal lobes: a lifespan perspective (pp. 123–154). Taylor & Francis.
4.
Banich, M. T. (2009). Executive function: The search for an integrated account. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18, 89–94. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467....
5.
Barkley, R. A. (1997). Behavioral inhibition sustained attention, and executive functions: Constructing a unifying theory of ADHD. Psychological Bulletin, 121, 65–94. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2....
6.
Beck, P. W., & Burns, D. (1979). Anxiety and depression in law students: Cognitive intervention. Journal of Legal Education, 30, 270–290.
7.
Bedel, A., & Ulubey, E. (2015). The role of cognitive flexibility coping in explaining coping strategies in adolescents. Electronic Journal of Social Sciences, 14, 291–300. https://doi.org/10.17755/esosd....
8.
Benjamin, M., McKeachie, W. J., Lin, Y. G., & Holinger, D. P. (1981). Test anxiety: Deficits in information pro-cessing. Journal of Educational Psychology, 73, 816–824. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0....
9.
Bozkurt, S., Ekitli, G. B., Thomas, C. L., & Cassady, J. C. (2017). Validation of the Turkish version of the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale-Revised. Sage Open, 7. https://doi.org/10.1177/215824....
10.
Cassady, J. C., & Finch, W. H. (2014). Using factor mixture modeling to identify dimensions of cognitive test anxie-ty. Learning and Individual Differences, 41, 14–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lind....
11.
Cassady, J. C., & Johnson, R. E. (2002). Cognitive test anxiety and academic performance. Contemporary Educa-tional Psychology, 27, 270–295. https://doi.org/10.1006/ceps.2....
12.
Culclasure, B. T., Longest, K. C., & Terry, T. M. (2019). Project-based learning (Pjbl) in three southeastern public schools: Academic, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 13, 5. https://doi.org/10.7771/1541-5....
13.
Culler, R. E., & Holahan, C. J. (1980). Test anxiety and academic performance: The effects of study-related behav-iors. Journal of Educational Psychology, 72, 16–20. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0....
14.
Davidson, M. C., Amso, D., Anderson, L. C., & Diamond, A. (2006). Development of cognitive control and execu-tive functions from 4 to 13 years: Evidence from manipulations of memory, inhibition, and task switching. Neuropsychologia, 44, 2037–2078. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neur....
15.
Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: a meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Devel-opment, 82, 405–432. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467....
16.
Elliot, A. J., & McGregor, H. A. (1999). Test anxiety and the hierarchical model of approach and avoidance achievement motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 628–644. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-....
17.
Emadi Far, F., & Gorji, Y. (2017). Effectiveness of attention training on attention control, focused.
18.
attention and dispersed attention in girl students with test anxiety. Quarterly Journal of Child Mental Health, 4, 67–77.
19.
Fergus, T. A., & Limbers, C. A. (2019). Reducing test anxiety in school settings: a controlled pilot study examining a group format delivery of the attention training technique among adolescent students. Behavior Therapy, 50, 803–816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth....
20.
Gass, C. S., & Curiel, R. E. (2011). Test anxiety in relation to measures of cognitive and intellectual functioning. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 26, 396–404. https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin....
21.
Getz, S. J. (2013). Cognitive control and intertemporal choice: The role of cognitive control in impulsive decision mak-ing [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Princeton University.
22.
Goldstein, S., & Naglieri, J. (2014). Handbook of executive functioning. Springer.
23.
Grange, J., & Houghton, G. (Eds.) (2014). Task switching and cognitive control. Oxford University Press.
24.
Klenberg, L. (2015). Assessment and development of executive functions in school-age children [Unpublished doc-toral dissertation]. University of Helsinki.
25.
Kuloglu, A., & Orhan, F. G. (2021). Examination of test anxiety and cognitive flexibility levels of students preparing for the university exam. International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 13, 996–1009. https://doi.org/10.15345/iojes....
26.
Lezak, M. D. (1995). Neuropsychological assessment (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
27.
Liebert, R. M., & Morris, L. W. (1967). Cognitive and emotional components of test anxiety: a distinction and some initial data. Psychological Reports, 20, 975–978. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.19....
28.
McCloskey, G., Perkins, L. A., & Van Diviner, B. (2008). Assessment and intervention for executive function difficul-ties. Taylor & Francis.
29.
Numan, A., & Hasan, S. (2017). Effect of study habits on test anxiety and academic achievement of undergraduate students. Journal of Research and Reflections in Education, 11, 1–14. https://www.ue.edu.pk/jrre/art....
30.
O’Donnell, P. S. (2017). Executive functioning profiles and test anxiety in college students. Journal of Psychoeduca-tional Assessment, 35, 447–459. https://doi.org/10.1177/073428....
31.
Ranganath, C., & Rainer, G. (2003). Neural mechanisms for detecting and remembering novel events. Nature Re-views. Neuroscience, 4, 193–202. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn105....
32.
Richardson, M., Abraham, C., & Bond, R. (2012). Psychological correlates of university students’ academic per-formance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 138, 353–387. https://doi.org/10.1037/a00268....
33.
Sabzi, R., Mihandoost, Z., Nademi, A., & Parandin, S. (2022). The effectiveness of executive function training on emotional self-regulation and test anxiety of female students with writing disorders. Journal of Health Promo-tion Management, 11, 68–80.
34.
Sahin, H., Gunay, T., & Bati, H. (2006). University entrance exam anxiety of senior high school students in the province of Izmir, district of Bornova. STED, 5, 107–113.
35.
Schunk, D. H. (1985). Self-efficacy and classroom learning. Psychology in the Schools, 22, 208–223. https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6...<208::AID-PITS2310220215>3.0.CO;2-7.
36.
Sergeant, J. A., Geurts, H., & Oosterlaan, J. (2002). How specific is a deficit of executive functioning for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder? Behavioural Brain Research, 130, 3–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0166-....
38.
Tulving, E., Markowitsch. J., Craik, F. I. M., Habib, R., & Houle, S. (1996). Novelty and familiarity activations in PET studies of memory encoding and retrieval. Cerebral Cortex, 6, 71–79. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor....
39.
von der Embse, N., Jester, D., Roy, D., & Post, J. (2018). Test anxiety effects, predictors, and correlates: a 30-year meta-analytic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 227, 483–493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.....
40.
Yüksel, M. Y., Sevim, E., & Çelimli, Ç. (2018). Examination of the relationship between test anxiety and selective attention among adolescents. Elementary Education Online, 17, 864–873. https://doi.org/10.17051/ilkon....
Copyright: © Institute of Psychology, University of Gdansk This is an Open Access journal, all articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/), allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material, provided the original work is properly cited and states its license.
Share
RELATED ARTICLE
| eISSN: | 2353-5571 |
| ISSN: | 2353-4184 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
